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Former Super Bowl Participants Helping Eagles Teammates

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There is no sporting event like the Super Bowl.  Only a handful of Eagles know first hand.

While the Eagles are a confident team heading into Super Bowl LII, the experience factor clearly goes to the Patriots.  This will be New England's tenth Super Bowl appearance and eighth with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.  This will also be New England's third Super Bowl in four years so many of the players on the current roster have dealt with the relentless Super Bowl hype.   Eagles Defensive End Chris Long was with the Patriots last season.  Long's message to his teammates was to take care of their off the field duties long before they arrive in Minneapolis.

"Get all the ticket requests done," said Long.  "Get everybody's hotel room booked and get rid of the distractions and get ready for work.  We have a lot of work to do."

That work will including dealing with the media crush in Minnesota along with other off the field distractions which may not be taken care of before game day.  Then there is the matter of the actual game with an atmosphere which is far different than any regular season or playoff contest.  Like Long, Running Back LeGarrette Blount was a member of the Patriots last season and the veteran understands it can be difficult for first time Super Bowl participants.

"You've just got to be a professional," Blount said.  "It's hard to control your emotions.  Even with National Championships, you still haven't played in a game this big with this magnitude.  It's tough.  We enjoyed our NFC Championship game, but it's back to work."

Eagles Safety Malcolm Jenkins had a chance to experience a Super Bowl victory in New Orleans.  Jenkins was part of a Super Bowl champion during his rookie season eight years ago.  For Jenkins, it was an experience on and off the field which has stayed with him throughout his career.

"It definitely helped with my experience with what wins games," said Jenkins.  "It helped with handling the longevity of a season and how to get through adversity.  We had to go through all of that my rookie year.  I didn't get to really process it in the moment but now as an older player, I draw back on those memories."

Not every inexperienced team loses to the more experienced squad in the Super Bowl.  Jenkins and the Saints won in their first appearance against an Indianapolis squad which had won the Super Bowl three years prior.  For players such as Linebacker Mychal Kendricks, playing in a Super Bowl will be a different type of experience.  Kendricks is hoping the inexperience won't matter by the time Super Bowl LII gets underway.

"I've been to the Super Bowl but have not played in a Super Bowl," Kendricks said.  "I've been there for a couple of days, but that alone was crazy,  I don't know what it's like for those players that are in it, but none of that really matters."

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