Hackenberg eager for Eagles chance
PHILADELPHIA » Christian Hackenberg was never certain where his football career would turn. All he knew was that no signal ever pointed toward his living room.
He was the high school star from Virginia, who was lured to Fork Union Military Academy to further grow as a quarterback. He was the five-star prospect, recruited everywhere, finally choosing Penn State.
He was the starting quarterback in Happy Valley as a true freshman, twice a Big Ten Rookie of the Week. He was the talent who left after his junior season, entering the NFL draft and going No. 51 overall to the New York Jets, who would stash a $1.6 million signing bonus into his $4.6 million contract.
And three summers later, that was him, back home, and out of work.
“Sitting on my couch,” he said, “and finding places to work out.”
After never using him in a regular-season game, the Jets flipped Hackenberg to Oakland in May for a conditional draft choice. By June, he was cut by the Raiders. He worked out for the Houston Texans and New England Patriots, but did not receive an offer. Then came Sunday, when the Eagles gave him a tryout … then a walkthrough … then a contract.
So that was him Monday in the NovaCare Complex bubble, wearing Eagles Uniform No. 8 during a rainy-day training-camp practice, ready to be Christian Hackenberg again.
“It just feels good to be back on the field and have some pads and some cleats on,” he said. “I was able to watch practice and stay afterward and throw for 20 or 30 minutes and get my work in with the team.
“I think that’s what I missed the most. That’s the coolest part.”
Though likely signed as a camp arm, particularly with Nick Foles experiencing recent upper-body fatigue, Hackenberg, still just 23, will have a chance to do something.
That’s better than nothing, even if it is so late into the offseason.
“Obviously that’s an obstacle,” Hackenberg said. “But I am going to come in every day and learn as much as I can from these guys, learn from Nick and Carson (Wentz) and Nate (Sudfeld) and Joe (Callahan) and just hit it hard.
“It’s an opportunity, whenever it comes, whatever it is. I assume they signed me for a reason, so I am just going to come in and give them everything I have in terms of picking it up, trying to push myself and learning as much as I can mentally while making sure I stay up on everything physically. It’s going to be tough, but it’s a challenge and I am excited for it.
“It’s better than sitting on the couch.”
Hackenberg loosened early Monday, but spent the business portion of the practice on the sideline, mingling with the other quarterbacks, making a few practice throws. But he stayed long after practice to throw to receivers, planned to do a quarterback-room study shift, and to return to the complex Monday night for more preparation.
“We’ve just got to get him out here,” offensive coordinator Mike Groh said. “And first of all, he’s got to learn what to do and then how we want it done. At this point, he’s got to crawl before he can walk.”
Actually, Hackenberg already was onto that plan. That’s because after being shooed from the NFL, he restructured the way he prepares. Working with renowned quarterback tutor Jeff Christensen, who put him through 85 two-a-day practices, Hackenberg grew to embrace the nuances of a position that once, for him, seemed to come so easy.
“I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that everyone focuses on results,” Hackenberg said. “The media focuses on results. All these people who are in this really focus on the results. But the one thing I have found that has been really cool is falling in love with the process and making sure you master each step. Does that make sense?
“I feel like that gets overlooked oftentimes. So I have been trying not to get too far ahead of myself, just making sure that every day I do everything I can. I know what I’ve put in this offseason and the things that I’ve changed. And I just haven’t had an opportunity to go out and show everybody yet.”
Doug Pederson was not available Monday to comment on Hackenberg, and Groh offered no specific preseason plan. The Eagles play Thursday in New England. Hackenberg will be happy, for the moment, to enjoy the trip.
“It was my first year of not being in a training camp since I can remember,” he said. “So it was tough. It was a lot of work. Being able to finally get that call, it kind of puts things in perspective. You take things for granted so many times in your life and you don’t miss it until it is taken away from you.
“I understand there have been crazier stories. But getting a taste of that, it was not a good sandwich to bite into. I am just really happy to be here, a smile on my face, and enjoying everything.”