Seumalo unsung hero; not that he would care
Isaac Seumalo is the Eagles’ Bobby Fischer of ping-pong.
There’s a running argument in the locker room as to which player is the best at the game. Some give kicker Jake Elliott the nod. A handful mention tight end Noah Togiai. Linebacker T.J. Edwards and rookie tight end Grant Calcaterra are also in the running. But the enigmatic Seumalo is considered the most accomplished by his closest competitors.
“He barely plays ping-pong which is frustrating for us. We want to have more chances to beat him,” Togiai said. “But he’ll come in, beat us, just leave and not play for three weeks.”
While Seumalo’s ability in ping-pong may be undervalued by some of his unknowing teammates, when it comes to football, few overlook his contributions. The Eagles guard may drift under the radar outside the organization, but when players were recently polled by The Inquirer to name the unsung hero of the team, Seumalo easily finished first.
Center Jason Kelce is the maestro in the middle of the offensive line. Injured right tackle Lane Johnson is its impenetrable wall. And guard Landon Dickerson and tackle Jordan Mailata form a 700-pound combination of road graders on the left. But Seumalo has been just as instrumental to the unit’s success this season.
“He’s such an important piece to what we do,” tight end Dallas Goedert said. “Day in and day out he gets about as much recognition as he talks, and that’s not a whole lot. He was an alternate for the Pro Bowl, should have probably been in the Pro Bowl.”
Kelce, Johnson, and Dickerson got voted in, while Mailata was also an alternate. All are deserving, but only Seumalo entered the offseason unsure if he would even start. He was not only coming off a season-ending Lisfranc foot fracture, but he was also being asked to move from the left to the right.
And the seven-year veteran would have to earn the job. At the startofspringworkouts,coachNick Sirianni called the competition an open one with Jack Driscoll and Sua Opeta in the mix. But when the team broke for the summer, Seumalo had re-established his prominence and has since made an argument as the Eagles’ comeback player of the year.
“Each year every NFL player is coming in with something to prove,” Seumalo said Wednesday. “They’re always going to bring in guys to compete and take your spot.SoIalwayshavethatmindset, whether it’s [a] reality or not.
“I know my time in the league has been longer than most, which I’m thankful for, but I approach each day as an opportunity to prove who you are and your legacy.”
Even before last year, Seumalo endured his share of setbacks. The 2016 third-round draft pick was benched early into his second season and watched from the sidelines as the Eagles won the Super Bowl. He eventually claimed his spot back, but he missed 22 games (including playoffs) due to injury from 2020-21.
But the Eagles know how effective the 29-year-old can be when healthy. Seumalo’s freakish physical skills and size (6-foot-4, 303 pounds) have allowed him to play every spot across the O-line, including tight end, in his career. It’s in intelligence, though, that many cite as one of the under-appreciated reasons why the offense excels.
“He’s one of the masterminds behind what we do on offense,” backup tackle Andre Dillard said. “He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve ever met in my life. He analyzes everything at light speed. He can conceptualize things and come up with ideas that help us.”
Kelce agrees.
“He’s smarter than I am,” the six-time Pro Bowler said.
Inside and out
Seumalo is on the quieter side, though, in a room of outgoing types. Kelce is the alpha male and leader. Johnson is the blunt jokester. Dickerson is the dry Southerner. And Mailata is the entertainer. Add commanding offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland to the picture and the unassuming Seumalo can sometimes get lost in the scenery.
“He’s really quiet. Doesn’t really say a whole lot, especially in meetings,” reserve offensive lineman Josh Sills said. “Coach Stout will have to say, ‘Hey, Isaac, speak up,’ or ‘Hey, Isaac, what do you think about this?’ He goes, ‘Ahhh,’ and Stout goes, ‘No, I want to hear it.’ ”
Kelce typically sees it all. He’s responsible for the protections on the field and for making the calls when necessary. But Seumalo has center experience. It was once thought that he would be the future Hall of Famer’s eventual replacement.
He still thinks and views the game like a center.
“He knows the game plan inside and out,” Goedert said. “Obviously, Kelce’s the one making the calls. But Isaac makes all the points and he’ll sometimes correct Kelce when he needs it. … The amount of studying he does is just impressive. He’s doing things before they happen.”