Last year at this time, it would only be a matter of days until Nelson Agholor heard his named called in the 2015 NFL Draft. The wide receiver was not in Chicago when the Eagles selected him with the No. 20 pick, instead electing to be at home with his family in Tampa. It's a decision he is still glad he made.
With a year of experience now under his belt, which included its fair share of challenges along the way, Agholor reflected on the draft process and on his rookie season.
Going Back To Draft Day
"Embrace whatever situation I end up in, take advantage of it and grow. There are a lot of great players in this league who were drafted in the later rounds, earlier rounds, all over. Great players were picked in different situations and I feel like what made them special is because they embraced where they were selected."
On His NFL Expectations
"I had no expectations of the NFL, but I was just blessed to even be in that position, to even sit there and fathom the possibilities. I wanted to just play as hard as I possibly could and prepare as hard as I possibly could, no matter what."
On Spending His Draft Experience With Family
"It's about family and so many people took part in that event. I'm just happy I got to share it with them. Family puts life in perspective. That's what they do every day. I'll always be hard on myself and sometimes I get down like, 'Man, this is hard.' But every time I get on the phone with my mom or I have my mom or my nieces and nephews physically around me, it puts life in perspective."
On His First Days In Philadelphia
"It's humbling and an authentic opportunity. I say authentic because this is as real as it's going to get in terms of this city and football. You produce, they love you. You don't produce, this is a tough town. At the end of the day, as an organization, it's authentic too. You get what you put in. I'm happy I came to an organization like this where every day you have to work hard."
On Advice He'd Give Himself
"Grind harder, no matter what. You thought you were grinding, but you can always grind harder. At the end of the day, you can always do more."
On The 2015 Rookie Class
"It's a special group. We have an opportunity to continue to help the culture of this organization and I know we will."
On The Best Advice He Received As A Rookie
"A lot of guys told me multiple things, but I think the most important thing is just work. Let the process handle itself."
You can be a part of #EaglesDraft by attending our Spotlight Forum with Brandon Graham, Chris Maragos and Jordan Hicks during the third day of the NFL Draft on April 30 at Lincoln Financial Field. Get autographs from the players and you could potentially be selected to announce the Eagles' fifth-round pick.
