Looking at Connor Barwin, most people see the football player who had 14.5 sacks last season to lead the NFC. However, he is much more than an NFL linebacker, which was made quite evident in ESPN's E:60 profile of Barwin.
On October 14, the night before his 29th birthday, Barwin watched the episode understanding an expanded audience would now know personal details about his life. They would learn about the fact he has been deaf in his left ear since birth, about his time playing basketball in one of the roughest areas of Detroit and about his open support of marriage equality.
However, that didn't hold the Eagle back from sharing his story and allowing the cameras into his home. Finding such success as a football player means Barwin has had his fair share of experiences with the media, but nothing to this magnitude.
"Of course I've been interviewed and had cameras around before, but this was a little different," Barwin said. "I'm definitely happy it's over because I think it was probably a little more nerve-wracking than usual. I wasn't the only one being interviewed. My family got interviewed. My old coaches got interviewed.
"It was nice to see them interview so many people. I really appreciate those people taking the time to speak about me. The producers did an incredible job tracking down old footage too, which is really quite impressive. The people at ESPN and that show do a great job."
Clearly, Barwin lived through the filming process and had an idea of what to expect in the final product, but after watching the full video, he was pleased with the way the network told his story. The video delved into many of the highs and lows throughout his journey, including the phone call he received when drafted by Houston and the season-ending injury he sustained in his first NFL game.
But, what message does Barwin want people to take away after watching? He's leaving that up to the viewers. Thus far though, all the feedback he's received has been overwhelmingly positive.
"Everything on social media has been great," Barwin explained. "I heard from a lot of people from back home who all thought it was a very positive piece, so I've been getting a lot of great reactions."
To promote the E:60 episode, ESPN released a short teaser featuring the linebacker driving through his old hometown. With producers in the passenger seat, Barwin was pulled over by police after making an illegal turn. It's one of the funnier moments to come out of the filming process.
Was he worried about getting a ticket?
"I wasn't," he laughed. "But, ESPN does a nice job of getting people interested. That was great that they used that clip to kind of keep you on the edge of your seat a little bit."
Now that the episode is out, Barwin can be seen as more than an Eagle. He's someone who has had to overcome great odds to get to this point, and his perseverance and character allow him to be a role model in not only Philadelphia and Detroit, but to people everywhere.
For those who missed the debut, Barwin's E:60 profile will re-air Friday on ESPN2 at 2 AM and Sunday on ESPNEWS at 8:30 AM.
