BETHLEHEM, Pa.When Eagles defensive tackle Mike Patterson went down after a seizure during Wednesdays morning practice, rookie Danny Watkins instincts kicked in.
A trained EMT, Watkins stepped in to help Patterson before paramedics arrived, took over and eventually drove Patterson to Lehigh Valley Hospital.
Not exactly something Watkins expected on his first day with the Eagles, but with the way training camp has shaken out so far, theres no telling what could be in store for the first-round pick before the teams season opener on Sept. 11 in St. Louis.
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A fireman back in British Columbia, Canada, Watkins should be used to dealing with the heat and the flames, but only two days after signing a four-year deal worth 7.937 million he found himself practicing with the first team and got himself, as he said, thrown into the fire again, literally.
Early on, Watkins is still trying to get a grasp of the Eagles offense and become accustomed to the speed of the NFL. He saw action on Wednesday at right guard, which last season was manned by six-year veteran Nick Cole.
I knew that Wednesday was going to be a mental and physical day, and it was, Watkins said.
You know theres definitely a lot of areas I need to improve on, and I told coach Andy Reid and offensive line coach Howard Mudd that Im willing to take some hard coaching to get the job done.
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Thats what it will take if Watkins is to start Week 1 at St. Louis. He only missed the first five days of training camp10 practicesbefore he resolved his contract situation but also wasnt able to benefit from the minicamps and OTAs, which were erased by the lockout.
Watkins appears a little lost, Herremans said. He's coming along. He's behind a lot. He missed a whole week of preparation, but he's coming along.
Watkins also said he has only just begun studying the encyclopedia-sized Eagles playbook. He did spend time during Tuesdays off day in meetings, watching film and going through plays and just trying to catch up.
Yeah, Im into it, Watkins laughed, referring to the gigantic playbook in his arms.
Whether its clicking or not is another story. I mean it was the first day. I hold myself to a high standard, and I need to continuously get better, and I know Andy Reid and coach Mudd are going to be right behind me.
Watkins will have the former coach in charge of those who protected All-Pro quarterback Peyton Manning, Howard Mudd, to instruct him, which should surely ease the transition. Not to mention hes rooming with veteran offensive lineman Herremans and Jamaal Jackson at training camp.
As a rookie, Watkins already has had to deal with some razzing from his teammates, but its all a part of his development, he said, all a part of earning the starting spot that is expected of him.
Today was one for the books, thats for sure, Watkins said. Its just a learning process. Im committed to pick this up as quick as I can and work hard and really hoping the pieces are going to fall in the right place.