Eagles DT Kentavius Street Aims to Make a (Last) Name For Himself
The Philadelphia Eagles not only added depth on the defensive line when they signed Kentavius Street but also another player who only goes by his last name.
Like cornerback Darius Slay, Kentavius Street only wants to be called “Street.”
“It’s just simpler and a lot of people like to add on stuff to my last name,” Street said during his introductory press conference via Zoom on Monday.
“I’ve had people call me Street Money, Super Street. It’s a lot more to play with than Kentavius. Kentavius has a larger margin of error, so I try to avoid that.”
Slay has been to the Pro Bowl in two of his three seasons with the Eagles.
Street is still looking for his first, and he has at least one year to prove he can do it in Philadelphia. That’s the length of the contract he signed, but if things work out the way he hopes, the Eagles may want him back for a longer stay.
Still just 27, Street is happy to be an Eagle.
“As far as the outside looking in, I’ve always been a fan of the Eagles, going back to the days of Trent Cole and Brian Dawkins,” he said. “I really feel like this Eagles organization has always had a standard that they upheld.
"It’s never bent, it’s never faltered. So, it’s extremely exciting to be a part of it, man, because I really feel like I can put my best foot forward here.”
Cole and Dawkins have long since gone, leaving behind new legacies created by Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham, teammates since entering the league more than 10 years ago, guys who have had lockers side by side since they arrived, and who have led the Eagles to a Super Bowl championship.
“I’ve been watching these guys since I was a puppy,” said Street. “Fletch and BG have been setting the standard for D-linemen for a long time now. To have the opportunity to be in the building with these guys, going to practice, going to war with these guys is going to be huge.
“I think it’s going to add so much to my game, just being able to pick their brain, see what they see, react on how they react, pass rush how they pass rush, try to add that to my game. I know I can only get better. I can only add to what Fletch has been doing, what BG has been doing.”
The Eagles’ defense finished last year as the second-ranked unit in the league. It piled up 70 sacks and the pass defense ranked first overall.
Street wants to keep that standard from slipping.
“No D-lineman can sack a quarterback by himself,” he said. “It takes all four, so for someone to say he’s a one-man wrecking crew is not realistic and it’s not true. So, a D-lineman having other productive guys around him only benefits him, because they can’t block us all.
“It’s going to be great. They built a great room here and an even better culture, so I know we’ll only get better. I think all of us are going to have our best year.”
Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
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