Eagles Rookie Nolan Smith Already Winning Podcast Circuit

Before he even shows his skillset in his first NFL game, Philadelphia Eagles rookie EDGE Nolan Smith is making a name for himself through interviews and a video released from draft night.

PHILADELPHIA - Nolan Smith hasn’t played his first down of professional football, yet, but already the Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker/edge rusher has won the podcast circuit.

A recently-released video of Smith on the night he was selected 30th overall by the Eagles in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft on April 27. shows him wanting to get started right away by requesting a copy of the team's playbook.

With Nakobe Dean and Travon Walker - a pair of former Georgia teammates hanging in the wings at Smith’s draft party with family and friends - Smith waited for most of the first round to wrap up before getting the call from Howie Roseman.

The Eagles general manager got on the phone and said to Smith, “I’m a Florida Gator, you know how much this hurts my soul to take all these Georgia Bulldogs?”

To which Smith replied: “You wanna win, don’t you?”

One of the Eagles’ coaches then got on the phone.

Presumably, it was defensive coordinator Sean Desai, but it could have been head coach Nick Sirianni. The video isn’t clear who it is because a celebration is already underway.

Smith could be heard asking whoever it was for the playbook.

“Coach Sean, I know you’re busy,” said Smith, who may not even have been sure who he was talking to as the commotion around him intensified. “I want that playbook. I want it. I want that PDF. I wanna be on that (bleeping) field. I wanna show you all why you picked me No. 1. I’m being dead-(bleep) serious.”

There’s no doubt Smith is ready to accept whatever role he earns with the Eagles, a process that ramped up with the opening of a brief, two-week period of OTAs on May 30.

There’s also no doubt he wants to make an impact in his rookie season for an Eagles defense that needs to replace five starters from last year’s NFC Championship team.

Smith’s demeanor has been on display for all to see in various interviews.

He recently went on the Green Light Podcast with former Eagles defensive end and two-time Super Bowl champion Chris Long.

Long asked him about playing in the cold weather that Philly delivers as fall grows old and winter is born again.

Smith gave a doozy of an answer, laced with a couple of profane words.

“I don’t mind it,” he said. “I don’t care. As long as I get to go out there and hit a (bleeping bleep). I don’t really care about none of that (stuff). You get warm the more you hit people. I tell people that.”

Another choice cut from Long’s podcast came when the subject of Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham came up.

Smith has been compared to new teammate Haason Reddick, based on similar body types and because both are outside linebackers who can rush the passer.

Smith, though, is a player who always has a smile on his face. 

It was there when he met twice with the media, first on the day after he was drafted, and then again on May 5 when he and his fellow rookies and select second-year players were in Philly for rookie minicamp.

Graham has the same passion for the game and for life, too.

“He’s up, jiggin’, ready to go,” Smith said of the veteran Graham. “Me and BG have the same type of happy juice, just energy type guys.”

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Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.

Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.

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