Toes and Tape: How All-Pro RT Lane Johnson Is Helping the Eagles' Locker Room

Lane Johnson has 12 years of wisdom in the NFL and doesn't mind sharing it.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson (65) reacts against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field. / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA - Back in June, second-year Eagles’ defender Nolan Smith went on a tangent about toes.

Not the first thing you expect to hear from an aspiring young player looking to make the leap in Year 2.

Smith, though, had spotted an open-toed sandal in the first row of the NocaCare Complex Auditorium and decided to let reporters in on a secret.

“Look at [those] feet,” Smith said, pointing to a reporter at the NovaCare Complex. “They’re all scrunched up. That’s bad for your Achilles and toes and stuff. I didn’t know that until I got into the league.”

That’s no secret around the Eagles because of All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson, who let Smith in on what his years of experience have taught him.

“I would say praise to Lane Johnson,” Smith said. “He taught me everything from getting my toes right to how I work and what I’m looking for in a tackle. Just different things like that.” 

Like most of us, Smith didn’t know any of that until taking to Johnson, a 6-foot-6, 325-pound specimen and potential future Hall of Fame player who has long advocated using toe spacers to better take care of what’s an afterthought to most.

Eagles edge rusher Nolan Smith / John McMullen/Eagles SI

“I put on toe spacers and make sure my knees and stuff are right,” Smith said. “When you all go home look at your feet. Your feet should look kind of like your fingers. Like you should be able to wiggle your toes and space them out. 

“And I learned that from Lane.”

Eagles on SI caught up with Johnson before practice on Sunday to get the skinny on Johnson’s belief in toe spacers.

“I think the whole toe spacers thing comes from shoes with narrow toe boxes really cramming your feet in,” Johnson said. “And so a lot of people have problems with bunions. And so once you start developing bunions, you start having knee issues. It kind of stems from the ground up. 

“For me, it's about having flexible feet. … I think the whole point of it is treating my feet better is so I can have better balance, better agility, better athleticism. I think it's what I'm looking for. … Whenever your feet are hurt, it f*&^ing sucks to play football, but it is a point of emphasis. I try to get guys to be conscious of that."

Johnson, meanwhile, is just paying it forward from the advice of legendary six-time NBA Most Valuable Player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which led to another wormhole with the Eagles’ star – he doesn’t tape his ankles, an almost inconceivable thought for NFL offensive linemen.

“I was watching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, He was talking about people taping,” Johnson explained. “He said he never taped. And I really never taped, because he said when you mobilize a joint, say, your ankle, all that force goes to your knees, so then your knees get shot. Tape up your knees, immobilize that, and it goes to your hips. 

“So throughout the whole year, really never tape unless it's something serious, but always thought that was pretty interesting. You know, he played 20 years and, yeah, man, pretty smart player. I try to listen to those guys who have been leading a long time and those guys did it."

Now Johnson is one of those guys.

“I don’t tape my ankles either,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “I started [not taping] three or four years ago because it just weakens your ankles. I don’t tape my ankles. I want natural strength. Lane was the one who told me about three years ago.”

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