Section 215
Fansided

Emmanuel Acho Talks Eagles Return, Chip Kelly and Memes

By Tim Kelly

facebooktwitterreddit

An exclusive Philadelphia Eagles Interview

One of the sadder partings at the end of Eagles’ training camp was when the Philadelphia Eagles and inside linebacker Emmanuel Acho reached an injury-settlement, meaning that the team agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to release him while he rehabbed a thumb injury. As part of the settlement, Acho couldn’t re-sign with the Eagles until week nine, but that would require that both his thumb injury healed and the Eagles were interested in bringing him back.

Acho, a former Texas standout who spent both the 2013 and 2014 seasons with the Eagles, proved in those two seasons that he’s a more than serviceable NFL player. The bigger issue was that he was on a team that already had Mychal Kendricks and DeMeco Ryans and became heavily invested in both Kiko Alonso and Jordan Hicks in the off-season. The Eagles inside linebacking corps has had it’s fair share of injuries in 2015, but coming out of the bye-week, the group appears to be as healthy as they have been all year. That, in some senses, is unfortunate for Acho, who became eligible to re-sign with the Eagles on Tuesday.

Many members of the fan-base were rooting for Acho to return to the team, something that certainly could still happen, not just because they enjoy watching him play, but because he had become a fan favorite through his work on social media. Not only did Acho use a meme to call DeSean Jackson out a year ago, but he also took a fan to her senior prom a year ago. At a time when athletes have become so visible to the public, both on and off the field, Acho comes off as about as genuine (and likeable) a guy as you can find.

I had a chance to catch up with Acho in a recent phone conversation, and we discussed a variety of things, including, but not limited to, memes.

My questions are marked with a TK in front of them and Emmanuel’s answers are marked with an EM.

TK:  Thanks for taking some time to join us here on Section 215, Emmanuel.

EM: It’s a pleasure to join you, Tim.

TK: You were injured during Training Camp, and eventually reached an injury settlement after being waived/injured. You were eligible to return to the Eagles this week, if both sides chose to do so. Do you believe you will return to the Eagles this season?

EM: As of Tuesday, I am available to go back to Philadelphia. I do think there is potential for it to happen, but a lot obviously has to fall into place for me to re-join the team. One being another team not trying to sign me before any call from the Eagles and two the Eagles having to have a need (at inside linebacker). They obviously have a plethora of linebackers that are playing at a high level, so only time will tell. But I would definitely be eager at the opportunity to go back to Philadelphia.

TK: The team has struggled with injuries at the inside linebacker position, between Kiko Alonso, Mychal Kendricks and DeMeco Ryans, but rookie Jordan Hicks has been extremely impressive from the get-go. You obviously got to compete with him this year in camp, but your paths crossed in college at Texas as well. Are you surprised at just how well he is playing?

EM: Am I surprised at how well some of the inside linebackers, particularly Jordan Hicks, are playing? Not at all. Hicks is a guy that I actually recruited to come to Texas. I was at the Eagles-Cowboys playoff game in 2010, during my Sophomore season, and I remember getting a text from my defensive coordinator at the time, Will Muschamp, reminding me to recruit that kid (Hicks) to Texas. He goes to Texas, has a good career there, and I knew he was a great player, so I’m not surprised at all by how much success he’s having at the NFL level.

TK: Offensively, the team has struggled to get a rhythm going this season. Do you anticipate after the bye week that the offense will get hot?

More from Section 215

EM: I think so. I think Chip’s an incredible coach. I think he’s a guy that will find a way, whatever it may be, to get things on track. So I won’t be surprised at all if the offense gets things clicking. And with how well the defense is playing, I think this team is definitely poised to make a run.

TK: This past off-season the roster obviously went through quite a bit of turnover. Some of your former teammates suggested on the way out that this may have been racially motivated on Chip Kelly’s part. How did you and those in the locker-room at that time feel about these suggestions?

Listen: Section 215 Podcast

EM: I’ve been in the NFL for a while now and I know that roughly 50 percent of a locker-room changes every off-season. I think it was probably even more so this off-season. It’s something that you are used to if you are season in the NFL. Nothing really surprises you and nothing really shocks you at all. I obviously don’t think any of Chip’s moves were motivated beyond anything outside of what he thinks is best for the team.

TK: On a lighter note, you became a fan favorite a season ago when you tweeted out a meme that suggested that your former teammate DeSean Jackson ‘wasn’t really about that life’ when he was photographed watching an in-game brawl. Did you make that meme yourself?

EM: I actually did make the meme myself. I actually didn’t even want to be the poster of it myself because I didn’t want to garner as much attention as I figured it may pick up. So I simply wanted to retweet it, however, the person that I wanted to tweet it for me didn’t want to do it and therefore I just had to step out on a limb, tweet it out myself, and I think roughly 7,000 (it was 6,600) retweets later the rest is history.

TK: Thanks for your time, Emmanuel. Best of luck moving forward!

EM: It was a pleasure to join you.

Home/Philadelphia Eagles