When you’re 5-foot-8, 170 pounds and trying to make your way playing big-time college football and hoping to carve out a pro career, it can’t hurt to have some motivational words to draw on.
That was certainly the case for Britain Covey, and he just happened to have a world-renowned motivational speaker in the family.
Covey, trying to make the Eagles this summer as an undrafted returner and slot receiver, is the grandson of Stephen R. Covey, who wrote numerous self-help books in the 1970s and 1980s, including bestseller Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, which sold over 25 million copies.
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And it was something Stephen R. Covey once told young Britain that’s stuck with him and helped him get to this point.
“There’s a quote my grandpa used to say that’s kind of been the motto of my career: ‘Build on your strengths and then organize to make weaknesses become irrelevant,’” Covey said after practice Saturday.
“And that’s kind of been what I’ve done with my size and my career.”
Watch his YouTube highlights or listen to him talk about his career and it’s impossible not to root for this kid.
NFL
He's a long shot and he loves it. Because of what that brings out in him.
Covey caught 184 passes at Utah in a college football career interrupted by a two-year Latter Day Saints mission in Chile. He also returned four punts and a kickoff for touchdowns. In all, he piled up over 4,000 all-purpose yards in Salt Lake City and even completed all three of his pass attempts, including a 64-yard touchdown to current Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley against Arizona in 2018.
But at 5-8, 170, he’s been doubted and questioned every step of the way.
“That’s kind of been the story of my whole life,” Covey said after practice Saturday. “A 5-8 kid who played quarterback in high school? My whole life I’ve kind of had that (long shot tag), and I think it’s led to my mentality. When you’re my size you kind of have to have that mentality.
“One of the kids over here (watching practice) thought I was a kicker. So it leads to your mentality and your work ethic and it’s a positive thing because when you can’t rely on size or this crazy athleticism you have to be very detailed, and I think that’s what I’ve kind of strived for my whole career. Being very detailed, being very smart and understanding where my advantages come. So that’s kind of what I’m focusing on right now.
“I’m not intimidated by certain things, and so for me that’s the mentality I’m looking at.”
Anybody who’s been paying attention knows the Eagles desperately need some juice in the return game.
They ranked 28th last year in punt return average and 29th in kick returns, and they haven’t ranked in the top-10 in either category since 2016.
If Covey is going to stick on the 53-man roster, it’s going to be his return ability that does it.
“I know that’s a big reason I was brought in here, so that’s a big thing I’m focusing on,” Covey said. “I got my start in the return game as a freshman at Utah by simply catching every punt … so that’s what I’m focusing on right now, catching every single ball to the point where the coaches can trust me enough to put me out there, and I feel like my résumé in college speaks for itself in the return game.
“I love the ball in my hands. You don’t need to be tall, you don’t need to be this crazy, big athlete. Once you get the ball in your hands it’s who can tackle you? And that’s more God-given and natural than it is a learned skill.
"OTAs was great because I got to show what I could do as a receiver — we didn’t do any return stuff — and I think I shocked some people as a receiver. So to add that extra (return) element here during camp is going to be big.”
The Eagles have had little guys before. Jeff Sydner, Chad Hall, Damaris Johnson.
But what’s different about Covey is that he’s a physical player who isn’t afraid to mix it up with defenders on offense and is a tackle breaker in the return game.
Covey likes surprising people, whether it’s by his receiving ability, his physicality or his mentality.
“At the end of the day, I’m not the guy who’s going to block 250-pound linebackers, but I always ranked highest on my team in blocking because I was smart,” he said. “And it’s about leverage, it’s about running people off and understanding things like that. I think I’m more physical with the ball in my hands than people think.”
Covey is the only returner who’s been working both kicks and punts.
He’s been out there along with Jason Huntley, Devon Allen and John Hightower on kick returns and alongside Quez Watkins, Jalen Reagor and Greg Ward on punts.
It’s early, but Covey is definitely a guy to keep an eye on.
“It’s going well,” he said. “It’s like being a freshman again. Just trying to learn everything I can. I love the guys and I love being part of this. It’s been fun.”