Over the next few weeks of training camp as the Eagles try to decide who to keep on their 53-man roster, we’ll be catching up weekly with seventh-round defensive tackle Moro Ojomo from Texas. We’ll be tracking his progress as he tries to make the Eagles’ roster.
Part 1: Ojomo soaking up knowledge, paying in snacks
Part 2: Ojomo pulls off the most veteran move ever
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Moro Ojomo found the perfect words to explain what he wants out of his first NFL game action.
“I want to destroy people, at the end of the day,” the rookie said. “We play football for a reason. The mindset for every day is compete and dominate.”
After a lengthy pre-draft process and rookie camp and OTAs and now 10 practices in training camp, Ojomo will finally get to play in his first game as an NFL player when the Eagles face the Ravens in Baltimore on Saturday night in the preseason opener.
It’ll be the first NFL game action for Ojomo and the rest of the Eagles’ 2023 rookie class, including first-round picks Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith out of Georgia, who have apparently been giving Ojomo some grief about his Texas Longhorns.
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But Ojomo has the perfect response to that too: “I’m 1-0 vs. Georgia. Not many people can say that.”
The Longhorns beat Georgia 28-21 in the Sugar Bowl to cap off the 2018 season. Ojomo was a freshman that year and played in that game, while Carter and Smith were still in high school.
Ojomo and Carter, the No. 9 overall pick, met briefly at the combine this spring but have gotten to know each other quite well since becoming teammates in Philadelphia.
“It’s been great,” Ojomo said. “He’s a great guy and we encourage each other. We compete with each other. We build each other up. I think iron sharpens iron.”
While Ojomo has been soaking up all the knowledge he can from six-time Pro Bowler Fletcher Cox, it has also helped him to have another rookie defensive tackle in the room too. Ojomo and Carter speak often and can obviously relate to one another as they transition from college players to pros.
That has really helped Ojomo.
“Yeah, 100 percent,” he said. “Even when we’re out there on the field and we’re seeing something, talking about a move that we hit on an offensive lineman, we’ll communicate about all that stuff.”
Earlier this week, Ojomo had a bit of a scare at Sunday’s public practice. While in a 1-on-1 drill at the Linc, Ojomo got poked in the right eye and had to leave practice. He got checked out by a trainer on the sideline and then left the stadium to go to the eye doctor … in full pads. He said that’s a story he’ll tell his children one day.
“I wasn’t too worried,” Ojomo said. “It was more like, 'I wish I was out there with my teammates.' Going down and missing reps, that’s what was really on my mind.”
Ultimately, Ojomo was fine and was back at the next practice on Tuesday.
“I’m never taking off the visor again,” he added.
At least Ojomo got to experience the 50,000+ person crowd at the Linc for the only public practice of the summer before the eye-poke forced him to leave early. It was a fun introduction to Eagles fans.
“The energy was unbelievable,” Ojomo said. “They always talk about Philly fans. I just loved the energy for everyone. It wasn’t just one or a couple players. They love their team and they were there to just show out and support.”
While the Eagles’ first preseason game this year is on the road against the Ravens, their final two preseason games, against the Browns and Colts, are at home.
For now, though, Ojomo is just ready to finally suit up for a game.
Goal for the first preseason game: “The goal for the game is to dominate every single rep I’m out there on that field. Just be a dominant player. When I’m on the field, I want it to be different from when I’m off the field. Noticeably.”
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