Afternoon already turned into evening when the final whistle sounded on a Saturday training camp practice, and most of the Eagles filed off the field.
Derek Barnett remained.
Five minutes passed, 10, 15. He didn’t leave. He stayed with Jason Peters, a potential Hall of Fame left tackle, and worked to refine his spin move until there were no other players left around them. Barnett, the Eagles’ No. 1 draft choice this year, still hadn’t caught his breath nearly 20 minutes after practice finished.
It’s more notable if a player makes it to the NFL with a lousy work ethic than a laudable one; effort is often required as a price of admission.