If there were tiers ranking polarizing players on the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, offensive tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai would undoubtedly be in tier one. The much-debated lineman has ardent supporters, fervid detractors, and an interesting narrative surrounding his level of play. Stop me if you’ve seen or heard this before… “We won a Super Bowl with him as a starter!” This is the mating cry for Big V truthers, aimed to stomp out any criticism of the massive Texas native.
Does the argument hold up to scrutiny? Yes, in a way. In a league with a dearth of talent at offensive line, he was capable enough to start in a pinch and do just enough to not entirely hinder the offense.