As Kevin Kolb discussed his future as starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, he made sure to pay proper homage one of the most critical people in Kolb's development as an NFL quarterback - Donovan McNabb.
"Donovan and I have always had a great relationship," Kolb said about the departed quarterback. "We haven't spoken up to this point but I did just text message him and say, 'Hey I'd like to holler at you later today' and he said 'Yeah, give me a holler.' So I assume I'll talk to him in the next couple of days and I just want to wish him the best. I mean the guy has been nothing but 100 percent professional with me and a good friend and honestly I'll always look back to what he did for me and the way he treated me and hope that I can be that same way for some other kid when he comes around.
Kolb said that he learned a lot from McNabb both on the field and off the field, especially from McNabb's demeanor in the locker room with his teammates.
"Well I think the one thing he does is he handles every situation that the NFL, the city, that the media has put on him with a smile and that's one thing I noticed right away is, man he's always in a good mood," Kolb said. "And that portrays well in the locker room because he doesn't show that that stuff's affecting him, even it is. And he's real good about keeping that under the skin and making sure that everything's real smooth in the locker room. So that's something that I need to work on, I have worked on and will take from him as a starting quarterback."
Kolb is without question excited to be moving forward as "the man" with the Eagles, but he also expressed satisfaction in knowing that McNabb finds himself in a good situation as well - even if it means the two will presumably go head-to-head twice a season for the immediate future.
"He's been a great mentor for me," Kolb said of McNabb. "He's a great player and I have learned a lot from him. And I'm glad he's in a situation where, you know, he has a chance to win and proceed on the goals that he's set for himself and for the team that he's with. So, you know, I really am happy for him and hope that - you know, it's going to be fun the next couple of years battling it out with him."
-- Posted by Bo Wulf, 2:04 p.m., April 5
