You always wonder just how people were paying attention to the Eagles-Patriots preseason game, late fourth quarter, and then Thomas Booker makes the 53-man roster for the Philadelphia Eagles and the answer is very clear: The right folks were watching. The NFL scouts and general managers and coaches.

With the Eagles leading 14-13 and 4 minutes, 18 seconds left in the game, Booker made an inside move and decked quarterback Joe Milton for a 7-yard loss and then came back on the next play with pressure and then won his rep on the play after that and forced a New England punt. And then Booker came over to the Eagles' sidelines, absolutely pumped up and in the moment.

That series, part of a three-tackle performance from Booker, put him squarely in focus, and the third-season defensive tackle followed with a four-tackle, one quarterback-hurry game in the preseason finale against Minnesota, and there was just no denying it: The Eagles want to see more from Booker, who is part of the 53-man roster and the six-player defensive tackle room.

To anyone who thinks the preseason is just the preseason ...

"I think the answer for me is that I'm just present in the moment and if you are out there on the field and you have a chance to make a play, that's the most relevant thing in the world to you," Booker said. "I know it's a different perspective from the fan aspect, but as a player, any time you get to step on an NFL field and make a play, that should be at the forefront of your mind.

"You get confidence by treating everything like it's large stakes. The great players practice well. The great players play in the preseason well. You take all of your opportunities seriously. That's kind of how I try to approach things."

Booker's NFL ride has been like most journeys – the high of being a fifth-round draft pick by Houston in 2022 and playing in 10 games there with 15 total tackles, the low of being cut by the Texans in the summer of 2023, and then the rebirth with the Eagles on the practice squad last season. He is a 6-foot-4, 301-pound tackle who has worked long beyond when the lights go out at the NovaCare Complex with the player development team led by Head of Football Development and Strategy Connor Barwin and Player Development Assistant Matt Leo.

And all of that work, every bit of the time and effort he has put into it, has paid off for the Stanford product. Booker is here to ball for the Eagles' defense.

"When you get cut, you're basically getting told you aren't good enough," Booker said. "Then I was given another opportunity by the Eagles and that's humbling and your mindset is, 'Let's do something with this.' I was grateful for that opportunity, that moment. I'm a big believer that you take the experiences that you have and whether they become meaningful to you or helpful to you is about the way that you look at them.

"I try to look at any adversity as an opportunity."

Booker has spent his time in Philadelphia working with a talented defensive tackle room adding to his repertoire, becoming a more versatile player, and playing with the highest of energy. All of that has paid off – the attitude, the dedication, and the perseverance. He's here, and he intends to continue to evolve.

"If I stay on my goals day to day, I'll get to where I want to be," he said. "Keep on keeping on. If you have the right intentions and you stick to them, you will end up with the destination you had in mind."