On Thursday afternoon, safety Earl Wolff took a seat on the floor of the Eagles locker room and popped open a large tin of popcorn. Someone asked the Eagles rookie if he could eat the entire tin, and that is when the conversation turned.
"Maybe if it was wings," said Wolff. "Wings are my favorite food, by far."
Wolff wasn't kidding. Wolff has been spotted loading up a to-go container on days when wings are served in the cafeteria.
Wolff has played very well in his rookie season, and some people might even say that he is the perfect fit for the Eagles defense. As it turns out, Philadelphia might be a great fit off of the field as well for the North Carolina State product. The Wing Bowl has been an annual event in the City of Brotherly Love since 1993, but because Wolff is new to the city, he was unaware of the wing eating contest.
"I can do that," Wolff said confidently. "How many wings do they eat? The most I've ever eaten at one time is 50 wings. In how much time? In no time. I don't play games. If I'm going against anybody on the team, for real, I guarantee I win."
After hearing a conservative estimate of 200 (137 behind the current Wing Bowl record, set by Takeru Kobayashi in 2012), Wolff's confidence was shaken.
"I don't do that," Wolff said, shaking his head.
Wolff tried turning to his teammates to support his claim as being a great eater, but no one seemed to hear Wolff's cries.
"Ask Coop how much I eat," Wolff said, pointing to Riley Cooper. "You can ask Nick (Foles). Hey Nick, how much can I eat?"
Though no teammates could back his claim, Wolff explained that he hit his favorite wing establishment more than a few times when he went back home during the Eagles bye week. But aren't the Eagles all about having a strict diet?
"You've got to run a couple extra miles," Wolff said laughing.