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Quarantine Chronicles: Matt Pryor

6 April 2020 Interviews Philadelphia Eagles

For the first time since the inception of sport, as it currently exists in the modern world, we don’t know when the next sporting event will be. We don’t know when we will be able to get a hot dog and a beer at Citizen’s Bank. We don’t know when we will get to see Joel Embiid taunt, well, everyone in the NBA. And we certainly don’t know when we will get to see the Eagles run out of the tunnel at Lincoln Financial Field. As I was sitting around trying to figure out what to do with all my new free time, I wondered what the Eagle’s players were up to? So, I asked.

During this unprecedented time, Eagles Guard/Tackle Matt Pryor was kind enough to answer a few questions for me. Before we get into the Q & A, let’s talk about Matt. First off, he is #69 for the Birds. Nice. The TCU Horned Frog’s Matt Pryor was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 6th Round (206th Overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. Pryor is coming off a season in which he had the chance to play a large role on the offensive line in three games, including the Eagle’s home loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Matt played 143 offensive snaps for the Eagles last year, with 139 coming at Right Guard and the other 4 coming at Tight End. Coming into his 3rd year in the NFL, we are expecting big things from Matt and as you’ll read, so is he.

Rick: With all the changes in society today due to COVID-19, how are you managing with your offseason training program? Have you had to make any big changes to what you were doing previously?

Matt: Honestly, it messed up my whole program I had going on, but luckily, I was able to find a personal trainer that Lane (Johnson) works with and we use a private gym. Other than that, everything is pretty much the same.

Rick: With the extra free time that we all now have during quarantine, what have you been up to outside of football? Reading any new books, watching any good TV shows, catching up with friends?

Matt: I think the quarantine is actually pretty good because I think some people needed it. Me personally, I think I needed it. Without all the outside distractions it allowed me to put my life into perspective and think about what I have to work on personally to better myself as an athlete and a person. I’ve picked up a couple of new TV series to watch like On My Block, Ozark, Tiger King and Altered Carbon. And I’ve been playing a little Xbox with some of my bros from college.

Rick: With the NFL Draft coming up, hundreds of young men are going to have their dreams realized. Does it bring back any particularly fond memories?

Matt: Whenever the draft comes around, it makes me reminisce about the grind and all the hard work that I put in.

Rick: Are you interested to see how the NFL handles the draft this year? Do you have any cool suggestions for how the NFL could make it more exciting?

Matt: From what I have heard, they are doing it over video calls. Which is what I was going to suggest, but it’s not going to be the same feeling as a normal draft day. Especially for the kids that were supposed to be invited to the Draft. That’s one of the things every NFL prospect looks forward to. I think it’ll be interesting to see how it takes place.

Rick: How are you feeling coming into Year 3? Have you been focusing on anything specific?

Matt: I’m feeling good. I think I showcased my capabilities last year in the games I had an opportunity to play in. I’m just trying to make a name for myself. As far as what I’ve been working on, it would be getting comfortable playing on the left and right side of the line. There’s a lot of mechanics that go into playing the offensive line, so you have to make sure you’re able to play both sides at a high level.

Just a few notes on Matt’s responses: If you haven’t checked out Tiger King or Ozark yet, do yourself a favor and check those out. Also, PS4 > Xbox.

I personally want to thank Matt Pryor for taking some time out of his busy offseason to answer these questions.

PHOTO CREDIT: KATE FRESE/FOR PHILLYVOICE

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