Philadelphia

Todd Herremans Recalls Unforgettable Draft-Day Call From Eagles

When the Eagles held training camp at Lehigh, the day the full team reported to camp was marked by a parade of flashy, high-end vehicles.

In 2009, however, offensive lineman Todd Herremans drove up in something else.

A black - actually matte black - van.

"It was like a crossover - Scooby Doo, A-Team," Herremans said on this week's edition of the Measured Takes podcast with Amy Fadool and Marshall Harris.

Why a black van? Herremans explained how his first couple vehicles were minivans, the second a hand-me-down from his parents, which he drove in college and as a rookie in the NFL.

"After I started to buy different cars, wasting my money - I always drove these mom vans - I was like, you know what, I'm going to make a manly van. Hence the black van," he said.

Herremans, who spent 10 years with the Eagles and last played in 2015 with the Colts, discussed several topics in the podcast (listen here), including how football players can benefit from using marijuana (speaking of the black van), and the NFL draft - and about how he became a Philadelphia Eagle.

The Eagles selected Herremans in the fourth round of the 2005 draft out of Division II Saginaw Valley State. 

"I went to a small Division II school in Michigan and had a pretty tight group of friends there. I went to a very small high school and had a pretty tight group of friends there too. Mostly family and a few other close friends.

"So when I was thinking that I was going to get drafted, it was pretty big news. We had all of my high school and college friends over to my parents' farm. We just kinda hung out there, set up some tents and campers in the backyard, and hung out and watched the draft and partied. Had a keg. Might have smoked a pig. It was a good time. 

"We thought that we were going to get picked on the first day. For some reason. Because that was rounds one through three back then. Maybe I was being a little overambitious, but I thought that some of the coaches that I had talked to while I was traveling around were telling me, ‘two or three - it looks good for you. If you're there, we're going to take you.' I'm like OK, perfect. 

"We're sitting there, and after the draft ended that day, we're all feeling pretty good, but a little let down. Like ah, didn't happen, oh well. But I've got all my friends over, might as well go to the bar! So we went to the local watering hole and just got into it. We were up late, and then the next day when the draft started, we were all just laying around, like hungover, couldn't even know what was going on. Half awake. My phone rang. 

"So I jumped up and I went over and I answered it. I think it was (then Eagles general manager) Tom Heckert. (He said) 'Hey Todd, Tom Heckert, Philadelphia Eagles. Hang in there, I think we're going to trade up for you right here.' I was like oh - hungover - like huh, that sounds good. 

"It just happened. He goes, ‘Welcome to the Philadelphia Eagles.' I was like, oh OK cool. (He goes) ‘Here's (offensive line coach) Juan Castillo.' So I don't even get to talk to my family or anything. I look in the room. It's on the TV. Everyone is going nuts and (Todd impersonates Castillo) Juan's like, ‘Hey, hey Todd how you doing? You got a second?' Anything Coach, I just got drafted! 

"So I got into the next room away from everybody cheering and popping champagne and everything - and install offense for the next 40 minutes with Juan Castillo. Then he's like, hey sounds like you've got your stuff together, you've got a good handle on this, go enjoy this time with your family and we'll see you in a little bit. So when I meet up with my family, nobody's hungover anymore, my family and friends - they're all drunk again. 

That's odd, because those are normally perfunctory phone calls that last a couple minutes at the most.

"I think they are," Herremans said.

But not this one.

"Juan's a special guy," Herremans said. "Because Juan was a Division II guy (Texas A&M Kingsville), and he's drafting me, a Division II player, I think we had an immediate connection in just the way we got along. I respected him. He respected me. Both hard workers. And we just clicked. So I don't know, he know I wold stick on the phone with him for 40 minutes because I was from a Division II school, and he knew it would be an uphill climb for me."

Listen to the rest of the podcast and subscribe to Measured Takes.

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