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Gosselin: Eagles' new QB adores Aikman, rejects Cowboys
09:04 AM CDT on Thursday, August 5, 2010
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Kevin Kolb grew up a Cowboys fan in Stephenville, about 100 miles southwest of Texas Stadium.
Kolb was thrilled by the Cowboys' three Super Bowl victories in the 1990s and, as an aspiring quarterback, became a fan of Troy Aikman.
Column by RICK GOSSELIN / The Dallas Morning News | rgosselin@dallasnews.com
Rick Gosselin
Archive | Bio | E-mail
But Kolb is no fan of the Cowboys any more. He's now the starting quarterback of their NFC East rival – the Philadelphia Eagles. But Kolb remains a big fan of Aikman.
The Eagles are using the Hall of Fame quarterback as a coaching tool for Kolb. Just the other day, he watched a vintage tape of Aikman dropbacks and throws with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and quarterback coach James Urban.
"He's amazing," Kolb said of Aikman. "It floors me how unbelievable his timing and accuracy were. Everything he did he did with a purpose. He understood the concept of the play before it was even in progress. Fundamentally, he was unbelievable. I strive to be the type of quarterback he was."
Andy Reid said the coaches want Kolb to see how Aikman dropped into the pocket, how he looked off safeties, how he threw that skinny post pattern. But primarily, they want Kolb to see and appreciate the accuracy of Aikman's passes.
"We hound on it here more than any place I've ever been," Kolb said. "Andy, Marty ... everyone knows how important accuracy is. It's all about yards after the catch – hit them in stride."
Accuracy is a gift. John Elway wasn't an accurate passer. Neither was Donovan McNabb. Most of the rocket-armed quarterbacks aren't. Aikman was an exception. Joe Montana, Steve Young and Kurt Warner also were quarterbacks whose strength was their passing precision. It's a quarterbacking trait that takes teams to the Super Bowl.
When Aikman completed a pass to Michael Irvin, it was generally the midway point of a play. Aikman put the ball in spots that allowed Irvin to make yardage after the catch. Irvin didn't have to break stride on the reception – the passes were always in his chest on the jersey numbers.
That was a flaw in McNabb's game. Too often his passes weren't on the money. The receiver had to work too hard to catch the ball because it may have been too low, too high or too wide of the target. Too often, the play ended at the reception with a tackle.
Everyone in the Philadelphia building admires Aikman.
"Troy's strength was his accuracy," Reid said. "Had he been in this offense, I always thought he'd have been phenomenal as a West Coast quarterback."
Kolb also is an accurate thrower. He proved that in high school where he started for three years and in college where he started four. He completed better than 61 percent of his career passes at the University of Houston with only 31 interceptions in 1,565 throws.
He has started two NFL games and flashed his own pinpoint passing that allows receivers to run after the catch.
The quarterback hooked up with DeSean Jackson for touchdown receptions of 60 yards or longer on consecutive weekends last September. Jackson scored on a 71-yard catch and run against New Orleans and a 64-yarder against Kansas City.
Kolb also became the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for 300 yards in each of his first two starts – against the Saints and Chiefs.
He enters his fourth season in 2010, replacing McNabb. He has weapons in Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, tight end Brent Celek and halfback LeSean McCoy who can make big plays in the passing game if accurate throws by Kolb give them a chance.
That's why the Eagles are feeding Kolb a steady diet of Aikman in the film room. It's all about accuracy at the position. Kolb estimates he has watched three to four hours of Aikman tape in each of his first three NFL seasons.
Kolb also has developed a friendship with Aikman, visiting with him when Aikman has traveled to Philadelphia to broadcast Eagles games for Fox. Aikman even sent him a text message last weekend.
"He said, 'Good luck. Go get 'em,' " Kolb said. "I really appreciate his support. I've always been a big fan, and he's reached out to me. I'm glad he's on my side.
"He handled the Cowboys similar to the way I want to handle and help this team. There is so much to learn from him all the way around."
Fly, Eagle, fly
A comparison of Kevin Kolb's first two starts with those of Philadelphia's two recent home-grown Pro Bowl quarterbacks – Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb:
QB Year Rec Comp Att Yds TD Int Sack
Kolb 2009 1-1 55 85 718 4 3 1
McNabb 1999 0-2 27 57 225 1 2 7
Cunningham 1985 2-0 37 53 380 2 2 8
IN THE KNOW
Kevin Kolb
Age: 25
Ht, wt: 6-3, 225
College: Houston
Notable: Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round (36th overall) in 2007. He was the third quarterback taken in the draft behind JaMarcus Russell (1st overall) and Brady Quinn (22nd overall). ... Attended Stephenville High School, where he passed for 3,357 yards and 29 touchdowns his senior year. ... Started as a true freshman at Houston.Photos by US Presswire, The Associated Press
Philadelphia quarterback Kevin Kolb has struck up a friendship with Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, a former player the Eagles are hoping their first-year starter can emulate.
09:04 AM CDT on Thursday, August 5, 2010
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Kevin Kolb grew up a Cowboys fan in Stephenville, about 100 miles southwest of Texas Stadium.
Kolb was thrilled by the Cowboys' three Super Bowl victories in the 1990s and, as an aspiring quarterback, became a fan of Troy Aikman.
Column by RICK GOSSELIN / The Dallas Morning News | rgosselin@dallasnews.com
Rick Gosselin
Archive | Bio | E-mail
But Kolb is no fan of the Cowboys any more. He's now the starting quarterback of their NFC East rival – the Philadelphia Eagles. But Kolb remains a big fan of Aikman.
The Eagles are using the Hall of Fame quarterback as a coaching tool for Kolb. Just the other day, he watched a vintage tape of Aikman dropbacks and throws with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and quarterback coach James Urban.
"He's amazing," Kolb said of Aikman. "It floors me how unbelievable his timing and accuracy were. Everything he did he did with a purpose. He understood the concept of the play before it was even in progress. Fundamentally, he was unbelievable. I strive to be the type of quarterback he was."
Andy Reid said the coaches want Kolb to see how Aikman dropped into the pocket, how he looked off safeties, how he threw that skinny post pattern. But primarily, they want Kolb to see and appreciate the accuracy of Aikman's passes.
"We hound on it here more than any place I've ever been," Kolb said. "Andy, Marty ... everyone knows how important accuracy is. It's all about yards after the catch – hit them in stride."
Accuracy is a gift. John Elway wasn't an accurate passer. Neither was Donovan McNabb. Most of the rocket-armed quarterbacks aren't. Aikman was an exception. Joe Montana, Steve Young and Kurt Warner also were quarterbacks whose strength was their passing precision. It's a quarterbacking trait that takes teams to the Super Bowl.
When Aikman completed a pass to Michael Irvin, it was generally the midway point of a play. Aikman put the ball in spots that allowed Irvin to make yardage after the catch. Irvin didn't have to break stride on the reception – the passes were always in his chest on the jersey numbers.
That was a flaw in McNabb's game. Too often his passes weren't on the money. The receiver had to work too hard to catch the ball because it may have been too low, too high or too wide of the target. Too often, the play ended at the reception with a tackle.
Everyone in the Philadelphia building admires Aikman.
"Troy's strength was his accuracy," Reid said. "Had he been in this offense, I always thought he'd have been phenomenal as a West Coast quarterback."
Kolb also is an accurate thrower. He proved that in high school where he started for three years and in college where he started four. He completed better than 61 percent of his career passes at the University of Houston with only 31 interceptions in 1,565 throws.
He has started two NFL games and flashed his own pinpoint passing that allows receivers to run after the catch.
The quarterback hooked up with DeSean Jackson for touchdown receptions of 60 yards or longer on consecutive weekends last September. Jackson scored on a 71-yard catch and run against New Orleans and a 64-yarder against Kansas City.
Kolb also became the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for 300 yards in each of his first two starts – against the Saints and Chiefs.
He enters his fourth season in 2010, replacing McNabb. He has weapons in Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, tight end Brent Celek and halfback LeSean McCoy who can make big plays in the passing game if accurate throws by Kolb give them a chance.
That's why the Eagles are feeding Kolb a steady diet of Aikman in the film room. It's all about accuracy at the position. Kolb estimates he has watched three to four hours of Aikman tape in each of his first three NFL seasons.
Kolb also has developed a friendship with Aikman, visiting with him when Aikman has traveled to Philadelphia to broadcast Eagles games for Fox. Aikman even sent him a text message last weekend.
"He said, 'Good luck. Go get 'em,' " Kolb said. "I really appreciate his support. I've always been a big fan, and he's reached out to me. I'm glad he's on my side.
"He handled the Cowboys similar to the way I want to handle and help this team. There is so much to learn from him all the way around."
Fly, Eagle, fly
A comparison of Kevin Kolb's first two starts with those of Philadelphia's two recent home-grown Pro Bowl quarterbacks – Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb:
QB Year Rec Comp Att Yds TD Int Sack
Kolb 2009 1-1 55 85 718 4 3 1
McNabb 1999 0-2 27 57 225 1 2 7
Cunningham 1985 2-0 37 53 380 2 2 8
IN THE KNOW
Kevin Kolb
Age: 25
Ht, wt: 6-3, 225
College: Houston
Notable: Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round (36th overall) in 2007. He was the third quarterback taken in the draft behind JaMarcus Russell (1st overall) and Brady Quinn (22nd overall). ... Attended Stephenville High School, where he passed for 3,357 yards and 29 touchdowns his senior year. ... Started as a true freshman at Houston.Photos by US Presswire, The Associated Press
Philadelphia quarterback Kevin Kolb has struck up a friendship with Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, a former player the Eagles are hoping their first-year starter can emulate.
