Why top Notre Dame prospect wants to be an Eagle

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Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah says he’s a perfect fit for the Eagles.

And all you have to do is listen to him talk to agree.

Owusu-Koramoah, projected as a mid-to-late 1st-round pick, had an impressive pro day in South Bend on Wednesday, but it’s what he said after his pro day that should have Eagles fans taking notice.

He was asked what kind of fit he believes he’d be for the Eagles, and his response sure made it seem like he gets Philly and what it takes to play here.

“Speaking in terms of the Eagles, I think I fit better than the other guys in terms of my mentality,” he said. “The Eagles is a place that’s a gritty place. You’ve got to have some fierceness to you to survive in Philly. You win in Philly, they love you, if you lose in Philly, they hate you, so you’ve got to be able to deal with that. And coming from my background even here at Notre Dame, there were a lot of situations I had to persevere through and I think that first and foremost my mentality prepares me more than some of the other players in terms of Philly, in terms of my athletic ability, in terms of my physicality at the point of attack, my physicality in terms of block shedding. I think I excel in a lot of things, if we’re comparing other guys, but in terms of Philly, I think that’s what separates me.”

Owusu-Koramoah - “a sideline-to-sideline tackling machine,” according to Mel Kiper Jr. - didn’t run the 40 Wednesday, but he ran a 6.81 3-cone drill, had a 36 1/2-inch vertical jump and a 10-4 brand jump.

The Eagles, of course, haven’t drafted a linebacker in the first round since Jerry Robinson in 1979. And they haven’t taken a Notre Dame player in the first round since fullback Neil Worden in 1954.

Plus, the Eagles pick at No. 12, too early for Owusu-Koramoah, and again at No. 37, which is too late. You never know what'll happen on draft day, but you’ve got to love his attitude.

One other thing about Owusu-Koramoah: He attended Bethel High School in Hampton, Va., which happens to also be the alma mater of Allen Iverson.

You can’t get any more Philly than that.

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