Philadelphia Eagles Sign Trevor Keegan: ‘Likes Hitting People!’

PHILADELPHIA – Trevor Keegan was blunt when asked about a collar he sometimes wore around his neck during his three years as a starting offensive lineman at the University of Michigan.

“It’s not for looks,” he said. “It’s just stingers. It’s protection because I like hitting people.”

The fifth-round pick of the Eagles last weekend will be hitting people for the Eagles for the next few years after becoming the second rookie to sign his contract on Saturday, during the team’s rookie minicamp this weekend.

Receiver Johnny Wilson also signed his rookie deal, doing so on Friday.

It’s a forgone conclusion that Keegan will make the team and stick around for a while. He was a three-year starter and a captain for the national champion Michigan Wolverines. He’s big at 6-5, 309 pound, physical, tough, and, yeah, blunt.

He grew up in the Chicago area. His dad was a big fan of the 1985 Chicago Bears, a Super Bowl winner built with a ferocious defense.

“That’s all he talked about,” said Keegan. “Wilbert Marshall, Mike Singletary, he’s just always said whatever happens you have to be the hardest hitter on the team. That mentality stuck with me.

“But I like setting the tone of the game. I like establishing the line of scrimmage and I just play hard. I love the game of football and I play with heart and will continue to do that.”

The Eagles lost two big-time leaders to retirement in the offseason – Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox – and though Keegan was a captain for the national champs, a team loaded with leaders, that doesn’t mean he will fill that void. Not right away.

First, he would need to land a starting job. It’s easier to lead that way.

Second, he is just a rookie.

“I think being a captain at Michigan is one of my biggest honors,” he said. “As a team, we faced a lot of adversity through the year, and you have to pick the right times to say the right things.

“Being a leader can be pretty easy until you get challenged, so finding the right time when to speak, how to rally a group together, you just learn. You learn from others.”

When Keegan arrived at Michigan as a freshman, he learned from Aidan Hutchinson and Kwity Paye, a pair of NFL stars. He emulated the traits of offensive linemen Ben Bredeson and Jon Runyan, Jr.

“Coming into the situation here in Philly, I’m just going to be a sponge and try to earn my place with the team,” he said, “earn my place with the guys and work as hard as possible to earn their trust and earn their respect.”