Eagles' Nolan Smith Earns Game Ball in Playoff Win Over Packers: "I Love Nolan Smith"

Philadelphia Eagles' Nolan Smith earns game ball and high praise in playoff win over Green Bay Packers.

Jan 12, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. (3) reacts against the Green Bay Packers during the second half in an NFC wild card game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Philadelphia Eagles' Nolan Smith earns game ball and high praise in playoff win over Green Bay Packers.

The first round of the NFL playoffs kicked off this weekend as wild card teams fought for their spot in the divisional round. One of the teams that punched their ticket was the Philadelphia Eagles as they defeated the Green Bay Packers. The Georgia Bulldogs had a litany of former players on both teams in this matchup, and to Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, one former Dawg stood out the most in the game.

Linebacker Nolan Smith earned the game ball after his performance. His stat line was two tackles for loss, two sacks and eight tackles, but Sirianni's reasoning for Smith earning the spotlight goes much deeper than just some numbers. Here is what the head ball coach had to say about the former Bulldog.

"I love Nolan Smith," Sirianni said. "I mean, my kids aren't going to play defensive end, I know that. My two sons aren't going to play defensive end. They're not going to have the genes to do so, but I want my sons to play football like Nolan Smith. Before my kids go out to play any sport, I say, ‘Have fun, play hard, be physical.’ That guy is the definition of those things. He has fun out there. He has fun with his teammates. His teammates love him. He plays hard as I've ever seen anybody play, and this dude is a physical, physical, physical guy. I can't say enough about the way he plays this game."

This season for the Eagles, Smith has started in 10 games and has become an impact player on defense. He has accumulated 6.5 sacks, 42 total tackles, eight tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

Smith was a standout player for Georgia on defense during his time in Athens during an era of Georgia football where the defense was littered with future NFL stars. A good number of his college teammates are with him in Philadelphia and he continues to stand out on the football field on Sundays.

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