Isaac Seumalo Returning from "Grueling" Rehab, Building Chemistry with Lane Johnson
PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles introduced NFL defenses to the massive wall on the left side of their offensive line last year, with 6-8, 380-pound Jordan Mailata at left tackle and 6-6, 335-pound, then-rookie Landon Dickerson at left guard.
This year, those defenses will get acquainted with the well-seasoned right side of the line, Isaac Seumalo, the last member of the Eagles’ draft class of 2016 still with the team, and 10-year veteran Lane Johnson.
It’s a new pairing, with Seumalo moving over from left guard when Dickerson proved a formidable force in playing next to Mailata after Seumalo’s season was cut short in Week 3 with a Lisfranc injury.
He was operated on in October and then again in February to remove some hardware inserted during the first surgery.
“Isaac broke down the team the other day, and we just all recognize it as coaches, and I know the players recognize it as well, that Isaac has worked extremely hard to get himself back in position to play football again,” said head coach Nick Sirianni prior to Sunday night’s practice at Lincoln Financial Field.
“He's always had that mentality. For the year I've been here, or the year and a half I have been here, you can always tell with Isaac of how hard he works. He works extremely hard. Isaac has high football IQ and he can see things happen before they happen.”
Seumalo, entering his seventh season, couldn’t quite see the grind it would take to work his way back to being ready from Day 1 of training camp. He was so grateful that he took a moment in the locker room prior to the first practice of summer to realize that he had done it.
“Just taking a second to really appreciate the ability to just play football again,” he said. “Those first six months after the surgery, it was a grueling process, and all the work I put in to get to this point, has been a lot.
“It’s been great being out there. I remember the first day we had pads on, I took a minute. It had been nine, 10 months since I put on cleats and pads and stuff. I’m really enjoying the moment. Just squeezing as much as I can out of every day.”
Seumalo wasn’t able to say back in the spring whether or not he would be a full-go when camp began, but he has, and he knew right away he was back.
“As soon as that first whistle blew,” he said. “My most favorite thing about football is that once you step on the field, regardless of what’s going on, off the field with family, friends … you get to kind of lay that at the door when you walk out and zone in on one rep at a time, one play at a time.
"That’s been my mentality really for the past four, five years. It was definitely special to be back out there.”
Jack Driscoll was supposed to challenge for the right guard job between center Jason Kelce and Johnson, but that ship has sailed. Seumalo is healthy and building chemistry each day with Johnson.
“Me and Lane have been close for a while,” said Seumalo. “I’ve been so lucky to play next to a Hall of Fame tackle in JP (Jason Peters), probably a future Hall of Famer in Kelce, and now another future Hall of Famer in Lane. It’s me adapting to him, and him adapting to me.
"Me and Lane want to be dominant on the right side, so we approach the day very similarly.”
Both Seumalo and Johnson have been in the NFL trenches long enough that both have suffered their share of injuries.
Johnson struggled to return from two ankle surgeries last year, a fight so intense he wondered if he would play again, and that triggered his departure from the team for three games to confront anxiety and depression.
“Really nothing surprises me about Isaac,” said Johnson. “The past six or seven years he’s one of the more talented guys who’s probably ever been here as far as a guy that’s played every position – center, both guards, both tackle positions. It’s rare when you can find somebody who can do that. He played all those positions at a high level.
“So, I know he’s ready to have a bounce-back year. He was having a tremendous year last year before the injury. I’m just here to work with him and be the best right side we can be. He’s a tremendous teammate.”
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
