Eagles Nick Sirianni Doesn't H-O-R-S-E Around with Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith
PHILADELPHIA – Coach Nick Sirianni has the ultimate homecourt advantage, so when you play him in a game of H-O-R-S-E, it feels sort of rigged.
First, the court is ridiculous. There’s no way to shoot a baseline jumper to the right of the basket because it’s an exit, a handful of stairs leading up.
To the left of the hoop is a gradual incline walkway that leads to the back of the auditorium where the Philadelphia Eagles hold team meetings, the media gathers for news conferences, and where the basket resides.
Even worse, there are seats not far away from the hoop. And the floor is carpeted.
None of it bothers Sirianni because he probably takes a hundred jumpers here every day. He recently took down a reporter in what may have passed for a three-point shooting contest if there was an actual three-point line.
Sprinkle in the coach's intensely competitive nature, and he’s a tough out, as they say.
It’s where, and how, the Eagles coach gauges a player’s competitive desire. It’s where he brought Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, and other top-30 visitors during their pre-draft visits.
The basket inside the Eagles' auditorium at the NovaCare Complex
John McMullen/Eagles Today
“I do get to come down (to the auditorium with them) and shoot baskets with them and talk to them for a long time to figure out their toughness, their love of football, and then just their competitive nature,” said the coach.
“Got to know those guys (Carter and Smith), obviously really liked both the guys. I felt like both guys were extremely tough on film, and then you get to dive into a little bit more into their mental toughness, and loved that about both of them, and then also saw their competitive nature come out in here when we were playing basketball or shooting hoops together.”
Carter announced his presence with authority, throwing down a windmill dunk, all 6-3, 314 pounds of him rising up for the flush.
Sirianni conceded the ‘H.’
“I windmilled when I was in high school, and a lot of people still think I can't windmill, so I had to prove them a little - I missed the dunk, but I still got it there,” said Carter.
“He kind of stood right there and did a windmill dunk without taking a step, so I was pretty impressed by that,” said Sirianni. “He got an ‘H’ on me right there because I didn't have that in my repertoire.”
General manager Howie Roseman told another story about the Carter slam.
“I think your reaction was, ‘Jalen Carter just took a flat-footed windmill dunk and asked me to match him,’” joked Roseman.
Sirianni, though, stormed back against Carter to notch the win.
Smith was a different story. The outside linebacker/edge rusher beat Sirianni on his homecourt, such as it is.
“Yes, sir, I did beat him, and it was fun,” said Smith. “I beat him, and we were asking questions the whole time, so it was a fun activity.”
Asked what the winning shot was, Smith pointed to a spot deep inside the auditorium, where a reporter was seated during Smith’s Friday press conference, about four rows back near the far wall.
“I probably did a three-pointer from right where that lady with the pink is sitting," he said, “and walked out on him.”
Sirianni endorsed the drafting of Smith despite the loss, and Carter, too.
“Really loved my interaction with those guys,” said Sirianni. “So glad that they're Eagles.”
Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.
Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.
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