Kolb hears from McNabb on Day 1
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Kolb hears from McNabb on Day 1
Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer
BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- 
On the day before his first training camp as the Eagles' starting quarterback Kevin Kolb received a large number of phone calls and messages with best wishes.
But one text message stood out. Kolb heard from the man he's replacing -- Donovan McNabb.
"He told me to take one practice at a time and be patient," Kolb said Tuesday following the first practice of training camp. "And I said, 'Yeah, I hear you. It's a long season.' That's what I was saying before. You kind of get caught up in the whole realm of the whole season and whatever expectations. Just take it one practice at a time at this time of year and that will help you get a lot better."
McNabb was at a Washington area Borders today signing autographed copies of the book he helped write, "NFL Dads Dedicated to Daughters: Inspiring Personal Accounts of Fatherhood. He was asked about his text to Kolb.
"I try to inspire young players, to just continue to keep their head up, write goals for yourself that are attainable and for them to just have confidence in themselves," McNabb said, according to the Washington Post. "For me, it could've been easier for me to walk out the door and not said anything to anyone. But that's not the type of person I am. I'm a guy who cares. I've text-messaged Kevin and...several of my former offensive linemen and the list goes. The thing about 11 years is [it's] something you can't just forget."
The two former teammates also playfully teased one another. McNabb was recently on the SpikeTV reality show, "Pros vs. Joes," in which athletes from other sports face former greats of basketball in a game of three-on-three. McNabb was teamed up with former receiver/headache Terrell Owens.
"I thought he looked real good," Kolb said of McNabb, who also played college basketball at Syracuse. "But I told him, 'I'm still better than you.'"
As for who is better in football, that remains to be seen. McNabb, who was traded to Washington in April to make way for Kolb, reports to Redskins camp on Thursday.
The text message "meant a lot because they're not even in camp yet," Kolb said. "He knew that we were coming to camp and he's paying attention. I appreciated him reaching out and offering good luck. Donovan's like that."
Did Kolb wish McNabb -- his NFC East rival -- the best of luck upon his first training camp with a team other than the Eagles?
"I didn't say anything about that yet," Kolb said, "but I'm going to get to that."
Kolb, by the way, was very sharp during the morning practice. Of course, the players are in shorts and the majority of the veterans have yet to report. But with rookies and players just hoping to make the team as his receivers, only a few of Kolb's passes fell to the ground.
Michael Vick, on the other hand, was inaccurate during 7-on-7 drills inside the red zone.
CYO, anyone who has to keep quoting people like wiff does has to do it because he is unable to come up with an original thought on his own. If not for using someone else's thoughts [alleged thoughts too] wiff wouldn't have a thing to say. It's that simple.— tpizza
MacMike....learn how to spell, jackarse! "looses"......no, it's "loses".....or is that what we all learned in 3rd grade but you did not....toolbag— philly449- Since when does a "class act" give advice when he's not asked for it?— Voytas
- sackvicknow, can you please go back into your hole and thump the skunks that are in there with you? And ej610, keep on listening to Howeird and his dumb friends! Shows that you don't have a brain. Mcnagg2Lose, nice hearing from you again as always. How many names have you made up now? 20? Will there be more?
- I don't care for McNabb's advice. It's the way he gets through a season not the way a Super Bowl winning QB does. Let Kolb be Kolb Don. It's none of your business how he approaches a season. You're not some sage.— notch44
- haven't seen BOZO smiling like a jacka## since being a skin---could it be the head coach isn't a enableler like fatty arbuckle was for l0 years.— jwatson
- It's July 28th....what do you want from the guy?— littlejoe
- The sad thing is this guy McNabb is so starved for attention it is pathetic. Donny never mentored anyone... No the blow hards like Fat boy Barkley, Geeee Cobb, etc... can continue the PR campaign. You would hink the so-called sports reporters and bloggers would let the dead dog die. Oh sorry Mikey.. That's your expertise.. Go Away MCpat yourself on the back. It must be quite lonely in the nations capital..— everyonecares
- GIVE THE VICK JOKES A REST. I forgot all of you people STILL bashing Vick are absolutely perfect human beings and have never, not once in your entire lives done anything remotely bad. Boy I wish I were perfect.— Frenchmontana
- Michael Vick was inaccurate must be hard when everyone wishing that you fail.— bobbyrayking
Comment removed.- calling you out you said a mouthful. amen.— phillyfansrdumb
- One day, everyone is going to wake up one day and realize what we had in Donovan McNabb, the greatest QB in Eagles' history. I know some of us do already.— mistere22
