Eagles' Jenkins savors his Pro Bowl berth

Malcolm Jenkins glanced around the room when the Pro Bowlers first gathered in Hawaii earlier this week. He saw Charles Woodson, Richard Sherman, Adrian Peterson and the other brightest stars in the NFL.

It was validation for Jenkins, the Eagles safety who received a Pro Bowl invitation Monday night for the all-star game on Sunday. Each day this season, Jenkins walked through the corridor at the Eagles' practice facility that is adorned with pictures of the franchise's all-time Pro Bowlers. He would tap his hand against that wall as a reminder of the goal he had yet to achieve - before this week.

At first, Jenkins was a Pro Bowl alternate after totaling 109 tackles, three forced fumbles and two interceptions in 2015. He thought he deserved an official invite, so he was displeased to be an alternate. But when he joined the other NFL stars in Hawaii, it mattered less how he made it.

Jenkins was officially named to the Pro Bowl in place of injured Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu, and Mathieu tweeted that Jenkins "deserved to be on the first ballot."

Jenkins has heard similar sentiments from other Pro Bowlers, and he emphasized that the respect is mutual.

"That Pro Bowl, it doesn't have asterisk next to it," Jenkins said in a telephone interview on Thursday. "It doesn't say anything about alternate or when I got in. Once you're here, it's permanent. I definitely feel validated."

Jenkins said other players have commented how he's "unique in this league as far as my versatility and ability to play different positions."

Jenkins took the most snaps in the NFL and played both safety and slot cornerback in the Eagles' defense.

"If you're a fan of football, it's amazing," Jenkins said of the Pro Bowl rosters. "And I'm a fan of football. You've got the best of the best that are here. And everybody's hanging out. We're not in competition with each other. From Julio Jones to Eli Manning to Devonta Freeman . . . all of these huge fantasy football draws are in town."

Jenkins has spent time with other defensive backs on his team: Sherman, Minnesota's Harrison Smith, Cincinnati's Adam Jones, and Miami's Reshad Jones. He's talked shop and gotten to know them beyond their names. One opinion they share is that they're happy that Eagles running Darren Sproles is also on their side - Team Irvin - and not on Team Rice.

"We don't have to tackle him, and they've told him that over and over," Jenkins said.

Before Jenkins departed for Hawaii, he stopped by Doug Pederson's office. They couldn't talk scheme in the Monday meeting per league rules, but it was an important introduction between the new Eagles coach and one of the team's leaders.

"I left the meeting enthusiastic and encouraged about the relationship that the players will have with the head coach," Jenkins said. "He's somebody who is very, very easy to approach. I kind of asked him more questions than I actually went into the meeting thinking I would. He answered every single one of them, was up front and honest.

"Whether [the answer] was something different than what I wanted or what he wanted didn't matter. It's one of the first steps that every player on the team wants to know. What's that relationship going to be like with your head coach? I left that meeting feeling very optimistic about that."

Jenkins has not yet met the assistant coaches. That time will come soon. For now, Jenkins is enjoying "85 degrees and sunny" in Hawaii and a goal fulfilled.

"Once you get here, it's something they can't take back," Jenkins said of the Pro Bowl honor. "It's one of those things that it might actually drive me a little more knowing that I wasn't a first-ballot [selection]. . . . It's a bunch of guys here who are here for the first time that share my same story."

zberman@phillynews.com

@ZBerm www.philly.com/eaglesblog