Bleeding Green Nation
Appreciating an Eagles legend.
He was one of us.
He has always been one of us.
He just had to come to Philadelphia to realize it.
He’s a Philadelphia Eagles legend. He’s earned the right to be called that. He’s responsible for one of the most iconic plays in Philadelphia sports history—and incredibly, does so much more off the field. You always know he’s in the room by his contagious, bellowing laugh, and his infectious personality.
Everybody loves Brandon Graham.
And after anyone meets him, they come away feeling the affection is reciprocated.
That is why it was so hard to say goodbye this week when Graham announced his retirement after 15 seasons with the Eagles.
Graham’s fund, Team Graham, garners and distributes resources to causes in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. That positivity radiates from a Graham’s foundation created by his mother, Tasha, a cancer survivor, who worked until her feet were numb, and her eyes were halfmast doing overnights at the Chrysler plant in Detroit. She is the one who taught her son how to push through everything, even the early rejection from a sports-crazed city that could have broken him and didn’t.
He could have curled up and whined about how tough this city could be on its pro athletes. He didn’t. Instead, Graham turned the negativity into a positive, becoming an all-time Eagle great playing 15 seasons and in 206 games, more than any other player in franchise history.
“I didn’t know how many times I would be tested,” Graham said during his retirement speech. “I didn’t know how much I would grow, and I surely didn’t know how deeply I would fall in love with these fans and the team in this city. Today, as I sit here, I just want to thank God cause I know he’s the main reason, you know that was the biggest thing. I love my growth, my relationship with him, and just so much that I’ve shared with my teammates, and reflecting on a career that has meant everything to me.”
What many didn’t see, though heard about, was Graham’s incredible work off the field.
Team Graham provides mentors for children along with clothes and food to families in need. Graham is also a constant participant in the Eagles Autism Foundation and freely volunteers his time to the March of Dimes, Make a Wish, Ronald McDonald House, American Heart Association and Liberty USO.
Prior to Super Bowl LVII, Graham’s altruistic, fun-loving nature was featured on the Fox Sports pregame show. The story centered on Graham’s unique relationship with Joe Eitl, who has Down syndrome. Joe was born with a congenital heart defect. When he was seven, he underwent a procedure that caused his heart to pump blood at an appreciably high level of pressure. The result eventually damaged his organs. Joe regressed. In 2019, he was battling end-stage heart and liver failure. Joe would have to put on a transplant list. With his health deteriorating, doctors suggested hospice care...
