The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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62 THE WOLVERINE ❱ DECEMBER 2023 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE F ormer Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham — a 35-year-old in his 14th NFL season — has had a quiet year so far, coming off the bench on a loaded Philadelphia Eagles defensive line. However, he had his breakthrough game in a crucial Week 9 victory over division rival Dallas, 28-23, keeping the Eagles out ahead in the NFC with an 8-1 record, 1.5 games ahead of second-place Detroit, which has since moved to 7-2. Graham had only a half-sack through eight games coming into the Nov. 12 contest, but he put up 1.5 in the vic- tory over the Cowboys. After the game, Graham was all smiles, wearing a hat with the Cowboys logo crossed out at his locker. "Who, his old ass? Oh, he's an old man," said teammate and fellow de- fensive lineman Fletcher Cox with a chuckle. "We love him. He brings so much energy to this team. When he's in the game, people feel him. He's in the game to dominate." The captain has provided his leader- ship as well as some production off the bench, playing 18.2 defensive snaps per contest. According to Pro Football Fo- cus, there are only three defensive play- ers who were drafted before 2011 who have taken an NFL snap this season, with Atlanta's Calais Campbell (2008) and Houston's Jerry Hughes (2010) joining U-M's 2010 draftee. Graham's wisdom, having played in 187 regular-season games and winning 106 of them, has been a big asset for the team. "He's such an important part of this football team," Eagles head man Nick Sirianni said after the victory. "The player, the person, the leader, the cap- tain. When he makes a play like he did today, I promise you everybody feeds off of that and everybody feels that. Our guys are so excited when he makes a play." FORMER WOLVERINES IN THE NFL Through Nov. 13 • Ronnie Bell (played at U-M from 2018-22), WR, ❱ MICHIGAN IN THE PROS Brandon Graham Is Still Making An Impact Now in his 14th NFL season, Graham is a team captain for the 8-1 Philadelphia Eagles and recently registered 1.5 sacks in a 28-23 win against division rival Dallas. PHOTO COURTESY PHILADELPHIA EAGLES