International Player Joshua Weru On His Development Behind The Scenes

International player Joshua Weru on his development behind the scenes originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Joshua Weru was the talk of training camp this summer. While draft pick Uar Bernard grabbed headlines this spring, it was the Eagles’ other International Player Pathway Program player who began to stand out in August.

The edge rusher from Kenya flashed in practices and even in the preseason a bit — to the point where some worried he’d be claimed if the Eagles dared to waive him to get him to the practice squad.

But that was months ago and now we’re in November.

Weru has spent all season on the Eagles’ practice squad. And most days this season, Weru walks through the Eagles locker room mostly unnoticed. He’ll sit at his locker without being bothered and hadn’t really been asked for an interview all season. Until last week. So Weru seemed a bit surprised when he was approached and asked for a few minutes, which he graciously handed over.

What have the last couple of months been like?

“It’s been good,” Weru said. “I continue to say I’m so lucky to be here. The amount of reps we get on scout team and developmental have been good. Just seeing things better and recognizing blocks quicker. Just getting my strike stronger. Even though I’m not necessarily getting stronger in the weight room, like actual game strength is getting slightly better. Just those things because you’re more used to doing certain movements so you’re getting better at it.”

Weru, 23, hasn’t been elevated yet this season so he hasn’t played in a game since the preseason. Weru misses playing, but last week invoked the old proverb — absence makes the heart grow fonder — to explain his situation.

Over the last couple months, Weru knows he has gotten better. Although he’s unsure how to quantify it, his growth is undeniable.

Away from the spotlight of training camp, Weru has settled into a rhythm as a practice squad player. Tuesdays are big for him to get in extra voluntary work. And then on days the Eagles practice, he goes out early to get in what Nick Sirianni always calls “500 shots” of extra work. Those extra sessions for Weru and fellow rookie Keyshawn James-Newby are run by outside linebackers coach Jeremiah Washburn and assistant linebackers coach Tyler Scudder.

But a big part of Weru’s role as a special teams player is contributing on the scout team. So each week, he dons a pinny and tries to give the Eagles’ offensive line the best looks he can for that upcoming game. 

Jordan Mailata has seen a lot of Weru on the scout team this season and admitted the rookie got under his skin a little bit to end last week: “He’s very fast and twitchy so he gave a great look this week.”

Mailata admitted that because of Weru’s lack of football knowledge, misdirections will fool him to where he’ll over commit or lose contain in the run game. But Mailata has already seen Weru improve in those areas week by week.

“He’s going through that but he’s doing a great job of not taking that too personal,” Mailata said. “He’s hard on himself a good amount. His effort is greater than mine ever was. I just saw him chase down Saquon (Barkley) it was incredible. Incredible.”

Weru takes pride in his job as a scout team player and keeps a close eye on the Eagles’ offensive linemen on Sunday.

“That gets me fired up, getting to watch them,” Weru said. “If I see that they’ve been doing well, I feel like I helped a bit at least.”

The interesting part of being a scout team player for someone like Weru, who hasn’t been playing football for very long, is that it exposes him to other styles of defense. This year on scout team, Weru has been learning how to play out of three-point and four-point stances, which has taken some getting used to.

Weru said he didn’t realize how hard it would be to get out of a stance like that.

“I feel like I’m slowly getting better at that,” he said. “It’s also helped me get more reactive because it’s not playing to the rules that we have. So you kind of have to know what’s going on.”

Weru has been practicing every week, while his fellow IPP teammate, Bernard, has been on the Practice Squad Injured List since Oct. 9.

Bernard and Weru were big stories back in training camp and many wondered if they would make the 53-man roster and feared if they didn’t, another team would scoop them up. But both players were cut, cleared waivers and immediately signed to the Eagles’ practice squad.

While Weru obviously wanted to make the Eagles’ roster, he never wanted to leave. And now that he’s away from the spotlight a bit, he has been able to grow each week behind the scenes.

No one really knows what the future holds for Weru. Even though the Eagles once hit it big on an IPP player in Mailata, the odds are stacked against Weru and Bernard. But there’s no harm in trying and Weru has continued to put in the work.

“It’s been really good because just growing and building relationships with guys in my room, coaches, the development staff, all my teammates,” Weru said. “So I just feel increasingly comfortable. I can see how much time they’re willing to invest in me. I’m just happy to be here.”