The Facts: Less than two days after the Eagles' 41-33 Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots, the rookie running back was at the NovaCare Complex lifting weights and working on his footwork and route-running. "I can't wait for OTAs," he said on Tuesday. "I'm not even taking an offseason. I'm going to stay grinding. I'm excited to get back into things."
Diehards Line:
Pumphrey’s eagerness to move forward is understandable. His rookie season didn’t turn out anything like he — or the Eagles — had hoped. Despite his small stature, Pumphrey had been unstoppable — and invincible — in college. Started 42 straight games. Had 1,059 career carries, including 658 his last two years. His most serious injury was a turf toe, and he managed to play with that. He had a promising spring with the Eagles, but then tweaked his hamstring early in training camp and just wasn’t the same player he was at San Diego State. He averaged just 1.9 yards per carry in the preseason. Undrafted rookie Corey Clement passed him on the depth chart and made the team’s 53-man roster. Pumphrey spent the season on injured reserve, even though his hamstring had completely healed by late October. ... But Pumphrey has been adding weight. He weighed just 177 when he was drafted. He’s up to 185 now. Hopes to be at 190 by the summer. “That’s my goal,” he said.”I’m trying to get bigger and stronger.”