Get to know the faces of the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive and defensive units heading into the team's Week 11 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
FILE - In this Nov. 26, 2015, file photo, Philadelphia Eagles tackle Jason Peters (71) runs on to the field for the start of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions in Detroit. He's an eight-time Pro Bowl pick and two-time All-Pro who has missed only two games in the past three seasons. But the 34-year-old Peters isn't the dominant blocker he used to be. He has 18 penalties and 12 sacks allowed over the last two seasons. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson, File)
Philadelphia Eagles offensive guard Allen Barbre (76) sits on the bench during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Philadelphia Eagles offensive center Jason Kelce (62) looks up from the sideline with his helmet off during a NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, November 13, 2016 in Philadelphia. The Eagles won the game 24-15. (Paul Jasienski via AP)
Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Brandon Brooks (79) rests during an NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys won the game in overtime, 29-23. (Greg Trott via AP)
Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai (72) rests during an NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys won the game in overtime, 29-23. (Greg Trott via AP)
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz (86) looks up from the sideline with his helmet off during a NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, November 13, 2016 in Philadelphia. The Eagles won the game 24-15. (Paul Jasienski via AP)
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek (87) looks up from the sideline with his helmet off during a NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, November 13, 2016 in Philadelphia. The Eagles won the game 24-15. (Paul Jasienski via AP)
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews (81) in action during an NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys against the Philadelphia Eagles , Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Arlington, Texas. (Tom Hauck via AP)
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor (17) looks up from the sideline with his helmet off during a NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, November 13, 2016 in Philadelphia. The Eagles won the game 24-15. (Paul Jasienski via AP)
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (18) looks up from the sideline with his helmet off during a NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, November 13, 2016 in Philadelphia. The Eagles won the game 24-15. (Paul Jasienski via AP)
Philadelphia Eagles running back Ryan Mathews (24) in action against the Minnesota Vikings during an NFL game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Brad Penner)
Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles (43) looks up from the sideline with his helmet off during a NFL preseason football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Thursday, August 11, 2016 in Philadelphia. The Eagles won the game 17-9. (Paul Jasienski via AP)
Philadelphia Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood (28) before an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys defeated the Eagles in overtime, 29-23. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Philadelphia Eagles' Carson Wentz runs off the field after an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016, in Philadelphia. Philadelphia won 24-15. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (55) on the sideline during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pa. The Eagles defeated the Vikings 21-10. (Perry Knotts via AP)
Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (91) looks on prior to the NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Philadelphia. The Eagles won 21-10. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Philadelphia Eagles nose tackle Bennie Logan (96) looks on from the sideline during the 2016 NFL week 1 regular season football game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016 in Philadelphia. The Eagles won the game 29-10. (Paul Spinelli via AP)
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Connor Barwin (98) walks along the sidelines during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Nigel Bradham puts his helmet on during practice at the team's NFL football training facility in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jordan Hicks looks on as he walks the field prior to action against the New York Giants during a NFL football game on Monday, Oct. 19, 2015 in Philadelphia. The Eagles won the game, 27-7. (G. Newman Lowrance via AP)
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks (95) rests during an NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys won the game in overtime, 29-23. (Greg Trott via AP)
Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Leodis McKelvin walks in the bench area during the first half of an NFL football game \a\, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Rodney McLeod (23) walks on the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Malcolm Jenkins (27) looks up from the sideline with his helmet off during a NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, November 13, 2016 in Philadelphia. The Eagles won the game 24-15. (Paul Jasienski via AP)
Philadelphia Eagles' Donnie Jones warms up before an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Philadelphia Eagles' Jon Dorenbos greets fans before an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)
Philadelphia Eagles' Caleb Sturgis greets fans before an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)
First-year front man Doug Pederson will need no introduction to the Pacific Northwest as his team travels across the country from Philadelphia for a Sunday afternoon game against the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. That's because the Eagles head coach grew up a fan of professional football in Seattle while living in Ferndale, Washington.
"For me, it's coming home a little bit," the 48-year-old Pederson said Wednesday morning on a conference call with the Seattle media of the Eagles' Week 11 matchup in the Emerald City. "I grew up a Seahawks fan and the Kingdome and all of that. I remember on Sunday mornings driving down with my mom and dad and going to Seahawks games and watching Jim Zorn and Steve Largent and Kenny Easley and those guys. It was always a great memory for me as a kid.
"I'll have some family, have some friends out there and hopefully get a chance to say hi to them either before or after the game. It's always a great feeling to come back home."
An all-state performer in basketball, baseball, and football at Ferndale High School, Pederson went on to play quarterback at Northeast Louisiana. Undrafted out of college, Pederson still managed to embark on a 12-year playing career in the NFL, spending time with the Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, and Cleveland Browns. As a backup with the Packers, Pederson was part of the team that won Super Bowl XXXI. He played under three of the more successful coaches in League history in Don Shula, Mike Holmgren, and Andy Reid and also played alongside Pro Bowl quarterbacks like Brett Favre, Dan Marino, Donovan McNabb, and Jim McMahon.
Sunday's game will mark Pederson's first time coaching in Seattle since the 2011 season, when Pederson served as quarterbacks coach of the Eagles during the team's December visit to CenturyLink Field, a 31-14 defeat. Pederson spent three seasons (2013-15) as offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs before returning to Philadelphia as head coach this past January, and with this weekend's road game in mind, Pederson allowed himself to take a short trip down memory lane.
"My mom and dad had season tickets, since the franchise opened in 1976," Pederson said of his one-time Seahawks fandom. "They had season tickets for several years before we moved and I graduated from high school. We had four of them up in the second level, corner end zone in the Kingdome. Great seats."
Pederson also recalled his best memory of going to Seahawks games as a child.
"The drive down," he said. "We left early in the morning on Sundays. It was one o'clock or 1:30 games, and we always had a big breakfast once we got down there. I just remember walking into the Kingdome and how big that building was. Even today, the crowd was so electric and loud. It's just very similar today. Those were some great times, great memories, growing up in Washington and watching the Seahawks play."
Pederson said he even had a chance to play at the Seahawks' former NFL home during his senior year at Ferndale.
"We played a playoff game in the Kingdome, so I actually had a chance to play in there," he said. "You just kind of walk on that turf and you go man, one day it would not only be great to play in this game, and who knew back then that you'd be a head coach in the League. It was more about wanting to play and getting an opportunity to play in the National Football League. It was just a surreal feeling knowing that one you're going to get an opportunity, and to play 14 years is just very special for me."
