No doubt, Patriots' Eckel will put his love for the Eagles aside

Kyle Eckel was raised within the shadows of old Veterans Stadium. He and his family lived so close, they could hear the music from the rock concerts that used to play there. So naturally, he grew up an Eagles fan.

Eckel and his family since moved to Haverford and Eckel himself went on to star at Episcopal Academy, then at the Naval Academy, where he was two-time MVP of the Army-Navy game. Now he's with a team that seems destined to make history in its run to the Super Bowl, as the second fullback for the New England Patriots.

Standing in the way of the undefeated Pats this week are the Eagles, Eckels' favorite team as a child. He's heard from family and friends this past week, many of whom will trek up to watch the Pats host the Eagles this Sunday.

For Eckel, who as a kid once bled Eagles green and has scored two touchdowns for the Pats this season, he can't wait. It's almost taboo to talk of going undefeated — or of Super Bowl aspirations.

"We try to take it game by game, and we say every week is a one-game season," Eckel said. "We're not looking back and we're not looking ahead, we're looking at Philadelphia. I'm sure the talk down there is that the Eagles don't have a chance, but this is the NFL and winning a game depends on a lot of things to go right. What the coaches preach here is that each person does their jobs. Each person does their job, we're able to compete. Philly is going to be a challenge, regardless of what people think. They're absolutely a dangerous team. They're there to win and they're there because they think they can win."

Eckel plays on special teams for a team and for a coach who have always liked him. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by New England on April 29, 2005. He served for a year in the Navy during the 2006 season and the Pats released him, but was signed by the Dolphins for the 2007 season after being discharged. The Dolphins released him in September and he received a personal invitation from Pats coach Bill Belichick to come back to New England.

He's now on a team that could make history.

"We don't talk about being undefeated; the veteran leadership and the coaches tell us to keep our mouths shut, they won't have it," Eckel said. "I'm past the point of awe. There is a lot of policing of our own in the locker room, and if you look at the track record of this team, why wouldn't you follow these guys. That's the thing with this team, they have great veteran leaders."

The Pats know Eckel comes from the Philadelphia area. They often tease him about his accent and the way he pronounces the word water. Don't be too surprised if the Pats are up by plenty, which they've been frequently, that No, 38 comes into the game to push through the end zone for another late score.

"Wherever the coaches point, that's where I'm going to go," Eckel said. "I'm living in Boston now, but I'm still a Phillies fan. I'm not selling out completely. I plan on coming home in the spring, when the season wraps up. But there is no one thinking that far ahead, let alone to the Super Bowl. We're all worried about Philadelphia and that's it." *

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