Pete Prisco covers the NFL for CBS Sports. He wrote a piece about overlooked players on playoff teams. For the Eagles, he decided to cover DE Ced Thornton.
The Cedric Thornton story is a good one. He wasn’t recruited out of high school, walked on at Southern Arkansas, grew from 210 to 260 pounds, was dismissed from the team for disciplinary reasons for his final two games as a senior, didn’t get drafted, spent 2011 on the Eagles’ practice squad and 2012 as a reserve before emerging as a force this season.
That odyssey makes Thornton play hard all the time, never wanting to waste this opportunity. And it shows on the tape.
Thornton has emerged as a big part of the Eagles’ defense. Now settled at left end after spending time at both end and on the nose, he will be a key in whether the Eagles make a playoff run.
Check out the piece for some All-22 pics that show what a good run defender Ced is. Glad to see him getting some love from the national media.
