“You hear horror stories of guys around the league being a high draft pick and the veterans don’t even engage with them because they see the writing on the wall and they’re saying, ‘This is my family. This is how I feed my family doing this.’ Brent was the opposite. He knows that his career has been extended because he doesn’t have to take as many reps so I think we’ve helped each other a lot these past few years. We have a friendship that’s going to last a lifetime.”

Ertz is also inspired by another pro athlete - his wife, Julie, a defender for the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team that took home the World Cup in July 2015. Ertz was there to celebrate the win, but with Training Camp right around the corner, he did not miss a workout.

“I flew up for a game on Sunday. I flew back to San Diego to train for the week (with teammates) and then I went back up for the final the following Sunday,” Ertz recalls. “Watched the game in Vancouver but that following Monday there wasn’t a flight out early enough for that next morning so I actually just rushed back to San Diego on the first flight out and just had a little one-on-one session with the trainer instead of the group.”

The hard work is paying off. Ertz showed immense promise from his rookie season and was rewarded with a contract extension following the 2015 campaign. Injuries and inconsistent quarterback play, however, kept him from reaching his potential.

Until now, that is. He’s first in the NFC among all tight ends in receptions (55), receiving yards (639), touchdowns (7), and receiving first downs (36).

Ertz credits a second straight season with quarterback Carson Wentz as a big reason for his role in the offense.