Selected by Philadelphia in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M–Kingsville, Jermane Mayberry was penciled in to become the starting left tackle. That plan, however, was put on hold when he came down with pneumonia.

"It was pretty hard to go through," said Mayberry, who didn't step onto the field until midway through his rookie season when he played on special teams. "And it was really humbling from a standpoint of you go to college and you have success and you just assume that success is going to continue and when it doesn't ..."

After starting every game at left tackle in 1997, Mayberry was moved to left guard the following season. He initially wasn't too comfortable with the switch of positions.

"I had never played guard. Everything happened a little faster inside, so it took a little while to get used to it," Mayberry said. "But I was willing to do whatever they asked of me. I tried to make the best of it."

Moved to his third position – right guard – in 2000, Mayberry helped the Eagles post an 11-5 record, their first winning season in four years.

"I think, one, we caught people by surprise," Mayberry said. "And then, two, it was our second year under (head coach) Andy (Reid), so we just kind of got his system down. He kind of got us going in the right direction."

Mayberry definitely had his career on the right track.

"To me it was huge. It kind of validated my pick," said Mayberry, a Pro Bowl starter following the 2002 season. "I think considering everything myself and my family went through – even Juan (Castillo, the Eagles' offensive line coach who had also been his college coach), because he cared so much for me – it was a nice way just to be recognized for the accomplishments and things I had done over my career.