PHILADELPHIA — It’s been more than six months since Treyvon Hester blocked Cody Parkey’s 43-yard field goal attempt in the Eagles’ 16-15 wild-card playoff win over the Chicago Bears in January.

The shine has worn off. The Eagles aren’t focused on last year’s playoff push. Instead, the team is motivated to create new postseason memories.

“To be honest, we’ve got to forget about last year,” Hester said following training camp practice on Friday. “It’s not about what you did, it’s about what you can do now.”

The Eagles are in the early stages of their roster evaluation process. The first week of training camp won’t tip the scales when it comes to roster battles.

At defensive tackle, Hester is competing with a trio of veterans who were added to upgrade the team’s depth at the position. Malik Jackson and Hassan Ridgeway were acquired in the offseason and Timmy Jernigan was re-signed after a brief stint on the open market.

That trio is expected to complement All-Pro lineman Fletcher Cox this season. Hester will need to stand out during training camp and the preseason to earn a second season in Philadelphia.

That’s why the 26-year-old lineman spent the summer training in Pittsburgh.

“Just tried to strengthen as many weaknesses as I had,” Hester said. “Worked on a lot of hand-placement stuff. [I’m] coming back as healthy as possible and just coming back in the best shape as possible.”

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Hester spent the last month working out with Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald at the University of Pittsburgh. Donald, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and Hester were teammates at Penn Hills High School.

“We’re really good friends,” Hester said. “We kind of [bounce] questions off each other all the time. It’s not really about what’s said, it’s about what’s done. It’s more about seeing how he works out there and how humble he is. It’s going to make you want to compete with someone like that.”

Hester has watched Donald’s football career blossom, from high school to college to the NFL. Donald’s success inspires Hester to achieve accolades of his own.

“Being able to see something like that is motivating,” Hester said.

Over the next few weeks, Hester will look to out-perform the likes of Ridgeway, Bruce Hector, Anthony Rush and Kevin Wilkins to return to the Eagles’ defensive line rotation.

Hester was unable to earn a second season with the Oakland Raiders last year. That failure led him to the Eagles and prepared him for this year’s training camp process.

“I taught myself that you need to bring your own energy to the game,” Hester said about his Oakland experience. “Be positive about every day because some days will be better than others.”

Hester’s positive outlook will help him stay focused during the training camp competition. It will also help him appreciate the opportunity.

“At the end of the day,” Hester said, “we’re still living our dream.”