PHILADELPHIA -- Brandon Graham stood at his locker with that infectious smile on his face, feeling like a kid in a candy store. Graham, the veteran trash talker that he is, put on a Dallas Cowboys hat with a stop sign crossing out the logo -- knowing the cameras were coming as he was prepared to exit the locker room.
That smile carried over until Graham went out the door. He even bent the hat down for a few reporters so they could get a good photo of it, knowing how his attire would go viral in seconds.
Take a look Brandon Graham’s hat
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) November 6, 2023
It’s the 🚫 covering the #Cowboys logo. #Eagles pic.twitter.com/8fFyeLUITI
"Who, his old ass? Oh he's an old man," said Fletcher Cox with a smile as he looked over at Graham. "At the same time we love him. He brings so much energy to this team. When he's in the game, people feel him. He's in the game to dominate."
Nothing could stop Graham Sunday night. Certainly not the Cowboys.
For one night, Graham was able to rekindle the fountain of youth in the twilight of his NFL career. He finished with 1.5 sacks, the biggest catalyst toward the Philadelphia Eagles defense holding on to defeat the Cowboys in one of the most bizarre fourth quarters of the 63-year history of this rivalry.
The only constant was Graham, who played just 12 pass rushing snaps yet finished with three pressures and a 25% pressure rate. All those plays came in the fourth quarter, including when Graham chased Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott out of bounds on a two-point conversion attempt that would have cut the Eagles' slim lead to three.
The Cowboys had a first-and-10 on the Eagles' 31 in a 28-23 game with 2:47 left and the offense clicking. In comes Graham to sack Dak Prescott on consecutive plays, pinning Dallas back to a third-and-21 and setting the Eagles defense up for another crucial stop.
Graham's plays didn't seal the game, but the wily veteran certainly kept at least five points off the board. The Eagles ended up winning 28-23.
"I don't think it's his most historic sack by any stretch of his imagination," said Eagles center Jason Kelce. "He's a guy that's been around and in crucial situations like that, he still has great physical ability."
Graham certainly isn't the same player who forced the fumble on Tom Brady and won the Eagles Super Bowl LII, but he's still around making big plays for the organization. At 35 years old, Graham finds a way to spark the Eagles -- even though he's on a pitch count and not getting the snaps he's accustomed to seeing.
"He's such an important part of this football team," said Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. "The player, the person, the leader, the captain. When he makes a play like he did today, I promise you everybody feeds off of that and everybody feels that because our guys are so excited when he makes a play."
"Old man BG" -- as multiple teammates call him -- still can impact this football team. Happy as BG was to help the Eagles win a football game, that infectious smile carried over in his corner of the locker room.
"It's like seeing your uncle make plays, man," said Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis, who is 12 years younger than Graham. "Since I've got here from the jump, he's always been there. His energy is infectious. You could see it.
"Once BG got that thing started, it all dropped from there. BG man, I love him like a God damn uncle. It's just nice to have him around and see him make plays and see him keep doing this stuff.
"He's been here for what? 14 years? I'm proud to know him. I'm proud to play alongside him. He's still continuing his thing."
Davis was 9 years old when Graham made his Eagles' debut in 2010. He's "old man BG" to Davis, but not "old ass."
"Anyone older than me in this god damn building I call old man," Davis said with a huge laugh. "I call him old man. I call Fletch old man. BG is damn near the oldest player on this team. It's just nice to have him."
Nothing was stopping Graham from being BG Sunday night. He knows his time in the NFL will be ending soon, and will soak in every minute of the journey.
When Graham wears a Cowboys hat with a stop sign over the star, the shoulders are shrugged. That's "old man BG" in a nutshell, living life to the fullest.
"I'm gonna miss this when it's over, but I'm gonna enjoy it while its here," Graham said. "At the end of the day, we just are trying to get off the field. To get out the game with a win, that's all you really care about.
"I'm just happy to make plays in the game in help us."
