Uar Bernard and Joshua Weru, two guys who had never played a snap of football in their lives before tonight, just made their NFL debuts in an Eagles preseason game against the Ravens. Seriously, *ever*. Bernard is from Nigeria, Weru from Kenya. They started practicing football just this spring, and didn’t even wear full pads until two weeks ago. Imagine that: walking onto an NFL field for the first time in your life.
Unbelievable Debuts and Untapped Potential
It’s wild to think how many youth league, high school, or college games every other player on that field has under their belt. Bernard and Weru bypassed all of it. Coach Sirianni himself asked, “How exciting for those two guys to be playing in an NFL football game?” Bernard, a defensive tackle, literally had chills when he stepped onto the field. Teammates were telling him how proud they were afterward. “It’s a dream come true for me,” Bernard said. He’s proud of himself, and honestly, he should be! The coaches see they’re “light-years away” in terms of development, as Vic Fangio put it, but come on, what an insane starting point.
Weru’s First Snap Was a Statement
While Bernard got some love, Joshua Weru really caught eyes. This dude, an undrafted edge rusher and former international rugby player, made an impact on his *very first play* in an organized football game. Think about that! The 6-foot-4, 244-pound beast from Kenya registered a quarterback hit in the third quarter and got another pressure later in the drive. You could see his burst chasing down the passer. Weru’s 4.45-second 40-yard dash and a crazy 41 1/2-inch vertical leap aren’t just combine numbers; they translate to the field. He’s already shown tools in practice that are super rare for his position. These were flashes, sure, but those flashes could absolutely be enough to get him a spot on the initial 53-man roster, especially since no other team had tape on him before tonight.
Saturday night was a benchmark for both Bernard and Weru. It’s easy to focus on how much further they have to go, but after seeing Bernard disengage a blocker or Weru apply pressure, it’s hard not to just stare at how far they’ve already come. Weru’s refreshing outlook , that you need to celebrate the wins during the development process , is exactly what you want to hear from a guy with his raw talent. What’s next for these two? More development, more tape, and maybe, just maybe, a shot at a legitimate NFL career after literally zero prior experience. That’s a story worth following.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleeding Green Nation.
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