Myles Jack loves working with his hands — so much so that he was ready to walk away from the NFL and become a tradesman before signing Sunday with the Eagles.
The linebacker, who was cut by the Steelers in March, said he considered enrolling in trade school to become a plumber or electrician as the offseason stretched on with no offers from other teams.
“I like to work. I couldn’t sit at home. I’ve been blessed to make a lot of money. I could retire and sit at the house…I want to be innovative,” Jack said, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
“If a Zombie apocalypse came, I want to be able to build something.”
Jack was able to put off preparing for “World War Z” when Eagles general manager Howie Roseman called him on Saturday afternoon while the Jaguars’ 2016 second-round pick was at home in Jacksonville.
Jack, 27, not knowing how his workout with Philly would pan out, packed lightly.
“I got two pairs of drawers, two pairs of sweats, two pairs of socks to my name,” Jack said on Wednesday. “My bible in my bag. Like, I don’t have anything. I’m staying at the hotel.”
The UCLA product hit the ground running in Philadelphia, logging reps with the first-team defense in his first two days of practice.
“One week, you’re sitting at home, the next week you’re with a Super Bowl contender,” Jack said.
“I wouldn’t rather have it any other way, man. I’m here now and I went to Ross and bought me some white t-shirts and I’m here now. That’s how it goes. They give you a playbook and the next day, you’re out here practicing.”
The Eagles signed Jack, along with veteran Zach Cunningham, to add depth to their linebacker room after Nakobe Dean went down with an ankle injury earlier in camp.
Jack played in 15 games last season for the Steelers, making 13 starts and posting 104 tackles and three tackles for loss.
The linebacker recorded at least 100 tackles in four of his seven NFL seasons.
Now, Jack opens a new beginning with the defending NFC champions.
“Time waits for nobody,” Jack said.