Each punch rattled the chain holding the heavybag, which shook the metal hook above that held the bag, which made the thick wood roof above that vibrate. Each punch came with angry intent, and came with a distinct whomp, whomp, whomp sound. Each punch seemed to snap the head of everyone in the Wild Card Gym that steamy weekday afternoon, enough to cause a curious bystander to ask, “Who the hell is that big kid, the next heavyweight champ of the world?”
“No, someone replied, that’s the big kid who plays tackle for USC, might be a future first-round draft pick,” the bystander was told.
Winston Justice wound up dropping to the second round before the Eagles snatched him up—and once they did, my first thought was “Wow, the Birds got something special here.”
Little did I know what was to come in the nightmare at the Meadowlands in his first pro start against heavyweights that actually punch back, and the lingering stench that would follow Justice from that horrible game against Osi Umenyiora.
The thunderous punching, mountain of a man was reduced to rubble. I couldn’t believe it. My one glaring memory, the one burning image that I couldn’t escape in the time Justice has been here is the behemoth belting a heavybag that day with all the force and ferocious demeanor of a veteran heavyweight fighting for his next meal.
With Shawn Andrews out for the year, I’m happy the “Big Win” I saw that afternoon is back. He looked good in his second career start. He needed help, receiving some chips from guys swinging out of the backfield, and some tight end help. I’m not ready to call Justice the next coming of Jackie Slater, or even Jon Runyan, who seems to be a media darling, despite his diminished skills, but Justice may be able to answer that void left by Andrews at right tackle.
“I’ve done a lot of changing, a lot of self-reflection,” the soft-spoken Justice told me privately during camp. “I put a lot of faith in God, and kept my eyes closed and ears shut, just focused on what I had to do to become a better player. I hope to get that chance.”
When I reminded him of the day I saw him at the Wild Card, in Hollywood, California, Justice beamed.
“I loved hitting the bag and the attitude in there, everyone helping everyone out, no one was any bigger than anyone else and they really took me in,” Justice recalled. “You had world champions working with kids first starting. Hey, if this doesn’t work out, I have something to fall back on, right?”
It looks like Justice will get his chance to prove he’s a contender with passion on a football field now.
“It’s all I ask,” Justice said. “Make sure you tell the guys back at the Wild Card I said hello.”
I won’t have to do that, I told Justice recently. All they have to do is see him playing on Sunday. They’ll know.
Joseph Santoliquito is an Emmy Award-nominated writer based in the Philadelphia area who can be contacted at Jsantoliquito@yahoo.com.
