Last spring, former Safety Coach of Texas Blake Gideon believed that one of his new players, Andrew Mukuba, did not understand the concepts he taught during their position meetings.
While Mukuba took many notes in silence, the rest of his teammates provided Gideon comments.
Gédéon’s patience wore thin when Mukuba’s silence continued for weeks. Then, one night, he called Mukuba at a meeting to test him.
“This point and this time arrives a few weeks later where it translates into something (during a meeting), I said three weeks ago,” Gideon, who is now the defensive coordinator of Georgia Tech, in NJ Advance Media last week. “You are like,” okay, it is wired. This guy is on a mission. “He listens to each word, and he will cite you, which I learned to the hard.
After this moment, Gideon never worries about Mukuba because he knew the first Clemson Star was serious about his job and did not speak to prove it.
For Mukuba, which the Eagles of Philadelphia repeated in the second round of the NFL 2025 draft, football is not only a match. As He discussed during his university careerIt is a way for him to give back to his parents, who moved from Zimbabwe to Austin, Texas, when he was 9 years old, and this is an opportunity to create a good life for his son, Kyzir, who is almost 2 years old.
According to the people who know him best, Mukuba brings this state of mind to each session, practice, game and training. Even if he has never been the biggest, fastest or strongest player, his deeper goal has made him mentally and physically more difficult.
In a city that appreciates difficult, competitive and resilient athletes, Mukuba could become a favorite of fans as a recruit on the defense of an Eagles which embodies these characteristics.
‘He’s the guy I thought we got’
Over the past six years, Bernard BlakeAn old nfl corner half for Green Bay packers, led Mukuba during the offseason. They worked on leg game, ball skills and football IQ.
Blake also stayed alongside Mukuba during the difficult times of his university career, most of these moments coming in his last two years in Clemson.
After having become an All-American first-year student, Mukuba did not experience the same level of success as a second year student and a junior, so he became a reflection after some people.
“I think the world did not respect him for a few years, but that has not changed his game, and that has not changed his motivation,” Blake told NJ Advance Media.
Mukuba transferred to Texas In 2024, returning home for his senior season. The 22 -year -old said on a podcast that he had left Clemson Because he did not improve and he needed a change of decor.
Before the 2024 season, many recovery experts projected Mukuba as a choice of day 3, citing its undersized construction (5-11, 186 pounds) and regression in the previous two years as negative.
To change the trajectory of his career in the NFL, Mukuba has recable his process of reflection and strengthened his diligence.
“There was a point at the end of the spring ball where he stopped thinking and stopped trying to be perfect,” said Gideon. “He was like,” very well, the coach Gideon “. If it will be a mistake, it wants it to be a quick error. There was this point probably at the end of Spring Ball where I said to myself: “Okay, it’s the guy I thought I had.” “”
At the end of the season, Mukuba was able to better recognize offensive training and concepts, allowing him to make more games and limit his mistakes.
In 15 appearances for the Longhorns, including three qualifying games, he raised 69 plated, five interceptions and a forced escape.
“It was as if he had been in this defense for three years,” said the defensive coordinator of Texas Pete Kwiatkowski told NJ Advance Media.
During his stay as a college player and the NFL, Blake said that he had seen the players “reaching a peak” and complacent, then collapsing. But, after a few years in Clemson, he was never worried that Mukuba would fall into this trap.
“He is one of those players who seem that every time you see him, whether in a training session, training or playing on television, whatever the case, he still improves,” said Blake. “Whether playing quickly or being half a second delay in this game last year at half a second earlier at this same type of game the following year and withdrawing it.”
Andrew Mukuba made big games for Texas.AP
Blake’s favorite moment of the Senior season of Mukuba was He hooks a winning interception of the game of the quarter of Arizona State Sam Leavitt In the fisherman on New Year’s day. At that time, Blake said: “Drew reminded everyone that he was still the same Andrew Mukuba that he was during his first year in Clemson.”
But Mukuba’s path to become one of the best defensive backs of university football came with another challenge.
During the Texas Fall camp, he often trained with a few hours of sleep after staying with his son throughout the night. He would arrive at the establishment at 6 a.m. and would not leave before 8 p.m.
Gideon remembers having trouble spending the day as a coach when he became a new parent. He was worried about Mukuba’s energy level.
“I kept thinking when it will affect this guy,” said Gideon. “You wonder when it catches up, emotionally or physically. But he manipulated it. He managed it better than me as a coach.”
But Mukuba did not complain to be tired or took shortened, said Gideon.
Instead, Mukuba did more. He set up procedures step by step with the Texas graduate assistants to review difficult concepts and visualize his assignments at stake. Subsequently, he watched a film alone or organized group film sessions with teammates.
“I think he understands that having a mouth to support needs and to be able to say:” Hey, my son never had to work for anything. I was able to do everything I had to do and want to do for him from the moment he entered this land “”, said Blake. “It’s enough fuel to light the fire of anyone. He is a child with real responsibility.”
Before his senior season (2020) at Lyndon B. Johnson high school, Mukuba proved in Blake that he could prosper in difficult circumstances, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mukuba passed the first part of his session with Blake working on an exercise, then fled to the side to connect to Zoom with his high school teammates for virtual training. Finally, he joined Blake for more exercises.
“Even to this day, we have just worked a few hours ago after his return from Philly, and he is still asking questions,” said Blake. “He is a guy who has just been drafted in the second round. Many people (in his position) feel like he did. He is humble enough to come, ask questions and really take into account what we are trying to be accomplished.”
In 2021, Mukuba’s efforts were when he became the first real defender of the first year to start an opening match of the season for Clemson since 1973. Tigers coaches staff love Mukuba’s state of mind when he joined the team for the first time in the middle of the year, registered first year.
“He was different. He was confident. He knew he had the ability to do so and was desperate to get there, “said Clemson’s security coach Mickey Conn said. “This self -confidence made him a great player.”
Clemson Safety Andrew Mukuba (1) plays against Notre Dame in a university football match of the NCAA on Saturday November 4, 2023, in Clemson, SC (AP photo / Jacob Kupferman)AP
Mukuba’s boastful boot took place on the field in big games last season, including against Clemson in the first round of the university football playoffs and against Arizona next week. He helped Texas win the two games, combining 11 plated in total and an interception.
“I have this conviction that large safetys calm the rest of the secondary with the way they play, with the way they communicate, with the way they take care of each other,” said Gideon. “When everything is bad, it’s the guy on the sidelines who installs people,” hey, we are good. They just do that. We have to make some plated. We are in this game. “”
“It is a regular sea. It will be pulled on the ground, but it is simply not these emotional roller coaster. It is super mature.”
‘He will hit your Menton’ mold ‘
Mukuba told Blake before the project he wanted to play for the Eagles because he integrated at their speed and their physique and saw their defensive little backs prosper.
During the training camp, the Mukuba project status and a more extensive skills set will give it an advantage in the battle with the security of the third -year Eagles Sydney Brown for a starting job.
“He descends the hill with each snapshot. If an opportunity is presented, he will eliminate the cake,” said Blake. “Many people try to say that it is small, it is slim, but you cannot turn on the film and show me a game where it was disadvantaged.
“And if you break down his season in Texas, most of his interceptions came against their greatest opponents in the biggest moments. He has this factor” he “to change a game where the game must be changed. But he is like a calm assassin on this subject.”
Pro Football Focus compared Mukuba to the former Patriots All-Pro Safety Devin McCourty in their screening report, while other people see similarities between Mukuba and the former Eagles Gardner-Johnson safety CJ. Blake said Mukuba plays with old old -fashioned physicality of Indianapolis Bob Sanders colts, but to the Seattle Earl Thomas Seahawks security range and the instinct of the former Detroit Lions and Seahawks Safety Quandre Diggs.
Several NFL coaches told Gideon that Mukuba was the best security of the draft, a coach calling Mukuba his favorite safety in the last three sketches.
“I know a great thing for (the eagles defensive coordinator (Vic) The defense of Fangio is the pre-SNAP alerts and the understanding of your responsibilities,” said Gideon. “Andrew has a good understanding of different concepts. You cannot be a silent and play in secondary there.”
Three weeks ago, Mukuba shed tears after responding to the call of the Director General of the Eagles Howie Roseman. His family also cried, and his trainer had trouble keeping it together. Soon, he will be able to return his old coaches, friends and family proud when he made his debut in the NFL.
“I almost had tearful eyes when I saw how authentic he was and seeing the weight of his shoulders because it is a child who broke his tail to get where he is,” said Blake, who was at the Mukuba draft party.
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