Howard Mudd once told a story about Jason Peters _ it didn't exactly reflect well on the Eagles tackle _ under the condition that it couldn't be reported unless Peters confirmed it happened.
It wasn't a simple request. Peters talks about as much as Garbo, strikes an imposing figure, and isn't often keen on provocative questioning. The interview never occurred, though, because the recording of Mudd _ about 45 minutes of pearls of wisdom about Peters and the art of blocking _ was somehow erased.
Thankfully, Evan Mathis, upon Mudd's death Wednesday, recalled the anecdote.
It was the summer of 2011, after Andy Reid had lured Mudd out of retirement, after the NFL lockout had ended, and after one of the Eagles' first training camp practices at Lehigh.
"Peters didn't like something Howard was saying in a meeting," Mathis recalled, "and J.P. said 'Man, F _ _ you.' Howard instantly replied, 'F _ _ me? F _ _ you! And if you don't like it you can go talk to Andy.'
"That was my first taste of Howard and a player getting into it. Not just any player, a future Hall of Famer. Howard did not discriminate."
Mudd coached with the Eagles for only two seasons, but he left an indelible mark. He elevated Peters' performance, was instrumental in the drafting and first-year starting of center Jason Kelce, and helped develop the journeyman Mathis into one of the best guards in the NFL.
His impact is still felt today with Peters chugging along at 38, slated to move to guard this season, and Kelce entering his 10th year coming off another All-Pro campaign.
Mudd's tenure wasn't without its blemishes. The Eagles, after all, won only 12 games over that span _ Reid's final two years in Philadelphia.
But if there was a disappointment, notably Danny Watkins, it was often because of a lack of want-to, not talent. Maybe Mudd could be faulted for not investing as much time in younger players or deep reserves, but he knew the goods, and if you weren't maxing out your abilities, he had only so much patience.
"He was never out to make anything personal; his only intent was to serve the greatest good for the player and the team," Mathis said. "Sometimes he would let emotions fly and seemingly berate someone until they started to defend (themselves). It was that shift in attitude that he was looking for all along, and when he got it, he'd shift immediately to a state of joy and acceptance.
"The energy he would give off in these moments was akin to, 'Hey, look who finally woke up and decided to join us!' The elevated emotion would seemingly come from a place of 'I believe in you, you're better than this, why the f _ _ aren't you doing what you're capable of?'
"It was never blind rage or unwarranted behavior. Sure, it may be a little unorthodox to societal standards and it may be easily confused with toxic shame, but it was always coming straight from the heart with sincere intentions."
Mudd's approach turned off some, but most came around, especially those who understood there was a method to the madness. Even a perennial Pro Bowler with freakish athleticism learned to benefit from his teachings. Mudd said he never had another problem with Peters after their initial altercation.
