Detroit Lions rookie Eric Ebron had some early training camp struggles with dropped passes. The subsequent discussion of his alleged substandard hands has apparently motivated the tight end.
"I love it," Ebron said, per the Detroit Free Press. "I love when people talk about me -- that way when I prove you wrong it looks bad on you not me. I love it. Every bit of it."
As one of the keys to new coordinator Joe Lombardi's offense in a move-tight end role, questions about Ebron picking up the NFL game are legitimate.
However, the 21-year-old believes he's already past his biggest mental hurdle.
"I've already hit my rookie wall," he said. "I felt like that last week of the learning process and getting over the curve, that was it for me. Now it's about staying true to who I am and doing everything that got me here, and better."
We'll see what he has to say about the hitting physical side of that "rookie wall" come December.
Ebron said he got past the mental roadblock after he caught a deep bomb over the weekend.
"That pass from Matthew Stafford, that's when I realized," Ebron said. "I was like, 'OK, (shoot), I didn't think about it, I just went out and did what I do best, so why not do that with everything?' "
If Ebron can be a seam threat from the slot and in-line positions, the Lions will boast one of the NFL's most dangerous offenses in 2014.
The latest Around The League Podcast makes sense of Andy Dalton's new contract and takes a look at the Giants' evolving backfield.