There’s nothing special-looking about Derek Barnett’s ankles. His size-15 feet, while wide, aren’t especially big for a 6-foot-3, 259-pound man. But when the Eagles defensive end turns the corner on tackles and plants his inside foot on the ground, he can bend at an angle that almost looks grotesque.
“People used to always talk about my bend when I was younger,” Barnett said. “But it was God-given talent.”
“Bend” is just a football term for ankle flexion. The Eagles have used it often since drafting Barnett in the first round. They measured the angle of his bend at 51.