‘It Blew My Mind’: The Evolution of Uar Bernard
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Nigerian interior defensive lineman Uar Bernard in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Bernard became an internet sensation following his jaw-dropping performance at the NFL’s International Player Pathway program’s pro day in March. Yet his tireless work before that event is what helped land him an opportunity at the next level in the City of Brotherly Love.
NFL consultant Javon Gopie works with the IPP program to help develop the international talent that the league identifies. Gopie has established himself as one of football’s most renowned experts in the art of the pass rush and has trained some of the NFL’s best defensive linemen at The Sack House SFL. The “Sack Sensei” recently joined The Philly Special Show with Josh Davis to discuss his work with Bernard ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
(Watch the full interview in the latest video on the episodes tab or at this link: https://youtu.be/urOJgaAixJ0?si=7jM74i0PkAHnaJeI)
Striking Trees With His Bare Hands
Gopie revealed that the NFL’s IPP program actually identified Bernard as a candidate several years ago, yet he was too young to join the program at that time. But once Bernard understood that the program was watching him, he was able to go back to Nigeria and work on his body and skills for when the opportunity finally presented itself.
“He had been doing his own training for the past year of what he thought would get him an opportunity on top of what we did,” Gopie said. “The kid killed himself.”
“Anybody that knows defensive line play, one thing that we have to do all the time is strike blocks,” Gopie continued. “For us, here in the states, we’re super fortunate and blessed, we got fancy sleds that we can strike with pads, we got gloves on.”
“This dude was in Nigeria striking trees with his bare hands. It blew my mind, right? I don’t think we’ve ever seen that.”
Despite being too young to join the NFL’s IPP program when they initially identified him, it was clear that Bernard received the message loud and clear. While some may have been deterred by a lack of resources or tools to truly maximize their talent, Bernard made the most of what he had. Which would prove to become a common theme throughout his development ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
‘I’m Not Going Back to Nigeria’
When Gopie finally got the opportunity to sit down and get to know Bernard, it quickly became clear how important this opportunity was for both the prospect and his family. Gopie recalled the moment that Bernard’s words gave him goosebumps, as the 21-year-old vowed that he wouldn’t be returning to his home country of Nigeria.
“When I met him and when we got an opportunity to get to know each other, one of the things he told me was that ‘Coach, I’m not going back to Nigeria,’” Gopie recalled. “And I was like ‘well what do you mean?’ He was like ‘I don’t care what it takes, I’m not going back.’”
“And I was like ‘damn,’ he gave me goosebumps when he said that because I could feel his urgency and his desperation to create something better for himself.”
“He told me the average income in his village in Nigeria is $1,000 a year,” Gopie said. “What he expressed to me was how much he wanted to create better value a life for his family.”
“His pops passed away about two years ago and that really motivated him to just create change. He saw this journey and he took it and he ran with it.”
It was eye-opening to hear Gopie recall Bernard talking about the average income in his village back in Nigeria. Fast forward to this month and Bernard just officially signed a four-year, $4.5 million contract with the Eagles. His guaranteed signing bonus of $120,488 is the equivalent of 120 years of the average annual income back home.
Made in a Lab
Yet Bernard is likely far from satisfied, as his work ethic throughout his training with Gopie continued to standout. Gopie recalled several moments during their preparation for the NFL’s IPP program pro day that stuck out to him. Similar to his striking of trees back home in Nigeria, Bernard continued to make the most of whatever he was given to work with.
“What caught my eye early on, so when we did our round of evaluations in London, you know, Nike sponsors the NFL, we had a bunch of gear for the guys,” Gopie recalled. “We had a pair of cleats that fit him but we didn’t have a pair of shoes. For some reason the orders got mixed up, we did not have a size 18.5 shoe and that’s the size he wears.”
“So we were at the point of doing our vertical testing and so he goes in there with socks and jumped 38 inches with socks on,” Gopie said. “And that blew my mind right then and there. I was like that’s ridiculous. He might’ve done 38 inches on the vert, 33 reps on the bench and probably broad jumped 10 1/2 feet…in October!”
It was clear early on during his training with the NFL’s IPP program that Bernard was simply a different breed of athlete. At 6’4” and 306 lbs., people simply aren’t supposed to be able to move or look like Bernard does at that size. Gopie discussed Bernard’s physique and what his training partners nicknamed him ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
“He is literally the definition of what you would call made in a lab,” Gopie said. “Like the dude looks like a manikin. Honestly, it’s almost fake. A lot of the guys that worked with him, they would call him AI.”
‘I Want To Stay Sexy’
While Bernard is focused on his evolution as a football player, Gopie also acknowledged that the 21-year-old likes to have fun as well. It was entertaining to hear Gopie open up about the person that Bernard is off the field. That can sometimes be lost in the evaluation of prospects at the next level and it seems like Bernard is wired to fit in well with the Eagles, both on and off the field.
“The world is gonna get the opportunity to know who he is. He’s super goofy, he loves to laugh and joke,” Gopie said. “He loves food. He loves music.”
“One of the things he told me was, right before we went to the showcase in D.C., he weighed in at 306 lbs. and I was like ‘bro, that’s phenomenal.’ 300 lbs., he was pre-testing at 4.5 and 40 reps on the bench”
“I was like ‘when this is all said and done, you’re probably going to gain a little more weight because we won’t be training you like a track athlete anymore, it’ll just be specifically football,’” Gopie recalled.
“He was like ‘no, no, no, I don’t want to get fat, I want to stay sexy,’ and I just thought that was hilarious.”
It was refreshing to hear Gopie talk about Bernard’s personality and it made me think of Jordan Mailata’s career in Philadelphia. Similar to Bernard, Mailata was completely new to American football when he was drafted by the Eagles. Yet he was able to overcome all of the hurdles that the journey threw at him because of his blend of an unbelievable work ethic and a fun-loving, positive attitude.
Based on our conversation with Gopie, it certainly seems like Bernard possesses all of those same important characteristics that helped Mailata develop into an All-Pro. While Gopie understands that Bernard has a long road ahead of him in the NFL, he praised Philadelphia’s selection and is excited to watch the 21-year-old grow with the Eagles.
“I don’t think Philly could’ve picked, chose or drafted a better guy,” Gopie said. “A guy who wanted this opportunity to be great more than him.”