After nearly retiring, Eagles QB Nick Foles found his love for football again

"I remember looking up at the stands and looking at her, and I was like, 'God, if this is all I ever get to do, and I play varsity football and am the starting quarterback at Westlake High School, this is far greater than everything I thought I'd ever do,' " Foles said.

Years later, that passion for the game was gone. Just 26 years old and two years removed from one of the greatest statistical seasons in NFL history, Foles was ready to call it a career. He had suffered injuries, gone through a trade from Philadelphia, the team that drafted him, and lost his starting job.

After negotiating a release from the Rams following the 2015 season, Foles realized he no longer loved football, to the point where he wouldn't even pick up the pigskin.

"My heart at that time, it was probably going to step away from the game, but I knew I had to take a few days just to let all the emotions settle," he said. "It had nothing to do with starting or this or that, it really just had to do with my heart in that situation."

Foles went on a camping trip and did some fly fishing with his brother-in-law, Ryan. He discussed his feelings with his wife, Tori, and he turned to his faith for answers.

"I prayed and really just asked God for guidance," Foles said. "There wasn't a sure path, I just took a step in faith. I knew that I'd have more growth as a person going back to the game with knowing how I felt."

And, with heading back to football, Foles knew where he had to go. As a quarterback with recent success, Foles had options—including reported interest from the Vikings—but Foles chose Kansas City, where he would back up Alex Smith and reunite with Andy Reid, his first NFL coach in Philadelphia.

"I knew that if I went and played for him, he could find the joy," Foles said. "If I had joy in there, he'd bring it back out, and he sure did. That coaching staff did."

Foles calls that season in Kansas City one of his greatest football experiences, because he enjoyed it again. He wasn't bad on the field, either. He started one game for the Chiefs and played significant time in another. His stats: 36 for 55 passing for 410 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

After the season, again in free agency, Foles signed a two-year deal to return to Philadelphia, where he started his career.

"To come back to the Philadelphia Eagles, the team that drafted me, the team that I love, the city that I love and never wanted to leave, is really special," he said.

But Foles was signed to be the backup, the guy who helped in preparation all week and support Carson Wentz in his endeavors. That all changed when Wentz tore his ACL late in the season, pushing Foles back into a lead role.

His promotion by injury drew plenty of ire from media members. No way Philadelphia could succeed with Foles under center, never mind the fact that he'd succeeded before in Philadelphia and flashed his ability again in Kansas City.

But any criticism of Foles likely wasn't read by the quarterback anyway. He doesn't need reporters to tell him what he needs to do; his wife and his dad do enough of that.

There's been less and less of that media criticism of Foles with each passing week. The Eagles are 4-0 in games in which he played more than a half. Foles is having success again. But that's not why he's having fun.

"It's not necessarily the football experiences that have shaped me right now to have this mindset, it's the off-the-field stuff," Foles said. "Having a daughter, being married, having the more responsibilities. That's the stuff that shapes your heart, that shapes you, that changes the perspective of the game."

Foles starts each day by making coffee and pulling out his bible. He does his readings, then journals, saying that sets his heart on the right path each day. He's currently taking online seminary courses and says he might try to be a high school pastor after football.

Foles said he's come to realize football isn't about him, but his journey and the people he comes into contact with each day. He's learned that while he wants to play well at all times, even when you're not, you just have to keep plugging away. He loves the platform the sport has given him to talk to and work with others. He said he plays for the people who've helped shape him.

Foles said even if he wasn't the starter this weekend, he still would be enjoying the experience.

"Because I would be a part of the game of football," he said.

Foles answered a lot of questions about his future this week. He noted he's still under contract for one more season with Philadelphia, and said he's looking forward to helping Wentz work his way back to the MVP level the young quarterback was playing at prior to the injury. But that's not the role potential Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks usually play the next season.

It would surprise no one if other teams try to trade for Foles to make him their quarterback of the future. But, right now, that's the last thing on his mind. He's too busy enjoying football, and the position it's put him in.

"We'll worry about that if that time comes," Foles said. "I'm just grateful to be in this position with this team."