Q. Welcome to Philly. Your cousin Talanoa was drafted today, and now you were selected by the Eagles. What does it feel like for your family, and have you talked to him since you were drafted?
MARLON TUIPULOTU: Not yet. Once I seen Talanoa get drafted I text him right away and gave my congrats to him and his family. He's up in Oregon and I'm in L.A., but excited for him and his opportunity, and then I'm excited to be an Eagle.
Q. Welcome to Philadelphia. Curious how much contact you had with the Eagles in the pre-draft process and how much interest they showed.
MARLON TUIPULOTU: Yeah, talked to them a few times. Met them at the senior bowl and spoke with them there. Talked to them on the phone with the D-line coach and spoke with the scouts, too.
So I was in contact with them a lot.
Q. How much do you know about the Eagles, their roster, and the guys up front, and how excited are you to get your career started here?
MARLON TUIPULOTU: Yeah, it's funny, my oldest brother he's a big Eagles fan, so every Sunday when he was watching the NFL he's always talking about his Eagles.
Just understanding them as a D-line, they have a pretty experienced and very talented D-line with Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave and Brandon Graham, so I'm just excited to go up there and learn from those guys pretty much.
Q. What were your expectations coming into the draft? Where did you see yourself going? What do you consider to be your biggest strengths? What can Philly expect out of you?
MARLON TUIPULOTU: Yeah, you always want to hold high expectations for yourself, but whatever happens, you can't control what you can't control. Excited to be an Eagle, and I feel like I can bring depth to the Eagles defensive line and I'm a solid run defender, strong hands, I'm violent, and excited to just learn from those other guys, too.
So just get my game better pretty much.
Q. You been starting now for a few years but really seemed to come on this past year. What was the reason for that?
MARLON TUIPULOTU: Just continuing to stay dedicated in quarantine. I know this was a crazy year this past year 2020, so just trying to say consistent with my training and things like that so once the season did happen I was ready.
So that's where I felt like I took the next step, and then just continuing to get better with my -- with USC and my coaches as well.
Q. What made you want to leave early?
MARLON TUIPULOTU: I don't know. I just felt like it was a decision that me and my -- that I had with myself -- speaking with the coaches and primarily with my family, we believe that that was the best thing to do.
Q. Is it true you didn't start playing football until high school? And if so, what kind of sports did you play growing up?
MARLON TUIPULOTU: Yeah, so growing up I played like just go to the park and play football and basketball and things like that, but didn't start competitively playing football until my freshman year.
Then started wrestling in high school as well. So those were the main two sports I was doing in high school.
Q. I was looking at draft reports and a lot of people thought you would go a couple rounds sooner. Why do you think that didn't happen? There was something about the teams had medical concerns or something. What do you make of that?
MARLON TUIPULOTU: Yeah, I mean, I guess everything happens for a reason. Excited to be an Eagle. I can only control can what I can control. Just blessed and thankful for the Eagles for giving me the opportunity.
So I'm just excited to get up there and get to work.
Q. Was there a medical issue that teams asked about?
MARLON TUIPULOTU: Yeah, that's something I just try to keep in private if that's okay.
Q. Okay. Welcome to Philadelphia. Wanted to ask about the senior bowl experience and how big an opportunity you felt that was to kind of put yourself on the map and go up against some of the better guys in the country and how much you think you helped yourself with that performance?
MARLON TUIPULOTU: Yeah, I was blessed to get the invitation, so I just wanted to go up there and be a sponge with the NFL team, just trying to see what it was like to get coached by an NFL football team, and then just trying to go out there and show my strengths and prove that I can compete with the best seniors in the country.
And I felt like I did well, so just trying to continue to keep working and put my head down until I get better.
Q. Coming in along with Milton Williams another defensive tackle, with Fletch and Javon Hargrave established, what it's like to come in and learn from those guys and maybe be able to take over as soon as next year or the year after?
MARLON TUIPULOTU: Yeah, I mean, I feel like this is an opportunity of a lifetime. You don't get to come into a thing like this where you have Fletcher Cox as your nose tackle and Javon Hargrave, so I'll just be excited to learn from those guys and continue to better my game.
Q. Just wanted to follow up on the wrestling question. What kind of wrestler were you and what did that teach you about playing defensive line?
MARLON TUIPULOTU: Yeah, it teaches a lot of things, just how to use your hands, how to use like the body to your advantage when you're wrestling another person, and leverage, things like that.
So definitely helped me with football. Honestly, that was the main reason I did want to wrestle was just to get better at football. I would've played basketball if I didn't do that.
Q. Do you know who Gable Steveson is?
MARLON TUIPULOTU: Yes, yes, sir I know who he is.
Q. Pretty good wrestler.
MARLON TUIPULOTU: For sure.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports