Halapoulivaati Vaitai surveyed the rows of television cameras and reporters by his locker with amazement.
"It is different, I am not used to it and I am not used to the cameras all over me," the Eagles rookie said on the day he was announced as the team's new starter at right tackle. He will replace Lane Johnson, who is beginning his 10-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
Then, taking a deep breath, Vaitai added, "I have to get used to it now."
He sure does.
He has never appeared in an NFL game, but Vaitai was the center of attention Wednesday because coach Doug Pederson said he would start Sunday when the Eagles (3-1) visit the Washington Redskins (3-2).