Eagles’ Mekhi Becton on his latest Lego build, still being able to dunk, and learning to cook like Gordon Ramsay
The Birds’ starting offensive lineman discussed some of his interests outside of sports and what he’s thankful for this holiday season.
On the latest episode of The Inquirer’s Eagles podcast, unCovering the Birds, offensive lineman Mekhi Becton Sr. joined host Jeff McLane ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday — and the team’s big win over the Ravens — to talk about some of his interests outside of football and the other activities he took part in growing up.
Here’s an excerpt from McLane’s “Pick Six” segment with Becton …
Q: I know you like building Legos. Was that a thing you did when you were young?
Becton: It was something I definitely did when I was young, and then it was almost like a lost art for me. I definitely was doing it as a kid growing up, and then I stopped. I need something I know I’m about to build, I can’t just build them off the rip. The last one I made — I had a friend help me as well — I made a Nintendo gaming set, the TV, with the controller too. I finished that, took me about two days.
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Q: Obviously your size is one of your defining characteristics, and I always wonder with someone as big as you are, when you were younger, how quickly did you grow out of clothes?
Becton: I grew out of clothes very quick. Sometimes I would tell my parents, like, “Yo, these clothes don’t fit,” and they would think that I’m not telling the truth. And I’m just like, “Look, I have highwaters on,” and stuff like that. I’ve always been a bigger kid. Going into my junior year, that’s when I hit my last big growth spurt.
Q: You were a gifted athlete in multiple sports, football, basketball. Can you still dunk now?
Becton: Yeah, I can still dunk now.
Q: Do you think you could have played in the NBA?
Becton: If I actually had the training, and the resources that I have for football, if I would have had them for basketball in Virginia, I think so. If I was able to get a shot, get a three-point shot, because that’s where the game is now, if I was to change up and become a small forward, get my handles right. I would have had to be a small forward. I definitely could have did it back then.
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Q: You love to cook, and I assume you get that from your mother, who is a caterer. What are some of her best dishes? And what do you now consider some of your best dishes?
Becton: My mom’s best dishes? She can make pretty much anything. Her mac and cheese is probably my favorite. She makes good spaghetti. She does a lot of things great. It’s really hard for me to have one favorite dish. For me, I’m in the process of trying to learn everything. I’ve been making risotto pretty good. I’ve nearly mastered that. I make this marry-me chicken, I’ve been pretty good at that. I’ve bought two cookbooks, so it’s just different things I’m trying to learn and master like I want to. I’ve got Gordon Ramsay’s cookbook as well. I want to make his famous beef Wellington, but I know I’m not going to have the time to do it during the season, because I looked at it yesterday. I need time to do it, so I’m going to have to do that in the offseason.
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Q: It’s almost Thanksgiving. What are you grateful for this year?
Becton: This whole locker room right here. They’re my brothers. I told them before, I wouldn’t be able to do half the things that I’m doing this year without them. I’m grateful for them, grateful for [coach Jeff Stoutland], everybody for believing in me. I could just say I’m grateful for this whole building for believing in me and welcoming me with open arms, like I wasn’t even a new person here, like I’ve been here my whole career.