This Story Proves How Insanely Focused Nick Foles Is On the Field

People already know that it is hard to win the Super Bowl. For a quarterback to accomplish that feat, they must be dialed in at all times. Able to handle the ebbs and flows of the game without losing their composure. Nick Foles proved he could do that when he led the Philadelphia Eagles over the mighty New England Patriots in 2017. Most people view that as the moment they realized he had the mindset necessary to win.

However, those people weren't paying attention. Anybody close to Foles knew he had it years prior. Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune recently dug into the quarterback's book “Believe It: My Journey of Success, Failure, and Overcoming the Odds.” In it, she uncovered a story about when he became a starter for the first time back in 2013.

One that details a horrific ordeal he had to go through.

"Foles had the season of his career, throwing 27 touchdown passes and just two interceptions in 10 starts. But while he was earning a Pro Bowl invitation on the field, Tori, then his girlfriend, became ill with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a blood flow disorder that was at times debilitating. Foles struggled with being away from her and wondered if playing football was what he was supposed to be doing.

Foles prayed before a Week 9 game against the Raiders for a sign he was on the right path — and courage if he was not. He threw for 406 yards and seven touchdowns in that game."

Nick Foles seems to get better when the stakes raise

Think about that. The love of his life is dealing with a rare and frightening disorder. One that can lead to severe injuries from impromptu fainting spells. At the same time, his team is 3-5 and staring at the possibility of early elimination from the playoff chase. Many quarterbacks would've crumbled under that kind of pressure. Foles tied the NFL record for touchdown passes in a game. Philadelphia won seven of their final eight games to reach the postseason.

People can say Foles isn't the most talented player. He's not always consistent and prolific like others. Yet nobody can say the moment is too big for him. Whenever his team has absolutely needed him to step up, he's done so. It happened in 2013, again in 2017, and again in 2018. It's amazing how many people are able to forget that because of some bad luck during one season in Jacksonville.

Such is the nature of the NFL.