A native of Nigeria, Bernard was a soccer and basketball player who had never even seen a game of American football until being discovered at a regional camp run by Osi Umenyiora. He entered the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) program class of 2026. He spent the last few years training in Africa and at the IPP facility in Florida, essentially learning the game from scratch through drills and film. The reason the Eagles took a flier on him, and why he was even on the radar, is that he put up athletic testing numbers that look like they were generated in a video game. At the IPP Pro Day in March, Bernard (who is 6'4" and 306 lbs) recorded: 40-Yard Dash: 4.63 seconds (a record for any player over 300 lbs). Vertical Jump: 39 inches. Broad Jump: 10'10". Body Fat: A reported 6%, which is practically unheard of for a defensive tackle. BTW: The Eagle's 1st Round draft pick, Makai Lemon (#20), a WR, is 5'11" / 194 lbs., and runs a 4.5 forty. ** Edited by VTVOICE at 4/27/2026, 11:44:18 AM