BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Sean McDermott comes in from the stark sunshine of the practice field, and his fair skin nearly matches the close-cropped red bristles beneath his Philadelphia Eagles cap.

Bright from the heat of the day, the exertion of the morning’s training camp workout, and perhaps a little from the new spotlight as the team’s defensive coordinator, McDermott is 35 years old but could pass for younger.
Perhaps it is the juxtaposition of McDermott and the veteran he replaced, a wily silver fox named Jim Johnson, that makes the youthfulness stand out more. Perhaps it is the shock that suddenly one of the most important units on the field is in hands untested at this level.
If any of that bothered Andy Reid when he elevated McDermott, it didn’t show, and there might be a very good reason.
If you look at McDermott’s resume, it isn’t any more or less impressive than that of another young coach who took over the entire staff more than a decade ago.
McDermott knows he is following a legend and will be judged against that high standard. His preparation for the job included eight seasons on Johnson’s defensive staff, working his way up from being just another assistant in the bunch to being put in charge of, in order, the safeties, the linebackers, and, last season, the entire secondary.
He was the logical successor to Johnson, who died Tuesday of cancer, both in seniority and temperament. And Reid, another coach for whom ambition and drive are not an issue, could see himself in McDermott as well.
“He just gives you that confidence that he’s got it under control,” Reid said. “He works hard. He works extremely hard.”
It is the same work ethic and dedication that a 41-year-old Reid brought to his interview for the head coaching job in 1999, despite also bringing a coaching resume that was light on real responsibility. That’s where McDermott is now.
“You get your feet underneath you as an assistant coach and you look to take the next step,” McDermott said Saturday after the morning practice session. “(Then) your focus expands a little bit.”
McDermott absorbed Johnson’s main credo, of course — blitz the quarterback, put pressure on the quarterback — but he also earned the respect of the players he coached. That has helped ease the transition in this training camp, but it won’t carry over unless McDermott’s success walks in Johnson’s footsteps as well.
“I think he came in with the confidence of everyone,” said safety Quintin Mikell. “We know he’s a smart guy who works his butt off. He stays in the office. He has a mattress in there and puts in the work. That’s all you need.”
It’s not all you need. A little luck along the way doesn’t hurt, keeping the right players healthy, guessing the right way in the biggest situations. But when working for Reid, the blinders-on dedication to the job is a good place to start.
McDermott begins training camp with Jim Johnson’s defensive scheme, but over time it will be tweaked and twisted to his own philosophy. Some of that is dependent on his own personality and beliefs, but as much depends on the players under his control.
“Over the years, you come up with several (tweaks), and, quite honestly, you say, ’If I ever had the chance, this is what I’d do,’ “ McDermott said. “And then when you get your chance you might stray away from it because of the best interests of the team. The system is the system, but you always want to fit the system around the personnel, and it changes every year.”
McDermott and the defensive coaches have some decisions to make before the start of the regular season, but nothing that will shake either the earth or the roster.
Sheldon Brown is expected to stay ahead of Ellis Hobbs on the cornerback depth chart. Sean Jones will probably have to play behind both Quintin Demps and Mikell. The line and the linebackers will operate, at least at the beginning, as they did last season.
There will be the normal shuffling of players when injuries occur or when performance slacks off. Nothing that different from most seasons, and a fairly smooth entry for a new defensive coordinator.
With the exception of the defensive line, McDermott has worked closely with the players he will be ordering around, and that familiarity helps. If a 35-year-old came over from another organization, there would be a lengthy proving process. In this case, however, the groundwork has already been put down.
“I think he’s meticulous, and he’s detail-oriented, but at the same time he’s efficient. He’s not going to get caught up in the minutiae and slow the whole process down,” linebacker Stewart Bradley said. “Plus, Jim had faith in Sean, and if anyone had any doubts, that should put them to rest. That’s the biggest pat on the back you can get.”
For now, the transition is not only smooth, but quiet. McDermott watches the field carefully, injecting himself throughout practice with a word of praise here, a suggestion for improvement there. He takes it in and is letting the players make the judgments for him.
“That’s every play, every practice, every day all year long,” he said. “That’s the evaluation process, and you have to watch the film more than once.”
He is watching them, just as the legacy of Jim Johnson will be eventually handing down a grade on his results as the defensive coordinator. It is a big role for a young coach, even one who seems prepared for the task.
“Until you’ve done the job,” McDermott said, “you’ve never done the job.”
That’s what Andy Reid, another bristling redhead, said in 1999. It worked out for him. Sean McDermott can only hope this leap goes as well for him.