Eagles QB Kevin Kolb has been handed the reins of the the Philly offense, now that longtime fixture Donovan McNabb has been sent packing off to the Redskins.  You’d think that would be a tremendous amount of pressure on young Kolb, especially with the quick-tempered Eagles fanbase ready to jump down the kid’s throat the minute he screws up.

But Kevin Kolb is cut from a different cloth, and that’s an understatement.

Kolb is what we city slickers like to call an “outdoorsy type” of person, and by “outdoorsy” I mean he is quite the avid hunter.  How avid?  Let me put it this way–the man likes to hunt wild hogs, armed with only three things.

His dogs, a 12-inch Bowie knife, and his ginormous balls of steel.

Need more proof that Kolb is 100% pure American badass?  Listen to this retelling of a 17-year-old Kevin and his girlfriend (who later became his wife) and their encounter with a rattlesnake.

Via NFL Fanhouse…

The quarterback slipped off one of his boots – this is why real outdoorsmen wear them – attached it to the end of a stick that he picked from the ground and dangled it in front of the hissing western diamondback. The rattlesnake struck the boot. The boot danced and the snake struck again. And again. Nearly 10 times the snake attacked the boot. Until, finally, the snake recoiled and lay lifeless on the ground. What do you know? It worked. That show on the Discovery Channel reported that a rattlesnake will play dead when prey doesn’t fall victim to its spectacular bite.

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So the quarterback reached down and plucked the rattlesnake by its neck and held it out. With his other hand, he retrieved the .38 caliber handgun fastened to his hip and fired a round into the rattler’s head. He then used his favorite pocketknife to cut off the rattles. Thirteen of them!

FYI…the snake ended up being around 5-feet in length, which makes this story that much more impressive.

There you have it Eagles fans–while the jury may be out on Kolb’s quarterback prowess, the mere fact that he took down a rattlesnake with a boot, his wits, and yes, a handgun, should put to rest any questions about your new QB’s toughness.

Take pleasure in knowing you have the NFL’s version of Chuck Norris lining up under center this year.