The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA - Hugh Douglas walked into the Philadelphia Eagles' locker room wearing large green gloves like The Incredible Hulk, joking and talking to no one in particular. Douglas' teammates looked at each other and laughed. They're used to his silly acts.

"He's an original," rookie cornerback Lito Sheppard said Thursday.

The 31-year-old Pro Bowl defensive end is fascinated by the Hulk, who was an ordinary guy named Dr. Bruce Banner until gamma rays transformed him into an action hero with superhuman powers.

Douglas has three of the Hulk's action figures on a shelf in his locker. He draws inspiration from the fictional character.

"He's an unstoppable force," Douglas said.

For opposing offensive linemen, Douglas sometimes is as unstoppable as the Hulk. He led the Eagles with 121/2 sacks this season, earning his third straight trip to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl.

"He's a dominant player," said Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson, who faces Douglas and the Eagles in the NFC championship game Sunday. "He changes the game from one side."

More than being Philadelphia's leader in sacks, Douglas is the Eagles' inspirational leader, always finding ways to motivate his teammates.

His favorite phrase is: "I believe." Douglas will repeat it 20 to 30 times before a game. He repeats everything he says, and rarely stays quiet. Once, Douglas annoyed coach Andy Reid so much with his constant yapping that he was banned from riding on the same team bus with him.

"He brings a lot of emotion and he's a guy that loves to play the game," Reid said. "He has a certain energy about him. I'm not sure how else to describe what he has. I don't know a lot of people that have what he has."

Douglas also has a tremendous work ethic. At 6-foot-2 and 280 pounds, Douglas is considered small for his position. He has relied on his quickness and determination to be successful. Once thought to be a liability against the run, Douglas worked hard to become a solid run-stopper. He's been one of the top rushers in the league since his rookie season.

A first-round pick out of Central State by the New York Jets in 1995, Douglas had 10 sacks in his first season and was the NFL's defensive rookie of the year. But after three years with the Jets, Douglas was traded to the Eagles for a pair of draft picks.

The Jets were 3-13 and 1-15 in Douglas' first two seasons in New York. The Eagles are in the NFC title game for the second consecutive year.

"I feel blessed," Douglas said.

His fellow linemates are thrilled to have him.

"He keeps me loose, he taught me not to stress on stuff," defensive tackle Darwin Walker said. "He always has a positive attitude about everything."

Douglas' positive outlook was most evident after star quarterback Donovan McNabb went down with a broken ankle in the 10th game of the season.

When the team returned to practice that week after learning McNabb probably would miss the rest of the regular season, many players turned to Douglas, wondering how he would handle the situation.

"Hugh was still himself, making jokes and guys were laughing," defensive end N.D. Kalu said. "It was good for me. I sat back and I said, 'Our star player went down and guys are still joking like we're still going to win the game.' So you had a sense that everyone was going to rally around each other and something good was going to happen."

The Eagles won their first five games without McNabb before losing the regular-season finale. Douglas, the heart of the defense, helped keep the team together.

"I don't know if we're the same team without Hugh," Pro Bowl cornerback Troy Vincent said. "He's a character."

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