1933 |
Frankford Yellowjackets' franchise in the NFL awarded to syndicate
headed by Bert Bell and Lud Wray for $2,500. Club named "Eagles in honor of the
symbol of the New Deal's National Recovery Act. Eagles and Chicago Bears play in
Philadelphia's first game on November 12 at Baker Bowl. |
1935 |
General Manager Bert Bell proposes an annual college draft to equalize
talent in the league. Proposal is adopted on May 19 for the 1936 season. |
1936 |
Eagles have first choice in the inaugural college draft and select Jay
Berwanger from University of Chicago. He was never signed. Bell becomes sole owner of the
Eagles with $4,00 bid. Playing site is changed from Baker Bowl to Municipal Stadium. |
1939 |
Davey O'Brien, from Texas Christian, signs with the Eagles for a
reported $12,000 per year salary and a percentage of the gate. |
1940 |
Eagles moved to Shibe Park (later known as Connie Mack Stadium) for
home games. Pittsburgh Steelers owner, Art Rooney, buys half interest in the Eagles after
selling the Steelers franchise to Alexis Thompson, heir to a six million dollar fortune in
steel stocks. |
1941 |
Bell and Rooney swap franchises with Thompson. The new owner hires Earl
(Greasy) Neale as the new head coach of the Eagles. |
1943 |
Eagles merge with he Steelers to form the "Stealges" because
of shortage of players due to World War II. Merger ends at completion of season. Team ends
with record of 5 wins, 4 losses and 1 tie for a third place finish. |
1944 |
Steve Van Buren, Eagles top pick in the draft, debuts as halfback. Team
finishes with a 7-1-2 record for second place finish. |
1945 |
Team finishes season with 7-3 record, but leads the league in offense.
Van Buran was the leading rusher in the NFL with 838 yards. He finishes with 110 points as
the NFL leading scorer. |
1946 |
Once again, the team finishes with 6-5 record for third straight
season. |
1947 |
Philadelphia Eagles go to the NFL Championship Game, but lose to the
Chicago Cardinals. It mark their first time in the Championship game. |
1948 |
Eagles win their first NFL Championship, by beating the Chicago
Cardinals, 7-0 in a blinding snowstorm. |
1949 |
Thompson sells the team to 100 buyers, each of whom paid $3,000 for one
of the 100 shares. They are called the "Happy Hundred" or the "100
Brothers". Their leader was James P. Clark, a Philadelphia sportsman and business
executive, and the 100 investors included Leonard Tose. Vince McNally is named general
manager. University of Pennsylvania All-American center-linebacker Chuck Bednarik is first
round draft choice of the Eagles. |
1950 |
Eagles win third straight Eastern Division title and defend their NFL
championship with a 14-0 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. This was the first time a team
won back-to-back championship with shutouts (and the only time to date). Team finishes
with overall record of 12-1. |
1951 |
Alvin (Bo) McMillan replaces Greasy Neale as head coach after a 6-6
season. McMillan becomes ill the night before the season opener and is replaced by Wayne
Milner. End-placekicker Bobby Watson is named rookie of the year. |
1952 |
Jim Trimble replaces Wayne Milner as head coach. Team rides strong
defense to 7-5 record and second place finish. |
1953 |
Bobby Thompson and Adrian Burk combine to pass for a league-high 3,089
yards. Pete Pihos catches 63 passes for 1,049 yards and 10 touchdowns to lead the league.
Eagles finish in second place and snap Cleveland's 11-game winning streak with 42-27 win
in season finale. |
1954 |
Bobby Walston leads league in scoring with 114 points. Eagles finish
with 7-4-1 record and another second place finish. |
1955 |
Pihos again leads all NFL receivers with 62 catches for 864 yards.
Joseph A. Donoghue, Eagles' vice president/secretary, is elected assistant treasurer of
the NFL. |
1956 |
Hugh Devore replaces Jim Trimble as head coach of the Eagles. |
1957 |
Rookie quarterback Sonny Jurgensen highlights a 4-8 season by passing
Eagles to a 17-7 upset of the NFL Eastern Division champion Cleveland Browns. |
1958 |
Buck Shaw signs as head coach replacing Hugh Devore. Eagles acquire
quarterback Norm Van Brocklin in trade with Los Angeles. Team moves home games from Connie
Mack Stadium to University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field and attendance almost doubles. |
1959 |
With Pete Retzlaff and Tommy McDonald his chief targets, Norm Van
Brocklin passes Eagles to 7-5 record and second place tie with the Cleveland Browns. |
1960 |
QB Norm Van Brocklin and Chuck Bednarik, who plays 60 minutes at center
and linebacker, pace the Eagles to their first Eastern Division title in 11 years. The
Birds then win their third NFL Championship wit a come-from-behind 17-13 victory over the
Green Bay Packers at Franklin Field. Van Brocklin, the league's MVP, and head coach Buck
Shaw both announce their retirements at the end of the season. |
1961 |
Nick Skorich replaces Buck Shaw as head coach and Sonny Jurgensen takes
over at quarterback. Despite Jurgensen's record-setting season as a passer and a 10-4
record, the Eagles fail to repeat as division champions. |
1962 |
Injuries in unprecedented numbers hit the Eagles as the team wins only
three games and falls to last place. |
1963 |
RB Timmy Brown sets a then NFL record for total offense (2, 436 yards;
841 rushing; 487 receiving, 11 passing, 945 kickoff returns, and 152 punt returns) in a
season. With the club's outstanding shares now held by 65 stockholders, club president
Frank L. McNamee said it would be put up for sale with an asking price of $4,500,000.
Jerry Wolman, a 36-year old builder and self-made millionaire from Washington outbid
Philadelphia businessman Jack Wolgin and became the new owner. The sale price was
$5,505,000. |
1964 |
Former Chicago Cardinals and Washington Redskins coach Joe Kuharich
signs as head coach and begins a series of major trades to rebuild the club. |
1966 |
After extensive roster changes, the Eagles finish 9-5 for their first
winning season in five years. |
1967 |
Quarterback Norm Snead and flanker Ben Hawkins set team passing and
receiving records, respectively, but injuries to other key players contribute to a
disappointing 6-7-1 record and a second place finish. |
1969 |
After Wolman's empire fell into serious financial trouble, a bankruptcy
referee in U.S. District Court in Baltimore oversees the team's sale to Leonard Tose, a
millionaire trucking executive. The price was a reported $16.1 million, at the time a
record price for a professional sports team. Tose names former Eagles' receiving great
Pete Retzlaff as general manager and Jerry Williams as head coach. |
1971 |
The Eagles leave Franklin Field for a new home at Veterans Stadium.
After three consecutive losses at the beginning of the season, assistant Ed Khayat
replaces Jerry Williams (who had led the club to only a 3-20-1 mark in 1970) as head
coach. |
1972 |
After a stormy 2-11-1 season, Tose accepts general manager Retzlaff's
resignation and releases the entire coaching staff. A bright spot, however, is Harold
jackson who leads the NFL in receptions and receiving yards (62-1,048). |
1973 |
Under new coach Mike McCormick and new quarterback Roman Gabriel, the
Eagles have an exciting offensive season but can muster only a 5-8-1 record. In his first
year as a full-time receiver, Harold Carmichael becomes the second consecutive Eagle to
lead the NFL in receptions (67). |
1974 |
Under newly appointed general manager Jim Murray, the Eagles trade with
Cincinnati and acquire LB Bill Bergey. Bergey bolsters the defense and wins Pro Bowl
honors along with Charlie Young, who becomes the third consecutive Eagle to lead the
league in pass receptions (63). |
1976 |
After a 4-10 season in 1975, Tose appoints 39-year old Dick Vermeil of
UCLA as head coach but the Birds again earn a 4-10 mark. Bergey wins All--NFC and Pro Bowl
recognition. |
1977 |
QB Ron Jaworski is obtained from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for
the rights to TE Charlie Young. Bill Bergey, keying the newly-installed 3-4 defense of
coordinator Marion Campbell, wins all-pro and all-conference honors and is selected to
play in his third Pro Bowl. The Birds show improvement on the field but earn only one more
victory than the previous season. |
1978 |
The Eagles post a 9-7 record, their first winning season since 1966,
and make the playoffs for the first time since 1960. They lose the NFC Wild Card playoff
game in Atlanta, however, 14-13 as the Falcons score two 4th quarter TDs and Eagles Mike
Michel misses a 34-yard FG try with 1:34 to play. Wilbert Montgomery, in his first
starting season, rushes for 1,220 yards to become the first Eagle since Steve Van Buren to
surpass 1,000 in a season. CB Herman Edwards provided the "Miracle of the
Meadowlands" when he scooped up a fumbled handoff from Joe Pisarcik to Larry Csonka
and raced 26 yards for the winning touchdown with 20 seconds left to play before a stunned
Giants Stadium crowd of 70,318. |
1979 |
With an 11-5 regular season record--their best since 1961--the Eagles
tie Dallas for first place in the NFC East and go to the playoffs as a wild card team.
After beating Chicago, 27-27, in the Wild Card Game, the Birds are upset at Tampa Bay,
24-17 in a divisional playoff round. Wilbert Montgomery sets a club record with 1,512
rushing yards, and Harold Carmichael sets a then NFL record on Nov. 4, catching a pass in
his 106th consecutive game. Rookie barefoot kicker Tony Franklin boots the second longest
FG in NFL history--59 yards--in a 31-21 win at Dallas. Dick Vermeil is voted NFL Coach of
the Year. |
1980 |
The Eagles win 11 of their first 12 games and go on to a 12-4 mark and
the NFC East championship. The Birds trounce Minnesota 31-16, in the divisional playoff
round and then upend Dallas, 20-7 at Veterans Stadium, to win the NFC title and a berth in
Super Bowl XV. The Oakland Raiders prevail in that game, however, 27-10. Ron Jaworski
leads the NFC with a 90.9 passing rating while throwing for 3,527 yards and 27 touchdowns.
His is named NFL Player of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club and NFC Player of the
Year by UPI. Harold Carmichael's then-record NFL receiving streak is snapped at 127 games
when he fails to catch a pass in the regular season finale at Dallas after sustaining a
back injury in the first half. |
1981 |
After building a 6-0 record early in the season, the Birds struggle in
their final eight games, post a 10-6 record and appear in the playoffs for the fourth
consecutive year, but are upset at home in the NFC Wild Card Game by the NY Giants, 27-21.
The Birds' defense ranks first in the NFL in fewest yards allowed (4,447) and fewest
points allowed (221). On offense, Harold Carmichael enjoys the third 1,000-yard receiving
year of his career and Wilbert Montgomery rushes for 1,402 yards. |
1982 |
An NFL players' strike takes place after two games and stops play for
eight weeks. When play resumes on November 21, the long layoff hurts the Eagles. After
splitting the first two games of the season, the Birds come back from the strike to lose
four in a row and miss the playoff for the first time since 1977. A 24-20 Eagles victory
at Dallas on December 26 is the last victory in the Philadelphia career of head coach Dick
Vermeil, who resigns shortly following the season after sompiling a 56-51-0 overall
record. |
1983 |
Marion Campbell replaces Dick Vermeil as head coach after six seasons
as the defensive coordinator. Owner and president Leonard Tose announces in January that
his daughter, Susan Fletcher, the Eagles vice president and legal counsel, would
eventually succeed him as primary owner of the Eagles. After winning four of their first 6
games, the Eagles become mired in a seven-game losing streak and finish with a 5-11
record. The Birds' offense is highlighted by first-team all-pro and AFC-NFC Pro Bowl
selection Mike Quick, who leads the league and sets club records with 1,409 yards
receiving on 69 catches. |
1984 |
After a 1-4 start, the Eagles post a 5-5-1 record of their final 11
games. Philadelphia's swarming defense sets a then club record of 60 quarterback sacks and
is the catalyst for the team's improved play. Wilbert Montgomery establishes the Eagles'
career rushing record for yards (6,538) and attempts (1,465) surpassing Steve Van Buren
from 1944-1951. Kicker Paul McFadden establishes an Eagles' season scoring record with 116
points (tops among rookies), surpassing Bobby Walston's 30-year mark of 114, and is named
NFC Rookie of the Year. Ron Jaworski suffers a broken leg at St. Louis in week 13,
snapping his streak of 116 consecutive starts (believed to be an all-time record for NFL
quarterbacks). Mike Quick is selected to the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl for the second straight
year. |
1985 |
On March 12, Leonard Tose, the Eagles owner since 1969, announces an
agreement to sell the team to Norman Braman and Ed Leibowitz, highly successful automobile
dealers from Florida for a reported $65 million. After obtaining the approval of the other
NFL owners and fulfilling the terms of the transaction, Braham officially becomes the
Eagles' new owner on April 29. That same day, Braham elevates Harry Gamble, general
manager since February 4, to vice president-general manager overseeing day-to-day
operations of the club. All-time Eagles rushing leader Wilbert Montgomery does not report
to camp and is traded to Detriot for LB Garry Cobb in the preseason. The Eagles again
overcome a 1-4 start, but falloff the pace and finish 7-9. Head coach Marion Campbell is
released on December 16, and Fred Bruney takes over as interim head coach for the final
game at Minnesota. Mike Quick, who catches 71 passes to break his own club season record,
and Wes Hopkins represent Philadelphia in the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl. |
1986 |
Buddy Ryan, defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears' Super Bowl XX
Champions, is named the 17th head coach in Eagles history on January 29. On July 16,
Norman Braham becomes the sole owner of the team, purchasing the remaining 35 percent from
his brother-in-law Ed Leibowitz. Harry Gamble is promoted to president-chief operating
officer. Ryan makes sweeping changes in the Eagles; roster, keeping young players and
releasing several veterans. The youthful Birds struggle to a 5-10-1 record against the
toughest schedule in the league. The Birds place two players on the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl
roster: WR Mike Quick and DE Reggie White. White ties a Pro Bowl record with 4 sacks and
is named MVP of the game. |
1987 |
In March, Ron Jaworski, who set nearly every club passing record
</FONT>from 1977-1986, is put on waivers after the club decides not to guarantee his
contract. The Eagles split their first two games of the season before the NFL was beset by
a players strike. After all games of Week 3 were cancelled, the NFL resumed play with
replacement teams for the next three weeks. The Birds' replacement team goes 0-3 and sets
the stage for a surge by the regular players when they return to work. Philadelphia's
regulars proceed to win three straight after the strike and move into a tie for 2nd place
in the NFC East. They go on to finish 7-8 overall (7-5 in non-strike games) and due to a
tie-breaking system, rank 4th in the NFC East behind Dallas and St. Louis who also posted
7-8 marks. Offensively, WR Mike Quick earns his fifth consecutive trip to the AFC-NFC Pro
Bowl while QB Randall Cunningham (Pro Bowl 1st alternate) emerges as a rising talent.
Cunningham threw 23 TD passes and became the first QB to lead his team in rushing (505
yards) since the Bears' Bobby Douglas did so in 1972. The defense was led by DE Reggie
White, who was named the NFL's defensive player of the year. White's 21 sacks set an NFC
record and fall one shy of the NFL mark. |
1988 |
The Eagles' 1988 highlight film was appropriately titled "Living
on the Edge," as the Birds took a number of games down to the wire en route to a 10-6
record and the NFC Eastern division title. Under third-year head coach Buddy Ryan, the
Eagles post the NFL's best mark (6-1) over the final seven weeks of the regular season.
But their playoff fate is not sealed until moments after the conclusion of their 23-7
victory at Dallas in week 16. It is then that N.Y. Jets' QB Ken O'Brien throws a TD pass
to Al Toon to defeat the Giants and ensure the division title for the Eagles. Philadelphia
then travels to Chicago for an NFC divisional playoff game against the Bears and a place
in NFL history. The game, which begins in sunny, 29 degree weather, would later be dubbed
"The Fog Bowl," after a thick fog rolls off Lake Michigan late in the 2nd
quarter. Due to the fog, visibility on the playing field was extremely difficult and the
Bears prevail, 20-12. The shining season included the selection of QB Randall Cunningham,
DE Reggie White and TE Keith Jackson as starters in the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl. Cunningham, who
sets a number of Eagles' single-season passing records and leads the club in rushing for
the second straight season, earns Pro Bowl MVP honors. He also wins the Maxwell Football
Club's Bert Bell Award as the NFL's top player. White leads the NFL in sacks for the
second consecutive year and Jackson sets an Eagles' receiving record with 81 catches en
route to earning rookie of the year honors from The Sporting News. |
1989 |
The Eagles used an aggressive, ball-hungry defense -- which led the NFL
in takeaways (56) and interceptions (30), and set a team record with 62 QB sacks -- to
improve their regular season record to 11-5. Philadelphia, however, finished second to the
Giants in the NFC East (despite two victories in head-to-head competition) and faced the
LA Rams in the Wild Card playoff. Although playing a post-season game at Veterans Stadium
for the first time since 1981, the Birds fell 21-7. QB Randall Cunningham posted similar
numbers to his superb '88 campaign despite missing receivers Mike Quick and Keith Jackson
for most of the season due to injuries. A deeper loss came on December 9, when quarterback
coach Doug Scovil passed away. The second alternate to the Pro Bowl, Cunningham started
for the NFC squad when injuries kept the other QBs from participating. He was joined by
Reggie White, Eric Allen (who led the NFC in interceptions with 8), and Jackson. |
1990 |
In February, Buddy Ryan hired Rich Kotite as offensive coordinator to
improve the Eagles' sluggish attack. At season's end, the offense led the NFL in rushing
(2,556) and time of possession (33:19) and the NFC in scoring (396) and TD passes (34). On
the other side of the ball the defense led the NFL in stopping the run (1, 169), thereby
making the Birds the first team to lead the league in both rushing categories since
Chicago did so in 1985. A 10-6 record put Philadelphia in the playoffs once again, but the
Eagles suffered their third opening round defeat in as many seasons. The 20-6 Wild Card
Game loss to Washington signaled an end to the five-year Ryan era. On January 8, 1991,
owner Norman Braman announced that Ryan would not be offered a new contract. On the same
day, he elevated Kotite to the head coaching position noting that it was time for the
Eagles "to reach the next plateau." Under Kotite, QB Randall Cunningham
flourished with an NFC-leading 30 TD passes, 942 rushing yards, and a selection to the Pro
Bowl while rookie WRs Calvin Williams and Fred Barnett combined to make 17 TD receptions.
TE Keith Jackson, DE Reggie White, and DT Jerome Brown also earned Pro Bowl berths but RB
Keith Byars, who tied a team record with 81 receptions and also threw 4 TD passes, was
overlooked. |
1991 |
On January 8th, team owner Norman Braman opted not to renew the
contract of Buddy Ryan, the Eagles' head coach since 1986. On the same day, Braman
promoted then-offensive coordinator Rich Kotite to the vacant position, thus making him
the 18th had coach in club history. When the Season began, the Eagles opened with a 3-1
mark, their best start since 1981, despite having lost quarterback Randall Cunningham for
the year due to a knee injury suffered at Green Bay on opening day. But after coming on to
lead the Eagles to their solid start, backup QB Jim McMahon was also injured in game 5.
With McMahon sidelined for nearly three straight games, the Birds suffered through a
four-game losing streak. By midseason, Philadelphia had used five quarterbacks in eight
games and seen its record sink to 3-5. The Eagles regrouped, however, and surged into
contention for a playoff spot with a six-game winning streak (the club's longest since the
start of '81) that upped their record to 9-5. And while a loss at home to Dallas in game
15 ended Philadelphia's remarkable run for the playoffs, the Birds finished the season
with a stirring come-from-behind, 24-22 victory over the eventual Super Bowl champion
Redskins. With a record of 10-6, the Eagles finished third in the NFC East behind
Washington and Dallas and joined the 49ers as the only NFL clubs to post 10 -or-more wins
in each of the last four years. And despite missing the playoffs for the first time in
four years, Philadelphia proved to be one of the NFL's hottest clubs, winning seven of its
last eight games. Said Braman of Kotite's ability to rally the Birds in the second half of
the season despite all the injuries at quarterback, "Richie has been a great leader.
He kept the team together when everybody had written us off." Another catalyst during
this stretch run was a defensive unit that finished the season ranked number one in the
NFL in terms of fewest yards allowed overall, vs. the run, and vs. the pass. As such, the
Birds became only the fifth club in NFL history and the first since 1975 to accomplish
this rare triple. In addition, the Eagles' defense led the NFL in quarterback sacks and
fumble recoveries, and tied New Orleans for the league lead in overall takeaways. Five
members of that defensive unit represented the Eagles in the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl - DEs Reggie
White and Clyde Simmons, DT Jerome Brown, and LB Seth Joyner were selected as starters
while CB Eric Allen also made the NFC squad. The selection of White, Simmons, and Brown
marked only the sixth time in NFL history that three defensive linemen from one team were
elected to the Pro Bowl. The offense was led by WR Fred Barnett (62-948-4TDs receiving),
multi-talented RB Keith Byars (62 receptions and 383 rushing yards), and QBs Jim McMahon
and Jeff Kemp. McMahon was 8-3 as a starter after taking over for Cunningham; Kemp came on
in relief of an injured McMahon three times and twice led the Birds to comeback victories
while also compiling a 1-1 mark as a starter in the final two games. |
1992 |
The Eagles were dealt the cruelest of blows before the '92 season even
began when all-pro defensive tackle Jerome Brown was killed in an automobile accident on
June 25th in his hometown of Brooksville, FL. The tragedy overshadowed the promise of the
upcoming season which included the return of QB Randall Cunningham - out almost the entire
'91 season with a knee injury - as well as the addition of RB Herschel Walker whom the
Eagles acquired as a free agent just three days before Brown's death. A team that had gone
through five different quarterbacks in the first eight games of '91 again began the season
facing adversity. The Birds, however, got out of the blocks quickly in their second season
under head coach Rich Kotite, as they opened with 4 straight wins. Keys to that success
were Walker, who topped the 100-yard rushing mark in each of the first two games and
Cunningham, the NFC's offensive player of the month for September. Midway through the
season, however, the offense struggled and the defense suffered several key injuries,
particularly to starting safeties Andre Waters, who broke his leg in game five, and Wes
Hopkins, who was bothered by a recurring knee injury for most of the season's second half.
Despite these obstacles, the Birds finished second in the NFC East with an 11-5 regular
season record. In addition, the team returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence and
earned a Wild Card victory over the Saints in New Orleans before dropping the Divisional
Playoff to the eventual Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys. The win over the Saints was
the team's first postseason victory since 1981 and its first road playoff conquest since
1949. Offensively, Walker became only the fourth Eagle ever to top 1,000 rushing yards in
a season and the first since Earnest Jackson did it in '85. While the defense slipped from
its '91 number one ranking across the board, DEs Reggie White and Clyde Simmons and CB
Eric Allen each earned Pro Bowl berths as did WR Fred Barnett. Off the field in '93, a
September 24th ruling by U.S. District Judge David Doty paved the way for free agency in
the NFL by finding the league's "Plan B" policy in violation of federal
antitrust laws and provided the four plaintiffs in the suit with an opportunity to sign
with another club. Among those four was Eagles TE Keith Jackson, who four days later inked
a deal with the Miami Dolphins. |
1993 |
In January, lawyers for the NFL and the Players Association reached
agreement on a Collective Bargaining Agreement, a seven-year deal that would institute a
form of limited free agency to replace the "Plan B" system. The most prominent
NFL player affected by the settlement was the Eagles' all-time sack leader Reggie White,
who went on to sign with the Green Bay Packers on April 5th. On the field, the Eagles'
injury-riddled, roller-coaster 1993 campaign produced an 8-8 record. Despite injuries to
key personnel throughout the season, head coach Rich Kotite kept his troops playing hard
right through their overtime victory over the playoff-bound 49ers at San Francisco in the
season finale. After a flying start in which the Birds jumped out to a 4-0 record on the
strength of three consecutive dramatic come-from-behind wins, season-ending injuries to QB
Randall Cunningham, Pro Bowl WR Fred Barnett and others were followed by a six-game losing
streak. Despite suffering their worst skid since 1983, the resilient Eagles bounced back
behind the fine play of backup QB Bubbly Brisker to win 4 of their final 6 contests -- a
stretch that kept them in the playoff hunt until the final week of the season. Despite
having been dealt the league's most difficult schedule (in terms of opponent's '92
records), and despite the rash of injuries, the Eagles were in nearly every game,
including the three against the Super Bowl XL foes - Dallas twice and Buffalo once - in
which they had opportunities to win in the final quarter. The Birds were represented at
the Pro Bowl in Hawaii by CB Eric Allen and LB Seth Joyner. |
1994 |
A new chapter in Philadelphia Eagle history began on April 6th as
Norman Braman, the Birds' owner since 1985, reached an agreement in principle to sell the
franchise to Boston native and Hollywood-based movie producer Jeffrey Lure. Once NFL
owners voted to approve the sale on May 6th, Lure officially took over the club on May 17.
Not only were there new faces in the front office, there were many new faces on the field
as well as the Eagles, particularly the defense, sported many veteran acquisitions such as
DEs William Fuller, Burt Grossman, and Greg Townsend, safeties Greg Jackson and Michael
Zordich, LB Bill Romanowski, and K Eddie Murray. Despite losing the season opener to the
Giants, the new-look Birds bounced back to soar through the first half of the season,
winning 7 of their next 8 contests, including a 40-8 thumping of the eventual Super Bowl
champion San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park. However, the club went on to drop their
last 7 games, finishing 7-9 and out of the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Two
days after the season finale, Rich Kotite's 4-year reign as head coach of the Birds ended
when he was relieved of his duties. Despite the dismal ending to a one-time promising
campaign, several Eagles provided memorable performances throughout the year. RB Herschel
Walker etched his name into the NFL record books as he became the first player in the
75-year history of the league to record a 90-plus yard run, reception, and kickoff return
in a single season. To appreciate the uniqueness of this feat, note that only one other
player - Hall-of-Farmer Bobby Mitchell - had previously recorded that trifecta in a
career. With back-to-back 100-plus yd. rushing performances at SF and vs. Wash, rookie RB
Charlie Garner became only the 7th back in NFL history to eclipse the 100-yard rushing
mark in his first two contests. Fuller, a free agent acquisition from Houston, notched at
least one sack in 7 straight games and subsequently broke the club record of 6 consecutive
games shared by Reggie White and Clyde Simmons. Fuller and CB Eric Allen represented the
Eagles in the Pro Bowl. |
1995 |
Perhaps the biggest personnel move of the year came long before the
season ever started. That move came on February 2, 1995, when owner Jeffrey Lurie named
Ray Rhodes as the 19th head coach in team history. Eleven months and a playoff victory
later, that decision resulted in numerous NFL coach of the year honors for Rhodes. In just
his first season at the helm, the former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator battled
through major roster turnover, a slew of injuries to key personnel, an early season QB
change, and a sluggish 1-3 start to put the Eagles back on the winning track. Following
that 1-3 start, Rodney Peete took over at QB for Randall Cunningham and the Birds rode the
legs of running backs Ricky Watters and Charlie Garner to 9 wins in their final 12 games.
Philadelphia's defense also chipped in with 48 sacks (second best in the league). The
result was a 10-6 record and a spot in the playoffs as the NFC's top Wild Card team.
Watters, one of the NFL's most prominent free agent acquisitions of the year (he left the
49ers for the Eagles on 3/25/95), combined with Garner to give Philadelphia the league's
fourth best rushing attack. Individually, Watters was sixth in the league in rushing with
a career-high 1,273 yards and 11 TDs while the lightning quick Garner added 588 yards and
6 TDs. In games 14-15, the Eagles knocked off division rivals Dallas and Arizona to clinch
the club's first playoff berth since 1992. In the postseason, the Eagles routed the
favored Detroit Lions, 58-37, in a Wild Card game, putting their name firmly in the NFL's
postseason record books as they mounted a 51-7 lead and coasted to victory. Philadelphia's
season, however, came to a close eight days later as they bowed out to the eventual Super
Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys, 30-11, at Texas Stadium. At season's end, Watters, DE
William Fuller (an NFC-high 13 sacks), and LB William Thomas (whose 7 interceptions were
the most by an NFL linebacker since 1983) represented the Eagles in the Pro Bowl. DT Andy
Harmon and a pair of rookies, CB Bobby Taylor and punter Tom Hutton, also received
numerous honors. Off the field, team owner Jeffrey Lurie and his wife, Christina, oversaw
the formation of Eagles Youth Partnership (EYP). The charitable wing of the Eagles, EYP
was formed in order to improve the quality of life and enhance opportunities for children
in the greater Philadelphia region through education and health partnerships. |
1996 |
The 1996 season marked the second consecutive year in which the Eagles
compiled a 10-6 regular season record and earned a Wild Card playoff berth. As such, Ray
Rhodes became the first coach to lead the Eagles into the playoffs in each of his first
two seasons at the helm. Philadelphia's playoff dance did not last long, however, as the
Eagles fell to the host San Francisco 49ers, 14-0, in rain drenched 3Com Park. For the
third time in six seasons, the Eagles lost their starting quarterback to injury early in
the regular season. Rodney Peete, who had led Philadelphia to 12 wins in 17 starts as an
Eagle (including a 3-1 mark to open the '96 campaign), ruptured a tendon in his right knee
vs. Dallas on 9/30. Rhodes then turned to Ty Detmer, the former Green Bay Packers and 1990
Heisman Trophy winner, who had joined the Eagles in the spring as a free agent. Detmer,
who subsequently became a starter for the first time since his days at Brigham Young
University, immediately led the Birds to four straight victories and went on to rank 4th
among NFC passers while teaming with WR Irving Fryar and RB Ricky Watters to fuel the
conference's #1 offense (351.7 yds./gm). Fryar, one of the league's best free agent
acquisitions in 1996, had the most productive campaign of his 13-year career, recording
career highs in TDs (11) and receptions (a team-record 88). Fryar also tied a Birds'
single-game record with four TDs vs. Miami on 10/20. Watters earned his fifth consecutive
trip to the JPro Bowl - his second as an Eagle - with personal bests in rushing attempts
(353), rushing yards (1,411), TDs (13), and total yards from scrimmage (1,855). He
finished first in the league in total yards from scrimmage, carries and touches (404
combined carries and receptions) while also ranking 2nd in the NFC/4th in the NFL in
rushing yardage. Other Eagles making a big impact on offense included 2nd-year WR Chris T.
Jones (70-859-5TDs), rookie TE Jason Dunn (22.1 yds/catch average), and FB Kevin Turner,
who rebounded from a 1995 knee injury to grab 43 passes. Philadelphia's defense ranked 3rh
in the NFC and 5th in the NFL, allowing an average of only 284.0/yars/game. Thide rankings
were accomplished without the services of DT Andy Harmon (11 sacks in 1995), who was
sidelined for all but two games due to a knee injury. LDE William Fuller again led the
Birds with 13 sacks and earned his 3rd straight trip to the Pro Bowl. Fuller's 13 sacks
were the most by an NFC lineman and fourth best in the NFL. Also earning a Pro Bowl berth
was RLB William Thomas, who registered 3 interceptins and 5.5 sacks. He was the leader of
a young linebacking corp that included MLB James Willis, whose interception in the end
zone in the final moments of game nine at Dallas sealed the Birds' first win at Texas
Stadium since 1991. Willis theft off Dallas' QB Troy Aikman and subsequent lateral to CB
Troy Vincent resulted in a 104-yard TD return, the longest in NFL history. Prior to the
season, the Birds had once again been one of the NFL's most aggressive teams in terms of
free agency. The signing of Troy Vincent from Miami, along with that of Watters from San
Francisco the previous year, made Philadelphia the only team to land another club's
"transition" free agent in 1995 and 1996. In addition, the Eagles' solid
drafting contirbuted heavily to a starting lineup that boasted seven starters from the
last two drafts, including a pair of 1996 first team All-Rookie picks - Dunn and FS Brian
Dawkins - as well as RCB Bobby Taylor, who was similarly honored in 1995. |
1997 |
This season has been marred with erratic play, switching of the
starting quarterback a few times, and legal troubles for several players on the team. The
season started with a 1-3 record, before the Eagles played their best game of the season
against the Redskins. The legal troubles started with their 2nd round draft pick, James
Darling, who was arrested and tried in court. Mike Mamula added his name to the legal
problems during preseason training. Newly acquired free agent C Steve Everett found
himself in a bind with a DWI and drug pariphanela charges. One the brighter side of things
for the Eagles has been the play of rookie free agent TE Chad Lewis. The highlight of the
season for him was the TD pass from Peete that provide the winning score in the game
against the Cowboys at Veterans Stadium. During the season, the starting quarterback was
changed 3 times. The season opened with Ty Detmer as QB for the first 6 games of the
season. He was then replaced for the next 3 games by Peete, and then Detmer was again the
starter. Injuries have plagued the Eagles during the season, particularly on the offensive
line. |
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