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Philadelphia Eagles

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Philadelphia Eagles
Current season
Philadelphia Eagles logo
Philadelphia Eagles logo
Logo
Established 1933
Play in Lincoln Financial Field
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Headquartered in the NovaCare Training Complex
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
League / conference affiliations
National Football League (1933–present)
  • Eastern Division (1933–49)
  • American Conference (1950–52)
  • Eastern Conference (1953–69)
    • Capitol Division (1967–69)
  • National Football Conference (1970–present)
Uniforms
File:NFCE-UNIFORM-PHI-V3.3.AUE.png
Team colorsMidnight Green, Black, Charcoal, Silver        
Fight songFly, Eagles Fly
MascotSwoop (changed from Blitz in 1988)
Personnel
Owner(s)Jeffrey Lurie
ChairmanJeffrey Lurie
CEOJeffrey Lurie
General managerHowie Roseman
PresidentDon Smolenski
Head coachChip Kelly
Team history
  • Philadelphia Eagles (1933–42)
  • Philadelphia-Pittsburgh "Steagles" (1943)
  • Philadelphia Eagles (1942–present)
Championships
League championships (3)
Conference championships (3)
  • NFL Eastern: 1960
  • NFC: 1980, 2004
Division championships (13)
  • NFL East: 1947, 1948, 1949, 1960
  • NFC East: 1980, 1988, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2013
Playoff appearances (26)
  • NFL: 1947, 1948, 1949, 1960, 1961, 1966, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013
Home fields

The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League. The Eagles have won three NFL titles and made two Super Bowl appearances, losing both (in 1980 to the Oakland Raiders and 2004 to the New England Patriots).

The club was established in 1933 as a replacement for the bankrupt Frankford Yellow Jackets when a group led by Bert Bell secured the rights to a NFL franchise in Philadelphia. Heretofore, Bell, Chuck Bednarik, Bob Brown, Reggie White, Steve Van Buren, Tommy McDonald, Greasy Neale, Pete Pihos, Sonny Jurgensen, and Norm Van Brocklin have been inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Franchise history

Further information: History of the Philadelphia Eagles

1931–60

Midway through the 1931 season, the Frankford Yellow Jackets went bankrupt and ceased operations.[1] After more than a year of searching for a suitable replacement, the NFL granted an expansion franchise to a syndicate headed by Bert Bell and Lud Wray and awarded them the assets of the failed Yellow Jackets organization. The Bell-Wray group had to pay an entry fee of $3,500 (equal to $50,088 today) and assumed a total debt of $11,000 that was owed to three other NFL franchises.[2] Drawing inspiration from the Blue Eagle insignia of the National Recovery Administration—the centerpiece of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal[2]—Bell and Wray named the new franchise the Philadelphia Eagles. Neither the Eagles nor the NFL officially regard the two franchises as the same, citing the aforementioned period of dormancy. Furthermore, almost no Yellow Jackets players were on the Eagles' first roster. The Eagles, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the now-defunct Cincinnati Reds, joined the NFL as expansion teams.

In 1937, the Eagles moved to Shibe Park and played their home games at the stadium through 1947, except for the 1941 season, which was played at Municipal Stadium, where they had played from 1936 to 1939. (Shibe Park was renamed Connie Mack Stadium in 1954.)

To accommodate football at Shibe Park during the winter, management set up stands in right field, parallel to Twentieth Street. Some twenty feet high, these "east stands" had twenty-two rows of seats. The goalposts stood along the first base line and in left field. The uncovered east stands enlarged capacity of Shibe Park to over thirty-nine thousand, but the Eagles rarely drew more than twenty-five to thirty thousand.[3]

The Eagles struggled over the course of their first decade, enduring repeated losing seasons. In 1943, when manpower shortages stemming from World War II made it impossible to fill the roster, the team merged with the Pittsburgh Steelers forming the "Phil-Pitt Eagles" and were known as the "Steagles." (The merger, never intended as a permanent arrangement, was dissolved at the end of the 1943 season.) By the late 1940s, head coach Earle "Greasy" Neale and running back Steve Van Buren led the team to three consecutive NFL Championship Games, winning two of them in 1948 and 1949. Those two championships mark the Eagles as the only NFL team ever to win back-to-back championships by shutouts, defeating the Chicago Cardinals, 7–0, in 1948—in a blizzard—and the Los Angeles Rams, 14–0, in 1949.

After the 1957 season, the Eagles moved from Connie Mack Stadium to Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania. Franklin Field would seat over 60,000 for the Eagles, whereas Connie Mack had a capacity of 39,000.[4] The stadium switched from grass to AstroTurf in 1969. It was the first NFL stadium to use artificial turf.

In 1960, the Eagles won their third NFL championship, under the leadership of future Pro Football Hall of Famers Norm Van Brocklin and Chuck Bednarik; the head coach was Buck Shaw. The 1960 Eagles, by a score of 17–13, became the only team to defeat Vince Lombardi and his Green Bay Packers in the playoffs.

1961–75

The Eagles had a good 1961 season and then fell on hard times in 1962. Jerry Wolman, after consulting his longtime friend Brandon Sturrock, bought the franchise in 1963 from the "Happy Hundred," a group of investors who owned the team from 1949–1963, for $5,505,000 (equal to $54,786,717 today).[4]

In 1969, Leonard Tose bought the Philadelphia Eagles from Wolman for $16,155,000[5] (equal to $134,224,301 today), then a record for a professional sports franchise. Tose's first official act was to fire Coach Joe Kuharich after a disappointing 24–41–1 record during his five-year reign. He followed this by naming former Eagles receiving great Pete Retzlaff as General Manager and Jerry Williams as coach.

With the merger of the NFL and AFL in 1970, the Eagles were placed in the NFC East Division with their archrivals the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins, and the Dallas Cowboys. Their heated rivalry with the Giants is the oldest of the NFC East rivalries, dating all the way back to 1933 and has been considered by writers in Philadelphia as one of the best rivalries in the NFL in the 21st century.[6][7]

1976–84

In 1976, Dick Vermeil was hired from UCLA to coach the Eagles, who had only one winning season from 1962–1975.[8] Starting in 1978, head coach Dick Vermeil and quarterback Ron Jaworski led the team to four consecutive playoff appearances.

Vermeil's 1980 team won their first NFC East title. They were matched up against their hated rival the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship game, which they won 20–7. However, the Eagles lost to the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XV in 1981. The following year, the Eagles were eliminated in the wildcard round at home against the New York Giants. In the aftermath of the disappointing and strike-shortened season of 1982, head coach Dick Vermeil resigned, claiming that he was "burned out". Vermeil was replaced by defensive coordinator Marion Campbell.

In January 1983, Tose announced that his daughter, Susan Fletcher, the Eagles' vice president and legal counsel, would eventually succeed him as primary owner of the Eagles. Then in 1984, rumors were circulating that Leonard Tose was thinking about moving the team to Phoenix, Arizona due to financial reasons.

1985–93

In 1985, Tose was forced to sell the Eagles to Norman Braman and Ed Leibowitz, highly successful automobile dealers from Florida, for a reported $65 million (equal to $184,139,851 today) to pay off his more than $25 million (equal to $70,823,020 today) in gambling debts at Atlantic City casinos.

Philadelphia football struggled through the Marion Campbell years of the mid-1980s and was marked by a malaise in fan participation. However, in the 1985 Supplemental draft, the Eagles acquired the rights to Memphis Showboats' elite pass rusher Reggie White. In 1986, the arrival of head coach Buddy Ryan and his fiery attitude rejuvenated team performance and ignited the fan base, but the Eagles failed to win a playoff game during Ryan's tenure. Possibly the worst of these losses was the so-called Fog Bowl in 1988 against the Chicago Bears, which happened to be Ryan's former team that he helped lead to a Super Bowl XX victory as defensive coordinator. Ryan was fired on January 7, 1991 after an upset home playoff loss to the Redskins. Offensive coordinator Rich Kotite was promoted to head coach three days later.

Kotite did lead the Eagles to one playoff victory against the New Orleans Saints during the 1992 season, yet his contract was not renewed after a disappointing 1994 season in which the Eagles went 7–9, losing their last seven games after starting the season 7–2. From 1988 to 1996, the Eagles qualified for the playoffs during 6 out of those 9 seasons, but they won the NFC East only once, in 1988. Among the team's offensive stars during that period were quarterback Randall Cunningham, tight end Keith Jackson, and running back Herschel Walker. But the "Gang Green" defense is possibly what defined the team, led by Reggie White, Jerome Brown, Clyde Simmons, Seth Joyner, Wes Hopkins, Mike Golic, Byron Evans, Eric Allen, Andre Waters and Mark McMillian.

Lurie era (1994–present)

Andy Reid speaks with Jeff Garcia in a game against the Redskins.

Jeffrey Lurie bought the Eagles on May 6, 1994 from then-owner Norman Braman for an estimated $185 million. The club is now estimated to be the 11th most valuable sports team, worth $1.12 billion, as valuated in 2011 by Forbes.[9]

In 1999, the Eagles hired head coach Andy Reid and drafted quarterback Donovan McNabb. From 1999 until 2004 the team continually improved, returning to the playoffs in 2000. Moreover, the Eagles played in four consecutive conference championship games between 2001 and 2004. After losing the conference championship in 2001 to the St. Louis Rams, in 2002 to the eventual Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers and in 2003 to the Carolina Panthers, the Eagles advanced to Super Bowl XXXIX at the end of the 2004 season, where they lost to the New England Patriots, 24–21. The Eagles have never won a title in the Super Bowl era.

The team took a step back in 2005 with a 6–10 record. In 2006, the team earned its fifth NFC East title under Coach Reid and in 2008, the team won their 500th game.[10]

On January 11, 2009, the team defeated the defending Super Bowl Champions and the 2008 NFC East champion New York Giants 23–11 en route to their 5th NFC Championship Game in 8 years and 5th in the 10 years the Eagles have been coached by Andy Reid. In the 2008 NFC Championship Game, the Eagles lost to the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 32–25. As of the conclusion of the 2012 season, during the Lurie era, the Eagles are 1–4 in conference championship games and 0–1 in Super Bowls.

On August 13, 2009, the Eagles signed quarterback Michael Vick.[11] On December 6, 2009, Andy Reid became only the 5th coach in NFL history to win 100 or more games with a single team in a single decade. The other four are Tom Landry, Don Shula, Tony Dungy, and Bill Belichick, all Super Bowl winners.[12] With a record of 11–5 in 2009, the Eagles landed the sixth seed for the NFC playoffs. In the wild-card playoffs, the Eagles played against the Dallas Cowboys for the second consecutive week and lost 34–14.

On April 4, 2010, the team traded long-time starting quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins in exchange for draft picks.[13] Kevin Kolb was immediately named the starter, but after suffering a concussion in week 1 against the Packers, Vick took over as the starter. Vick led the Eagles to its sixth NFC East division title in ten seasons. With a record of 10–6 the Eagles clinched the 3rd seed and had to play a wild-card playoff game. During the 2011 wild-card game, the Eagles faced off against the eventual Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers and lost 21–16.

The 2011 season for the Eagles was a major disappointment, as they only managed to finish 8–8 and did not qualify for the playoffs, although they did win the last 4 games of the season. Because of several free agent acquisitions, Vince Young, a back up quarterback, stated that the Eagles were a Dream Team. The Philadelphia fan base and faithful never did concur with the comment as some national outlets may comment. Many Eagles fans believe that Vince Young saying that the Eagles were a 'Dream Team' is the reason that the Eagles had such a horrible season.

Eagles fans had high expectations going into the 2012 season. The Eagles started off winning three out of their four first games, but that changed when they lost the next eight games, and were eliminated from the playoff hunt. They only won one out of their last four games. After a loss to the New York Giants on December 30, 2012, Andy Reid was fired after fourteen seasons with the team.[14] On January 16, 2013, the Eagles brought in University of Oregon head coach Chip Kelly to succeed Reid as head coach after a 4–12 season.[15]

The Philadelphia Eagles named Michael Vick starting quarterback going into the 2013 season with much promise running Chip Kelly's fast paced spread offense.

The 2013 season has proved more successful for the Eagles. A hamstring injury took Michael Vick out, but his backup, Nick Foles, led the team to a 10-6 regular season record, and its seventh NFC East division title in 13 seasons. Before throwing his first interception in Week 14, Foles threw 19 touchdowns, which was just one shy of the all time NFL record of consecutive touchdowns without an interception to start a season, set earlier in the season by Peyton Manning. Foles also tied Manning for most touchdown passes in a single-game with 7 against the Oakland Raiders which also made him the youngest player in history to throw that many touchdowns in a game. Foles finished the regular season with 27 touchdown passes and only 2 interceptions giving him the best TD-INTO ratio in NFL history. He also finished with a 119.0 passer rating, third highest in league history only behind Aaron Rodgers in 2011 and Peyton Manning in 2004. He was also only the second quarterback in NFL history to have a game in which he topped 400 passing yards and a perfect passer rating. LeSean McCoy finished his Pro Bowl season as the league's top rusher with 1,607 rushing yards (also a franchise record) and 2,146 total yards from scrimmage, also best in the NFL. As a whole, the Eagles offense scored 51 touchdowns, most in franchise history passing the previous season high set back in 1948.

Season-by-season records

Main article: List of Philadelphia Eagles seasons

Rivalries

Giants

Main article: Eagles–Giants rivalry

One of the NFL's oldest, this rivalry began on October 15, 1933 [16] when the Giants defeated the newly founded Eagles 56–0. The Giants lead the all-time series 83–75–2. Three of the most well known comebacks against the Giants are labeled as "Miracle In The Meadowlands – Herm Edwards", "Miracle In The Meadowlands II -Brian Westbrook" and "Miracle In The New Meadowlands – DeSean Jackson".

Cowboys

Main article: Cowboys–Eagles rivalry

Throughout the decades, the Cowboys have been one of the Eagles' biggest rivals. The Eagles won the first game in this rivalry 27–25 on September 30, 1960. Dallas leads the all-time series 61–47–0. It has been particularly noted for the strong level of hostility between the two teams' fan bases, with incidents such as the 1989 Bounty Bowls.

Redskins

Main article: Eagles-Redskins rivalry

Not as big as the rivalries between the Giants and Cowboys, the Washington Redskins are still in the NFC East division with the Eagles. The rivalry started in 1934 when the Washington Redskins were first known as the Boston Redskins. The Redskins defeated the Eagles 6 to 0. The Redskins lead the all-time series 81–72–5.

Steelers

The Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers are both located in Pennsylvania and began play in 1933. From that season, through 1966, this was a major rivalry for both teams as both were part of the same division. In 1967, they were placed in separate divisions but remained in the same conference for three years. Finally, in 1970, the Steelers (along with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Colts) moved to the American Football Conference while the Eagles stayed with the rest of the old-line NFL teams in the National Football Conference. As a result, the Eagles and Steelers no longer played every year. Currently they are scheduled to meet once every four years in the regular season, with the next meeting in 2016. The Eagles lead the all-time series 47–28–3.

Logo and uniforms

For several decades, the Eagles' colors were kelly green, silver, and white. Since the 1950s, the club's helmets have featured eagle wings, originally silver on a kelly green helmet. In 1969, the team wore two helmet versions: Kelly green with white wings in road games, and white with kelly green wings at home. From 1970 to '73, they wore the white helmets with Kelly green wings exclusively before switching back to Kelly green helmets with silver wings. By 1974, Joseph A. Scirrotto Jr. designed the silver wings took on a white outline, and this style on a kelly green helmet became standard for over two decades.

From 1948–95, the team logo was an eagle in flight carrying a football in its claws, although from '69–72, the eagle took on a more stylized look. As the design was similar to the Apollo 11 emblem, and its moon-landing craft was dubbed Eagle, players wore the flight's mission patch on their jerseys during 1969.[17]

In 1973, the team's name was added below the eagle, which returned to its pre-'69 look.

File:NFC-Throwback-Uniform-PHI.PNG
Philadelphia Eagles uniform: 1985–96

However, both the logo and uniforms were radically altered in 1996. The primary kelly green color was changed to a darker shade, officially described as "midnight green." Silver was practically abandoned, as uniform pants moved to either white or midnight green. The traditional helmet wings were changed to a primarily white color, with silver and black accents. The team's logo combination (the eagle and club name lettering) also changed in 1996, with the eagle itself limited to a white (bald eagle) head, drawn in a less realistic, more cartoon-based style, and the lettering changing from calligraphic to block letters.

Since the 1996 alterations, the team has made only minor alterations, mostly relating to jersey/pant combinations worn during specific games. For example, in 1997, against the San Francisco 49ers, the team wore midnight green jerseys and pants for the first of only two occasions in team history. The second occasion was the final regular season game at Veterans Stadium, a win over the division-rival Washington Redskins. And in the first two games of the 2003 season (both home losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots), The Eagles wore white jerseys with white pants. Since 2003, the white jerseys along with white pants have been worn during preseason games.

The 2003 season also saw the first (though only subtle) change to the 1996-style uniform. On both white and green jerseys, black shadows and silver trim were added to both the green and white numbering. The stripe on the pants changed from black-green-black to black-silver-green on the white pants, and from a solid black stripe to one stripe of black, another of silver, with one small white stripe in between for the midnight green pants. The 2003 season also saw the team debut black alternate jerseys, with a green (instead of black) shadow on white numbers, and silver trim. These black jerseys have been worn for two selected home games each season (usually the first home game after bye week and season finale). In the 2003 and 2004 regular-season home finales, the team wore the green road pants with the black alternate jerseys, but lost each game. Since then, the Eagles have only worn the black jerseys with the white pants. However, due to the special 75th anniversary uniforms serving as the "alternates" for one game in 2007, the Eagles could not wear the alternate black jersey that season per league rules (alternate uniforms are permitted twice per season but only one can be used). However, the black jerseys with white pants re-appeared for the 2008 Thanksgiving night game against the Arizona Cardinals. The black jerseys were most recently used in a November 29, 2009 game against the Washington Redskins. Since 2006, the Eagles have only worn the alternate black jerseys once a season and for the last November home game, but did not use them in 2007, 2010, and 2011. For the 2007 and 2010 seasons, the Eagles used throwback uniforms in place of the black alternates for their anniversary to commemorate past teams. The team also started wearing black shoes exclusively in 2004.

File:NFCN-75th-Uniform-PHI.PNG
Philadelphia Eagles 75th anniversary uniform: 2007

To celebrate the team's 75th anniversary, the 2007 uniforms featured a 75th-season logo patch on the left shoulder. In addition, the team wore "throwback" jerseys in a 2007 game against the Detroit Lions. The yellow and blue jerseys, the same colors found on Philadelphia's city flag, are based on those worn by the Philadelphia Eagles in the team's inaugural season, and were the same colors used by the former Frankford Yellow Jackets franchise prior to their suspension of operations in 1931. The Eagles beat Detroit, 56–21.[18]

The Philadelphia Eagles wear their white jerseys at home for preseason games and daytime games in the first half of the regular season from September to mid-October when the temperature is warmer. In night contests in the first half of the regular season, the Eagles do not need to wear white at home since the temperature is cooler. However, there have been exceptions, such as the home opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003 and the Washington Redskins in 2007 that were played at night. In late October or beginning in November, the Eagles start to wear their colors at home (although they have done it earlier before), be it the midnight green jerseys or a third jersey. On one occasion the Eagles wore white at home after October in a meeting against the Dallas Cowboys on November 4, 2007 to make the Cowboys wear their road blue jerseys. Since moving to Lincoln Financial Field in 2003, the Eagles have worn white at home for at least their home opener. The Eagles have worn white for their home opener in every game since moving to Lincoln Financial Field in 2003, with the exceptions for the 2010 home opener (see next paragraph) and the 2011 home opener against the New York Giants. For the 2011 season, the Eagles did not wear white for any of their home games.

In the 2010 season against the Green Bay Packers, on September 12, 2010, the Eagles wore uniforms similar to the ones that were worn by the 1960 championship team in honor the 50th anniversary of that team.[19]

For the 2012 season Nike took over from Reebok as the NFL's official apparel licensee but the Eagles decided that they would not be adopting Nike's "Elite 51" uniform technology. Aside from the Nike logo replacing the Reebok logo, the only other change is the league-wide revision of the NFL shield on the uniform (replacing the NFL Equipment logo), other than that the uniforms essentially remain unchanged. The Eagles also revived their black alternate jersey.

In the 2013 season, the Eagles started to primarily wear white pants with their white jerseys. They only wore green pants with white jerseys for three games; in the season opener at the Washington Redskins, the home opener against the San Diego Chargers, and Week 4 at the Denver Broncos.

Training camp

The Eagles previously held their preseason training camp from the end of July through mid-August each year at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley.[20] With the addition of new head coach Chip Kelly, the Eagles recently moved their training camp to the NovaCare Complex in Philadelphia.[21][22] Training camps were previously held at Chestnut Hill Academy in 1935, St. Joseph's University in 1939 and 1943, Saranac Lake from 1946–1948, Hershey from 1951–1967, Albright College from 1968–1972, Widener University from 1973–1979, and West Chester University from 1980–1995.[22]

Fight song

Further information: Fly, Eagles Fly

This fight song is heard during Eagles' home games after touchdowns and before the team is introduced prior to kickoff:

Fly, Eagles fly, on the road to victory!
Fight, Eagles fight, score a touchdown 1–2–3!
Hit 'em low, hit 'em high,
And watch our Eagles fly!
Fly, Eagles fly, on the road to victory!
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!

Fans

Devotion

Although the method may vary, studies that attempt to rank the 32 fan bases in the NFL consistently place Eagles fans among the best in the league, noting their "unmatched fervor."[23] Eagles fans have numerous dedicated web communities, ranking the Eagles just behind the Phillies as the dominant Philadelphia sports presence on the web.[24]

The American City Business Journals, which conducts a regular study to determine the most loyal fans in the NFL, evaluates fans based primarily on attendance-related factors,[25] and ranked Eagles fans third in both 1999[26] and 2006.[27] The 2006 study called the fans "incredibly loyal," noting that they filled 99.8 percent of the seats in the stadium over the previous decade.[28] Forbes placed the Eagles fans first in its 2008 survey,[29] which was based on the correlation between team performance and fan attendance.[30] ESPN.com placed Eagles fans fourth in the league in its 2008 survey, citing the connection between the team's performance and the mood of the city.[31] The last home game which was blacked out on television in the Philadelphia market as a result of not being sold out was against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, September 12, 1999, which was Andy Reid's first home game as new head coach of the Eagles.

The studies note that—win or lose—Eagles fans can be counted on to pack their stadium. As of August 2008, the team had sold out 71 consecutive games, and 70,000 were on the team's waiting list for season tickets.[31] Despite finishing with a 6–10 record in the 2005–2006 season, the Eagles ranked second in the NFL in merchandise sales, and single-game tickets for the next season were sold out minutes after phone and Internet lines opened.[32]

Bad behavior

Along with their devotion Eagles fans were, however, also notorious for bad behavior, especially when the team played its rivals.[33] In If Football's a Religion, Why Don't We Have a Prayer?, Jereé Longman described the fans of 700 Level of Veterans Stadium as having a reputation for "hostile taunting, fighting, public urination and general strangeness."[34] So many incidents occurred at a 1997 game against the 49ers that at the following home game Judge Seamus McCaffrey began presiding over a temporary courtroom at the stadium; 20 suspects came before him that day.[33] Fan behavior improved after the team's move to Lincoln Financial Field, and "Eagles Court" ended in December 2003.[35]

Eagles Cheerleaders

Main article: Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders

The team also has its own cheerleading squad, who performs a variety of dance moves for the fans and the Eagles on the sideline.[36] The squad also releases a swimsuit calendar each year, and is the first squad in the league to release the calendar on the Android and iOS mobile systems.[37][38]

Charitable activity

Eagles Fly for Leukemia, Ronald McDonald Houses

In 1971, Kim Hill, the daughter of Eagles tight end Fred Hill, was diagnosed with leukemia. As Hill and his family dealt with this devastating blow, his teammates and owner Leonard Tose pledged their emotional support. As Hill continued to research his daughter's leukemia, the support of Leonard Tose and the Eagles continued to inspire him. The Eagles held fund-raising dinners, the team made individual contributions, and Fred and Kim continued to bravely battle this disease. After Kim Hill's successful treatment, her father became committed to helping other families battle pediatric cancers. From helping them identify resources, to assisting financially, Fred Hill and his teammates continued their fight against childhood cancers. In 1972, Philadelphia Eagles owner Leonard Tose officially recognized Eagles Fly for Leukemia as the official philanthropy of the Philadelphia Eagles Football Club. [citation needed]

The Philadelphia Eagles Helmet Cart sat at Joseph A. Scirrotto Jr.'s (Designer of the 74 Helmet) "Joe's Gulf Gas Station" at Rising Sun Ave & Van Kirk St. 1974 off season year to raise money for "The Eagles Fly for Leukemia", where every weekend Eagles NFL Team Members joined to help raise awareness and funds. [citation needed]

The Eagles and Leonard Tose established the first Ronald McDonald House, a place for families to find shelter when their children are sick. Now, over 200 Ronald McDonald houses shelter thousands of families around the world. The spirit continued, and over the last 30 years Eagles Fly for Leukemia has raised over $10 million towards pediatric cancer research and family support. In 1991, Eagles Fly for Leukemia soared higher and became established as a free-standing non-profit organization, outside of the Eagles Football Club. [citation needed]

Eagles Youth Partnership

In 1995, in an effort to better give back to the community, Eagles Youth Partnership (EYP) was formed as a 501(c)(3) public charity in the emerging field of sports philanthropy.

Eagles Youth Partnership (EYP) serves over 50,000 low income children in the Greater Philadelphia region every year via two mobile units, the Eagles Eye Mobile, which gives eye examinations, and the Eagles Book Mobile, a literacy program. EYP is also known for annual playground builds in underserved neighborhoods, an annual chess tournament, and a variety of other programs and events. Since 2009 EYP has also staged a fan appreciation night entitled Eagles Flight Night. The night marks the Eagles first appearance of the season at Lincoln Financial Field, and is held in the form of a public practice.

The Philadelphia Eagles Football Club is the EYP's largest funder. The Eagles also donate free office space, staff support and other resources in support of the organization. Corporate, foundation and individual donors join to support Eagles Youth Partnership's efforts.

In December, 2011, The Eagles, together with Eagles Youth Partnership, were recognized as best professional sports team in the world for their impact and leadership in the community. The Best Team award was bestowed by Beyond Sport, a London-based organization that promotes the use of sport for social good internationally. The Eagles/Eagles Youth Partnership were selected from among more than 135 countries and 28 different sports.

Current roster

Philadelphia Eagles roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve


As of November 23, 2024. Rookies in italics.

53 active, 4 reserve, 16 practice squad (+2 exempt)

List of Philadelphia Eagles players (past and present)

Main article: List of Philadelphia Eagles players

Awards and honors

Retired numbers

N° Player Position Years played
5 Donovan McNabb QB 1999–2009
15 Steve Van Buren HB 1944–51
20 Brian Dawkins S 1996–2008
40 Tom Brookshier DB 1953–61
44 Pete Retzlaff RB, WR, TE 1956–66
60 Chuck Bednarik LB, C 1949–62
70 Al Wistert OT 1943–51
92 Reggie White(*) DE 1985–92
99 Jerome Brown(*) DT 1987–91

Notes:

  • (*) Posthumous honors.
  • Despite the number not being retired, no one has ever worn Randall Cunningham's #12 since he has left the Eagles.[39]
  • Owner Jeffrey Lurie stated during the Eagles' 2009 training camp that Dawkins's 20 will not be re-issued to another player as long as he is the owner.[40] Following Dawkins' retirement from the NFL on April 23, 2012, the Eagles announced that they would retire his number.
  • On July 29, 2013 Jeffery Lurie announced that Donovan McNabb's number would be retired on September 19, 2013 when Andy Reid returned to Philly against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Pro Football Hall of Famers

Main article: List of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees

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Eagles Hall of Fame

In 1987, the Eagles Honor Roll was established. Each Eagle player who had by then been elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was among the inaugural induction class. By 2012 the Honor Roll had been retitled the Eagles Hall of Fame.[41] Template:Multicol

1987
1988
1989
1990
1991

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1992
1993
1994
1995
  • Jim Gallagher, team executive, 1949–1995
  • 82 Mike Quick, WR, 1982–1990
1996
1999
2004
2006
2009
2011

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2012

75th anniversary team

John Wanamaker Athletic Award (Philadelphia Sports Congress)

See footnote[43]

Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame

Main article: Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame

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Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame

See: Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame#Football

Coaches of note

Main article: List of Philadelphia Eagles head coaches

Current staff

Philadelphia Eagles staff
Front office
  • Chairman/CEO – Jeffrey Lurie
  • President – Don Smolenski
  • General manager/executive vice president – Howie Roseman
  • Assistant general manager – Alec Halaby
  • Assistant general manager – Jon Ferrari
  • Senior advisor to the general manager/chief security officer – Dom DiSandro
  • Vice president of football operations – Jeff Scott
  • Senior vice president/Tertiary football executive – Bryce Johnston
  • Senior personnel director/advisor to the general manager – Matt Russell
  • Senior personnel director/advisor to the general manager – Dave Caldwell
  • Director of player development – Connor Barwin
  • Senior director of scouting – Brandon Hunt
  • Vice president of player personnel – Charles Walls
  • Vice president of player personnel – Alan Wolking
  • Director of player personnel – Phil Bhaya
  • Assistant director of player personnel – Jeremy Gray
  • Senior director of college scouting – Anthony Patch
  • Assistant director of college scouting – Ryan Myers
  • Director of football analytics – James Gilman
  • Assistant director of football analytics – John Liu
  • Director of football operations/pro scout – Ameena Soliman
  • Vice president of football operations and strategy – Adam Berry
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
  
Defensive coaches
  • Defensive coordinator – Vic Fangio
  • Senior defensive assistant/defensive line – Clint Hurtt
  • Defensive ends/outside linebackers – Jeremiah Washburn
  • Inside linebackers – Bobby King
  • Passing game coordinator/defensive backs – Christian Parker
  • Cornerbacks – Roy Anderson
  • Safeties – Joe Kasper
  • Defensive quality control/assistant linebackers – Ronell Williams
  • Defensive quality control – Tyler Scudder
Special teams coaches
  • Special teams coordinator – Michael Clay
  • Assistant special teams coordinator – Joe Pannunzio
  • Special teams assistant – Tyler Brown
Support staff
  • Head coach quality control – Tyler Yelk
Strength and conditioning
  • Head athletic trainer – Tom Hunkele
  • Head strength and conditioning – Fernando Noriega

→ Coaching staff
→ Front office
→ More NFL staffs

Radio and television

Main article: List of Philadelphia Eagles broadcasters

Eagles Radio Affiliates

Map of radio affiliates.
City Call Sign Frenquency
Atlantic City, New Jersey WPGG 1450 AM
Easton, Pennsylvania WCTO 96.1 FM
Levittown, Pennsylvania WBCB 1490 AM
Milford, Delaware WAFL 97.7 FM
Millville, New Jersey WENJ 97.3 FM
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania WIP 610 AM
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania WIP-FM 94.1 FM
Pottsville, Pennsylvania WPPA 1360 AM
Reading, Pennsylvania WEEU 830 AM
Scranton, Pennsylvania WEJL 630 AM
Sunbury, Pennsylvania WEGH 107.3 FM
Williamsport, Pennsylvania WBZD-FM 93.3 FM
Wilmington, Delaware WDEL 1150 AM
York, Pennsylvania WSOX 96.1 FM

From 2008 through 2010, Eagles games were broadcast on both rock-formatted WYSP and sports-talk Sports Radio 610 WIP, as both stations are owned and operated by CBS Radio. In 2011, CBS dropped the music on WYSP, renaming it WIP-FM and making it a full simulcast of WIP.

Merrill Reese, who joined the Eagles in the mid-1970s, is the play-by-play announcer, and former Eagles wide receiver Mike Quick, who replaced the offense lineman Stan Walters, is the color analyst. The post game show consist of many Philadelphia sports personality's. Namely Kevin Riley, and Rob Ellis. Riley the former post-game host for the show on 94 WYSP; before the WIP change over, and Rob Ellis who host a weekly show nightly from 6–10 on 94.1 WIP-FM.

Most preseason games are televised on WPVI, the local ABC owned and operated station. Television announcers for these preseason games are Scott Graham and Brian Baldinger.

Media and cultural reference

The 1976 draw was the subject of the movie Invincible. The movie stars Mark Wahlberg as Vince Papale, a 30-year-old bartender and part-time school teacher, and also a diehard Eagles fan who became an Eagles player. The film differs slightly from true events as the selection process was invitation only, and Papale had at least some previous playing experience.[44] The film Silver Linings Playbook Highlights the 2008 Philadelphia Eagles season. The film was critically acclaimed and nominated for several awards including 8 Academy Awards.

The award winning comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia starring Danny DeVito makes several references to the Philadelphia Eagles, most notably Season 3, Episode 2 – "The Gang Gets Invincible".

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ Lyons, 2010 pg. 81
  2. ^ a b Lyons, 2010 pg. 82
  3. ^ Kuklick, Bruce (1993). To Every Thing a Season: Shibe Park and Urban Philadelphia, 1909–1976. Princeton University Press. p. 86. ISBN 0-691-02104-X. Retrieved May 27, 2009.
  4. ^ a b Didinger, Ray (2005). The Eagles Encyclopedia. Temple University Press. ISBN 1-59213-449-1. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "Year-by-Year History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 29, 2006. Retrieved December 20, 2010.
  6. ^ Brookover, Bob (September 17, 2006). "The Birds' Biggest Rival—In a division of fierce foes, the Giants have battled the Eagles as tough as anyone". Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D1.
  7. ^ Brookover, Bob (November 6, 2008). "Eagles—Giants among top rivalries". Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D6.
  8. ^ "Eagles search ends with Vermeil". St Petersburg Times. February 9, 1976. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  9. ^ "The World's Most Valuable Sports Teams No. 11 Philadelphia Eagles". Forbes.com. July 12, 2011. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  10. ^ Dan Gelston (October 26, 2008). "Westbrook Helps Eagles Soar Above Falcons, Win 500th Game". NBC 10 Philadelphia. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  11. ^ "Vick, Eagles agree to 2-year deal". ESPN.com. August 14, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  12. ^ "Eagles sign Reid through 2013". ESPN.com. December 9, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  13. ^ Maese, Rick (April 5, 2010). "Washington Redskins acquire quarterback Donovan McNabb from Philadelphia Eagles". The Washington Post. Washington, DC. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
  14. ^ "Eagles fire Reid". USA Today. Philadelphia, PA. December 30, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  15. ^ "Eagles hire Chip Kelly as coach". ESPN.com. January 16, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  16. ^ Philadelphia Eagles Media Guide
  17. ^ Aldrin, Buzz (August 2007). Comments at Spacefest signing (video clip). Mesa, Arizona: YouTube.
  18. ^ "Eagles Unveil 75th Anniversary Plans". Philadelphia Eagles. April 25, 2007. Archived from the original on July 24, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2010.
  19. ^ "Eagles Announce Plans to Honor 1960 Title Team". Csnphilly.com. May 3, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2010.
  20. ^ "Training Camp,". Philadelphiaeagles.com. Archived from the original on August 18, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2010.
  21. ^ Eagles move training camp from Lehigh
  22. ^ a b Frank, Reuben (July 10, 2012). "Eagles to keep training camp at Lehigh in 2013". CSN Philly. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
  23. ^ Woolsey, Matt (September 1, 2008). "In Depth: America's Most Die-Hard Football Fans". Forbes. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
  24. ^ Phillies Pass Eagles In Google Ranking
  25. ^ Thomas, G. Scott (September 4, 2006). "NFL Fan Loyalty: Methodology". Bizjournals. Archived from the original on May 26, 2008. Retrieved February 6, 2009.
  26. ^ George, John (February 5, 1999). "Proven: Eagles' fans are fanatics". Philadelphia Business Journal. Philadelphia; Pennsylvania. p. 3.
  27. ^ Thomas, G. Scott (September 4, 2006). "Full fan loyalty rankings". Bizjournals. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2009.
  28. ^ Thomas, G. Scott (September 4, 2006). "NFL Fan Support Rankings". Bizjournals. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved February 6, 2009.
  29. ^ Woolsey, Matt (September 1, 2008). "America's Most Die-Hard Football Fans". Forbes. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
  30. ^ Woolsey, Matt (September 1, 2008). "America's Most Die-Hard Football Fans: Methodology". Forbes. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
  31. ^ a b Mosley, Matt (August 29, 2008). "NFL's best fans? We gotta hand it to Steelers barely". ESPN. Retrieved August 30, 2008.
  32. ^ Berman, Zack (June 14, 2006). "Single Game Tickets Sold Out!". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2008. Retrieved June 22, 2006.
  33. ^ a b Anderson, Dave (October 29, 2002). "To Eagles, Shockey Is Public Enemy No. 1". The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  34. ^ Longman, Jeré (2006). If Football's a Religion, Why Don't We Have a Prayer?. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-0-06-084373-1.
  35. ^ "Court at Eagles' games is out of session Sunday". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. December 6, 2003. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  36. ^ "Cheerleaders". Philadelphia Eagles. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  37. ^ "Cheerleaders – Swimsuit Calendar". Philadelphia Eagles. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  38. ^ "Eagles Cheerleaders Swimsuit – Android-apps op Google Play". Play.google.com. November 28, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  39. ^ Didinger, Ray (July 21, 2012). "Ray's QB Notes 4: Randall's No. 12 retired?". CSN Philly. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  40. ^ Brookover, Bob (September 15, 2009). "Eagles end Shawn Andrews' season, place him on injured reserve". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  41. ^ a b c Weinberg, David (July 20, 2012). "Leo Carlin, Troy Vincent headed to Eagles Hall of Fame". pressofatlanticcity.com. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  42. ^ a b Kracz, Ed (September 24, 2011). "Allen, Johnson will be inducted into Eagles Honor Roll". phillyburbs.com. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  43. ^ And The Winners Were ... See all the John Wanamaker Athletic Award-recipients since 1961 webpage. Philadelphia Sports Congress website (Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau). Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  44. ^ Invincible at IMDb

Sources

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