
As always, no active players are on our Top 10 lists.
Dawkins was one of the great coverage safeties who could also knock your head off. He made the Pro Bowl 9 times, the All-Pro team 6 times and was a member of the 2000’s All-Decade team. The highlights below tell his story.
Though the Eagles fell short of their Super Bowl goal, McNabb consistently had the Eagles in play to win it all. He led his team to the NFC Championship Game five times, winning it once. He was a 6-time Pro Bowler and NFC Offensive Player of the Year during his career. One of the best Eagles quarterbacks in its history.
The tallest receiver in NFL history deserves to be on this list with his four Pro Bowls and is a member of the 1970’s All-Decade Team. Read my article on him here.
He broke all of the Eagles’ rushing marks in eight seasons and was the leading rusher in Eagles’ history until very recently when LeSean McCoy broke it. He was a very versatile back, dependable receiver, and even a return man. In 1978 and 1979, he made the Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro.
McDonald was a very underrated receiver, but he was crucial during the Eagles 1960 season and ultimately in the 1960 NFL Championship game. McDonald was a 6-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.
“The Boomer” was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro nearly his entire time with the Eagles from 1964-1968 and was named to the 1960’s All-Decade Team. He was one of the finest offensive tackles in NFL history and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.
Pihos is one of the forgotten greats, who led the NFL in receptions three times, made the Pro Bowl 6 times, was an All-Pro five times, was part of the two Eagles championship teams in 1948 and 1949, was on the 1940’s All-Decade Team, named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary team, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1970.
There is an argument to be made that Reggie could be number one on this list, but the reason for number three is explained later.
White was amazing from the start of his career as he was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1985 and never stopped being great. 124 of his 198 total sacks came as a member of the Eagles and who could forget his 18 sacks in 1986 and 1988 as well as his amazing 21 sacks in the 12-game 1987 season?
As an Eagle, White was named to 7 straight Pro Bowls from 1986-1992, was a First Team All-Pro from 1986-1991 and was the 1987 NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. Though he left for Green Bay in 1993, most of his best seasons were with the Eagles, making him one of the very best Eagles in its history.
Van Buren will always be remembered as a four-time NFL rushing champion and the heart of the offense that brought back to back NFL Championships to Philadelphia in 1948 and 1949. He rushed for over 1,000 yards twice in 12 game seasons and was also a very good defensive player in the secondary. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1965.
“Concrete Charlie” was the last of the 60-minute men and what’s truly amazing about Bednarik was that he was an All-Pro at both linebacker and center, a feat we’ll never see again. He was one of the toughest players in the history of the NFL and was instrumental in bringing a World Championship to Philadelphia as Steve Van Buren did in the late 1940s, which has elevated them above the rest of the players listed here.
Read Mike Goodpaster’s article on Bednarik hereΒ for lots more on his great career.
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Honorable Mentions – Seth Joyner, Eric Allen, Jerome Brown, Brian Westbrook, Randall Cunningham, and Mike Quick.
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