During the month of June, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will construct a Mount Rushmore for each team. For this series, we will only consider players. Today, the Philadelphia Eagles are the focus.
Philadelphia Eagles Mount Rushmore
Reggie White
He may have earned his ring in Green Bay, but it was in Philly where “The Minister of Defense” earned his reputation for being the game’s most dominant defensive lineman.
The 1987 season was arguably his most special. Participating in just 12 games (due to a players’ strike), he managed an amazing 21 sacks – just one short of what Mark Gastineau achieved in the 16 games that made up his 1984 campaign.
In his eight seasons donning kelly green, Reggie accumulated 124 sacks and nearly 800 tackles, and he was the leader of a defense that was annually among the NFL’s best.
White had his number (92) retired by the Eagles in 2005 and earned his rightful place in Canton as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Both events, unfortunately, took place soon after his sudden death from a heart attack in December 2004.
Chuck Bednarik
By the 1950s, the league allowed for unlimited substitutions – meaning that players no longer had to play both offense and defense. That wasn’t Bednarik’s style, however. “Concrete Charlie” was filled with grit and toughness.
As most of the players during his time were taking half of the game off, Bednarik continued to go all-out at linebacker and center – becoming the last of the “60-minute men.” He had the performance to back it up. The former star at the University of Pennsylvania was an eight-time All-Pro selection and a ten-time Pro Bowler over 14 seasons (all with the Eagles).
Late in his career, Bednarik played a key role in the franchise’s last championship. His jarring tackle of Frank Gifford forced a fumble (which Philly recovered) and preserved a 17-10 lead that gave the Eagles the Eastern Conference crown. In the NFL Championship against Green Bay at Franklin Field, he stopped Jim Taylor at the 8-yard line as time ran down. The Eagles prevailed, 17-13.
Bednarik was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.
Steve Van Buren
His most notable game as an Eagle almost never was. A blizzard came over Philadelphia on the day of the 1948 NFL Championship against the Chicago Cardinals. Steve Van Buren believed the game wouldn’t be played, but his head coach informed him that it would. The league’s rushing leader used three trolley rides and walked six blocks in order to make it to Shibe Park. Once there, Van Buren proved vital – scoring the game’s only touchdown in a 7-0 Eagles win.
But being the main source of offense was nothing new to Steve. The next year, Van Buren would claim his third consecutive rushing title (the first in league history to do so) and would once again lead the Birds to a championship. When he retired after the 1951 season, he held the NFL record for career rushing yards (5,860) and career rushing touchdowns (69). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.
Brian Dawkins
The Eagles of the Andy Reid era may be without a Super Bowl trophy, but they’re not without a strong corps of talent. Just take a gander at the rafters at Lincoln Financial Field, and the remnants of those glory years are easily present.
Among the retired numbers is the No. 20 of Brian Dawkins, which was on display on the football field for 13 seasons. Nine of those seasons ended in a Pro Bowl selection. The heart and soul of the Eagles was also the team’s best defender – a safety that always seemed to be in the right place at the right time.
Dawkins started 182 of his 183 games with Philadelphia, in which he became one of a handful to total at least 30 interceptions and 30 forced fumbles. His case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame is very strong and he should be inducted eventually.
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