The Philadelphia Eagles are an American Football Team franchise in the National Football League (NFL). They are a member of the NFL’s National Football Conference (NFC) East Division. The Eagles headquarters is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their stadium is named Lincoln Financial Field. They won three National Football League (NFL) championships (1948,1949,1960) and have reached the Super Bowl twice (1980,2004)

History

The Philadelphia Eagles were founded in 1933 as a replacement for the bankrupt Frankford Yellow Jackets for an entry fee of $2,500. In 1943, as a result of World War II and the manpower shortages it presented, the Philadelphia Eagles were forced to merge teams with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The new team was known as the “Steagles”. The merger ended in 1943, the Philadelphia Eagles later went on to win two National Football League (NFL) championships with Earle “Greasy” Neal at head coach and Steve Van Buren as running back. The two championships shut out victories established the Eagles as the only team to win back-to-back championships with shutouts.

Philadelphia Eagles of the 70’s- 80’s

In 1970, the Philadelphia Eagles joined the National Football Conference East Division from the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) merger. Over the years, the Philadelpia Eagles grew to be major rivals with their division opponents, the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. Dick Vermeil was hired as head coach in 1976 from UCLA. From 1978, Dick Vermeil and quarterback Ron Jaworski took the Philadelphia Eagles to the playoffs four straight seasons. In 1980, the Eagles reached the Super Bowl, however, lost to the Oakland Raiders
In 1986 Buddy Ryan took over as head coach. Despite his defensive prowess, the Eagles never won a playoff game with him as head coach. They reached the playoffs six of the seasons from 1988 to 1996. The Eagles were known for a strong defense and talented players. The “Gang Green” defense included Hall Of Fame defensive lineman Reggie White, Andre Waters, Wes Hopkins, Clyde Simmons, Jerome Brown, Eric Allen and Byron Evans. Quarterback Randall Cunningham, running back Herschel Walker, and tight end Keith Jackson were the stars on offense.

Philadelphia Eagles of the 90’s-2000’s

On May 6, 1994 Jeff Lurie purchased the Phialdelphia Eagles franchise for a reported $185 million. In 2006, the estimated value of the franchise was just over $1billion. The success of the Eagles in the 2000’s began with the draft of quarterback Donovan McNabb from Syracuse and the hiring of new head coach Andy Reid in 1999. The Eagles are known for reaching the National Football Conference (NFC) championship game four consecutive years from 2001-2004. In the first championship game, the Eagles lost to the St. Louis Rams, and then lost the next year to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They lost their third championship game to the Carolina Panthers, but finally won the NFC championship game in 2004. They reached Super Bowl XXIX to lose to the New England Patriots. In 2008, the Eagles reached the National Football Conference (NFC) championship game for a fifth time in the Decade where they played the Arizona Cardinals and lost 32-25.

2009 Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles have been one of the best football teams in the past decade. The face of the franchise is quarterback Donovan McNabb, one of the best quarterbacks of this decade, and future Hall of Famer. The offense is built around his skills, an excellent gun slinging arm, with dangerous mobile ability. Coach Andy Reid has designed an aggressive down the field passing attack for McNabb and his talented supporting cast. Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer Michael Westbrook, who may be the most elusive running back in the NFL, plays an important role in the offensive scheme. Along with his carries, Westbrook is utilized as a receiver out of the backfield, often times on screen plays. In the 2008 NFL draft, the Eagles selected wide receiver DeSean Jackson from the University of California. Known for his elite speed, DeSean Jackson was able to immediately contribute to the Eagles organization as a rookie.
In 2009, the Philadelphia Eagles organization made headlines by signing former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, and former Federal convict Michael Vick to play as backup quarterback and potential threat in a wildcat formation. Back in 2006, Michael Vick was convicted of bankrolling a dog fighting ring and sentenced to two years in prison. Coach Andy Reid believes Michael Vick can immediately contribute to the Eagles 2009 football season. During the preseason, Michael Vick was used a couple of times in the wildcat formation with mild success. The Eagles enter the 2009 season as one of the top teams in the NFC.

Philadelphia Eagles 2009 NFL Draft

*Round 1 Jeremy Maclin, wide receiver -University of Missouri
*Round 2 LeSean McCoy, running back -University of Pittsburgh
*Round 5 Cornelius Ingram, tight end -University of Florida
*Round 5 (comp select) Victor Harris, defensive back -Virginia Tech
*Round 5 (comp select) Fenuki Tupou, Offensive Tackle -University of Oregon
*Round 6 Brandon Gibson, wide receiver -Washington State University
*Round 7 Paul Fanaika, offensive Guard -Arizona State
*Round 7 Moise Fokou, linebacker -University of Maryland

Hall of Fame

• Chuck Bednarik
• Bert Bell
• Bob Brown
• Mike Ditka
• Bill Hewitt
• Sonny Jurgensen
• James Lofton
• Ollie Matson
• Tommy McDonald
• James Arthur “Art” Monk
• Earle “Greasy” Neal
• Pete Pihos
• Jim Ringo
• Norm Van Brocklin
• Steve Van Buren
• Reggie White
• Alex Wojciechowicz

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