A part of the Eagles’ success this season has been the regular contribution of their receiving corps of Devonta Smith, A.J. Brown, and Dallas Godert. The trio has mixed for 139 catches for 1,948 yards and 12 touchdowns. Lately signed seven-time Professional Bowler Julio Jones figures to be within the combine going ahead.
However who is taken into account the best Eagles’ receiver of all time? Many think about legendary Harold Carmichael to be the perfect for the reason that Seventies, however there is also Mike Fast and old-timers Pete Retzlaff, Tommy McDonald, and Pete Pihos? How about Harold Jackson?
On this week’s model of my Yesterday column – reminiscing about sports activities and popular culture within the Sixties. 70s. 80s and generally earlier than and after – I’ll check out the among the extra acknowledged Eagles’ receivers of their historical past.
Carmichael garnered 70% of the vote in a latest Instances New Fb ballot, and Fast was second with 19%. Others within the combine had been Jackson and Retzlaff at 3%, and Pihos at 1%. Pihos’ contributions are at all times neglected.
Who had been among the nice huge receivers across the league that we watched? Talking of receivers, do you bear in mind the names Kenwood, Pioneer, and Sansui? And assume again to how we previously discovered our checking account balances?
Prime Targets … Carmichael is a real rags-to-riches story. He was a seventh-round decide in 1971 out of Southern College. His 6-foot-8 stature helped him make the squad the place he turned a league anomaly. I bear in mind watching the Eagles’ preseason video games on Channel 10 – I consider it carried the video games then too – and listening to and seeing this huge tight finish – he was drafted as a decent finish – with the peculiar identify.
Again then, the Eagles had been struggling, and Carmichael discovered a roster spot alongside Jackson, Ben Hawkins, and fellow tight finish Gary Ballman. (Does Ballman ring a bell?) Carmichael caught 20 passes his rookie yr, after which led the league two years later with 73 receptions.
He turned an integral a part of the Eagles’ Tremendous Bowl run beneath Dick Vermeil and was a four-time Professional Bowler. Like lots of his teammates, Carmichael’s run ended, and he paradoxically ended his profession with Dallas in 1984, as I beforehand talked about in one other column. Carmichael completed his profession with 590 catches for 8,985 yards and 79 touchdowns. He continues to be acknowledged as an all-time Eagle nice.
Fast was a extra high-profile participant being the group’s No. 1 draft decide from North Carolina in 1982. He rapidly turned a five-time Professional Bowl choice from 1983 to ’87, and performed his complete profession with the Eagles till 1990. Fast turned a fan favourite and commenced to overshadow Carmichael. He jumped to the published sales space and has turn into a staple with the group. He ended his profession with 363 receptions for six,464 yards and 61 touchdowns.
Don’t Say You Don’t Keep in mind … For these older than me (63), there was Pihos, McDonald, and Retzlaff – the latter who turned the league commissioner.
Pihos was identified for being a “50-minute man” for his skill to continually be on the sphere. The Corridor of Famer performed 1947-55 with the Eagles and caught 373 balls for five,619 yards with 61 touchdowns. He was a five-time Professional Bowler. I at all times have heard the identify, however I don’t have any recollections of him.
One other Corridor of Famer, McDonald was the Eagles’ third-round decide in 1957, and he spent seven seasons with the membership, catching 287 passes for five,499 yards with 66 touchdowns. McDonald was extremely regarded across the Philadelphia space till his dying in 2018, and was concerned in lots of group features by the years. He was a media favourite.
Retzlaff was a twenty second spherical decide of the Detroit Lions – I bear in mind when there have been all these picks, do you? He was picked up by the Eagles off waivers in 1956. He started his profession as a flanker – nice, old-school time period – after which shifted to tight finish. Retzlaff was a fan favourite and caught 452 passes for 7,412 yards, with 47 touchdowns over 11 seasons. He was an Eagles broadcaster and have become concerned with the NFLPA. I at all times confuse him with Pete Rozelle.
Others within the Nest … Over time, there have been loads of Eagles’ receivers who’ve crossed our paths in the course of the Sixties, 70s, 80s and past.
Trying again, there was Fred Barnett, Keith Krepfle, Charle Younger, Charlie Smith and Greg Garrity to call a number of? Ought to we add Terrell Owens to the combo?
One other kind of Receiver … Within the Sixties and 70s, audio receivers started to hit the market. Pioneer was true to its which means as being the breakthrough firm, and Kenwood was additionally a preferred model. Others widespread manufacturers had been Sansui, Marantz, and Sherwood (Any of these sound acquainted or are in your attic or basement?).
Within the 60s, the compact cassette was a sizzling merchandise in addition to the cassette participant. Dolby sound was the one that everyone needed of their system.
Lastly, do you bear in mind the “speaker wars,” the place we’d attempt to have the loudest audio system, these huge wood ones?
One other Traditional Recreation … Paydirt is a two-player board sport from 1979.
Every group chooses an precise NFL group from a selected season. For every group and season, a chart was designated to replicate the group’s strengths and weaknesses in the course of the season. Gamers select a play, roll cube and check with the group charts for the outcome.
You Know These Guys … Together with some Eagles’ greats, among the league’s standouts that I recall rising up had been the Packers’ Max McGee; the Chargers’ and Cowboys’ Lance Alworth; the Cowboys Bob Hayes; the Colts’ Raymond Berry and John Mackey; the Raiders’ Fred Biletnikoff (the stick-um); the Browns’ and Dolphins’ Paul Warfield; the Steelers’ Lynn Swann and John Stallworth; the Bengals’ and Chargers’ Charley Joiner; and the Cardinals’ Mel Gray and Jackie Smith.
Keep in mind these Gadgets? … Do you recall the small, yellow metallic field that we popped open with our thumbs? It was Anacin, and was thought-about to be the merchandise to assist remedy your headache or illnesses. I at all times bear in mind my mother having the field in her purse, and I even used to have it in my pockets.
Keep in mind the financial institution deposit books that we’d flip as much as see our stability within the blue ink? The ink was a results of the teller stamping it in your ebook. That was as soon as our high-tech stability availability.
Additionally, all of us had our share of the packets with the massive smiling faces on the water pitcher. Kool-Assist principally was sugar-infected water again within the day, however all of us needed to strive all of the flavors we might. Should you favored Kool-Assist, you most likely had your fill of Tang as properly.
Reminiscence Lane … Every week, I’ll look again at a former participant, coach, supervisor, or media persona from our yesterday? Do you bear in mind Eagles’ tight finish John Spagnola? The previous Patriots’ ninth-round decide of the 1970 draft joined the Eagles the identical season. He spent eight years with the Birds, and have become certainly one of their extra widespread gamers. Spagnola caught 256 passes for two,833 yards with 14 touchdowns in eight seasons in Philly. He spent 1988 with Seattle, and his ultimate yr was with Inexperienced Bay.
