Philadelphia Eagles

 

The Philadelphia Eagles have been around for a very long time, as they were established in 1933 where they became part of the NFL. The Eagles have been playing in the NFC East since 1970. The team headquarters are in the NovaCare Training Complex in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They also play their home games in Philadelphia at the Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles team colors are Midnight Green, Black, Charcoal, Silver, and White and their official mascot is Swoop; it was Blitz before they changed him in 1988. Swoop is a huge American Bald Eagle that wears the Eagles jersey and sports the numbers #00 on it; it is one of the more popular mascots in the NFL.

 

Eagles Brief Team History

The Philadelphia Eagles began in 1933, but they really did not hit their stride until late in the 1940’s. This was when head coach Earle Neale led the Eagles to win three consecutive NFL Championship games, where they won two in 1948 and 1949. The Eagles continued with their success in the next seasons, and by 1960 the Eagles were on their third NFL Championship victory; where they defeated Vince Lombardi and his Green Bay Packers, which had never been defeated in the playoffs except for them. The Eagles continued to struggle throughout the years, as they were constantly under new ownership and when the AFL – NFL merger took place, the Eagles were placed in the NFC East Division along with some rivals, including the New York Giants. In 1976 they hired Dick Vermeil as head coach, and managed to get the Eagles their first NFC East title in 1980 but lost the Super Bowl against the Oakland Raiders.

The Eagles once again started to struggle until they hired Buddy Ryan, who not only turned the team around, but also brought in many more fans. During his time as head coach, Ryan made it to the playoffs 3 times, but was unable to win a single playoff game. The Eagles have made appearances 12 times in the playoffs starting in 2002 and were able to win the NFC title in 2004, but lost against the New England Patriots.

 

Notable Eagles Figures

With the Eagles past successes, and present struggles, there have always been important people motivating and pushing the team to be better.

 

Past Eagles Figures

 

Earle “Greasy” Neale was the head coach of the Eagles from 1941 – 1950, where he managed to take the team on to win two consecutive NFL Championships; these would be the equivalent of the Super Bowl. The Eagles certainly performed well during their time in the AFL.  He ended his coaching career with a 66 – 44 – 5 record.

 

Steve Van Buren was a halfback playing for the Eagles from 1944 to 1951, which means he was there and playing when the team won their two NFL Championships. He was a crucial member of the team, as he was able to end his professional career with 5,860 rushing yards and 69 touchdowns.

 

“Gang Green” defense is what made the Eagles stand out the most during the 80’s and the start of the 90’s. It had excellent players including Reggie White, Jerome Brown, Clyde Simmons, Seth Joyner, Wes Hopkins, Mike Golic, Bryon Evans, Eric Allen, and Andre Waters. This defense was one of the most effective during that period, as they led the team to 3 playoffs.

 

Present Eagles Figures

 

The Eagles offensive line is led by some great players including running back LeSean McCoy, and wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Each of these players has brought something different to the offense, with McCoy being able to rush the ball with great speed and the two wide receivers have been able to create opportunities for passes and touchdowns. Eagles QB, Michael Vick has been doing well at not only passing, but also running the ball himself, making him another great asset for the offense.

 

The Eagles defense is another component that is helping the team strive for greatness, especially two players that have been showing all of their skill and ability out on the field; corner back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and free safety Kurt Coleman. They both do an excellent job at guarding the opposing receivers, as well as reading the plays and getting interceptions. This is truly helping the Eagles with their back field defense.

 

Present Team Personnel

Jeffrey Lurie is the current owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, but that is not the only thing he does within the team. He is also the chairman and the CEO of the team, as he tries to bring in more talent and make the right decisions that will bring the Eagles more success. Andy Reid has been the head coach for the Eagles since 1999, and during his time with the team, we have seen them win the 2004 NFC Championship, as well as win 6 Division championships, and appear in 9 playoffs. He is and has been a great head coach for the Eagles.