Brian Dawkins and Donovan McNabb are one step closer to Canton. The modern-era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame were announced on Wednesday night. The legendary safety and the prolific quarterback are both nominees in their first year of eligibility.
In total, 94 players and coaches were honored on Wednesday. The list will be trimmed to 25 semifinalists in November. The Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2017 will be announced during Super Bowl weekend. Dawkins and McNabb were not the only former Eagles to be nominated.
K Gary Anderson - He only spent two of his 23 NFL seasons in Philadelphia, but Anderson connected on 59 field goals and scored 213 points as an Eagle.
CB Eric Allen - A member of the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame, Allen played seven seasons in Philadelphia, earning five Pro Bowl and three All-Pro selections. He is tied for the Eagles all-time record with 34 interceptions. Allen also holds the team mark with five interception return touchdowns, including an NFL record four in 1993. He was a second-round pick of the team in 1988.
QB Randall Cunningham - Dubbed the "Ultimate Weapon" by Sports Illustrated, Cunningham was one of the most electrifying players in NFL history. He made numerous highlight-film plays with both his arm and his feet during his 11-year career in Philadelphia. A second-round draft pick from UNLV in 1995, he earned two NFL All-Pro honors as well as three Pro Bowl selections during his tenure in Philadelphia. Cunningham threw for 22,877 yards and 150 touchdowns while rushing for 4,482 yards and 22 scores in 122 games as an Eagle.
S Brian Dawkins - Nicknamed "Weapon X" for his ferocious and energetic style of play, Dawkins was the unquestioned leader of the Eagles' defense for 13 seasons. An eight-time Pro Bowl selection, Dawkins finished his Eagles career in 2008 as the franchise's all-time leader in games played (183) and interceptions (34). A second round pick out of Clemson in 1996, Dawkins was recognized as a member of the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 2000s, was voted the starting safety on the Eagles 75th Anniversary Team by the fans and was a five-time All-Pro selection. A self-proclaimed "freelance safety", he helped redefine the safety position, notching 26 sacks and 37 forced fumbles in his career, becoming one of five players in NFL history to record at least 30 interceptions and 20 sacks in a career.
LB Seth Joyner - Named by Sports Illustrated as the Defensive Player of the Year in the Gang Green season of 1991, Joyner was quite the playmaker in Philadelphia. Joyner finished his Eagles career with 37 sacks, 21 forced fumbles and 17 interceptions.
P Sean Landeta - Spent five seasons with the Eagles (1999-2002, 2005) and was good enough in that time to be named to the franchise's 75th Anniversary Team. He ranks fourth in team history in both gross and net punting average.
QB Donovan McNabb - Selected by the Eagles with the second overall pick of the 1999 NFL Draft, McNabb served as the field general during one of the most successful eras of Eagles football, leading the team to five NFC East division championships, five NFC Championship Games and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX. The winningest quarterback in team history, McNabb finished his career as the franchise's all-time leader in pass attempts (4,746), completions (2,801), yards (32,873) and touchdowns (216). He also became one of just four players in NFL history to amass 30,000 passing yards, 200 TD passes, 3,000 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns in his career.
RB/KR Brian Mitchell - Mitchell spent most of his career in Washington, but was with the Eagles at the turn of the millennium from 2000-02. A proficient return specialist, Mitchell brought back two punts and two kicks for touchdowns.
WR Terrell Owens - A finalist for the Hall last year, Owens had a tumultuous two-year career in Philadelphia but posted one of the most dominant seasons by a wide receiver in franchise history in 2004. He had 1,200 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven games with 100 or more receiving yards including five in a row. Don't forget he missed the final two-plus games of the regular season due to injury. In 2005, Owens had 47 catches for 763 yards and six touchdowns in seven games before his Eagles tenure came to an end.
Head coach Dick Vermeil - The Eagles' head coach from 1976-82, Vermeil will long be remembered as a workaholic, a perfectionist, and as a winner. A success at every level of coaching, from his first high school head coaching job in 1960, to a stint at UCLA in 1974-75 and with the Eagles, Vermeil attacked his profession with a degree of passion rarely seen. Vermeil coached the Eagles into the playoffs four consecutive times from 1978-81, including a trip to Super Bowl XV as NFC Champions in January 1981.
CB Troy Vincent - A five-time Pro Bowl and two-time All-Pro selection as an Eagle, Vincent spent eight seasons in Philadelphia, recording 28 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and one interception return for a touchdown in 118 starts. In 2002, Vincent was a first-team All-Pro selection and also garnered the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his work with the Troy Vincent Foundation, which provides educational and counseling services to troubled youth, among other organizations. His five Pro Bowl selections are tied for the most in team history as a cornerback and his 28 interceptions rank seventh all time in team annals.
RB Herschel Walker - The former Heisman Trophy-winner, Walker spent three seasons with the Eagles. He gained 1,070 yards and scored eight touchdowns in 1992. He only surpassed that rushing yardage total one other time in his career (1,514 in 1988).
