As the 2010 off-season is here, Sports Illustrated took a look back at the 2009 season's most memorable moments.
The Eagles were involved in three of them. Two of them involved the return of Michael Vick to the NFL.
No. 3 - Safety First
"During a season in which last season's starting Super Bowl quarterbacks - Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner - missed games due to concussions they sustained, the NFL got really serious about head injuries. In response to mounting criticism about the league's lack of a satisfactory response to the long-term effects of brain injuries among its players, commissioner Roger Goodell, in early December, issued a new policy that requires any player who exhibits any symptom of a concussion to be removed from a game or practice, and forbids him from returning to play that same day. Previously, under 2007 guidelines, players were barred from re-entry only if they had lost consciousness."
Of course, this doesn't mention Brian Westbrook, who suffered two concussions during the 2009 season which cost him seven games, by name. But Westbrook has been front and center doing a number of interviews about what he learned about concussions this past season.
No. 4 - He's Back, Too
"Having served 18 months in prison for his role in running a dogfighting ring, Michael Vick made his return to the NFL in 2009 and played his first game on Sept. 27, against the Kansas City Chiefs. By season's end he had started one game, completed six of 13 passes for 86 yards and one touchdown, and rushed 24 times for 95 yards and two touchdowns."
No. 34 - Cheers And Jeers
"A three-time Pro Bowl quarterback and formerly the face of the Falcons franchise, Michael Vick made his NFL return to Atlanta to a mixture of boos and cheers on Dec. 6. His five-yard scoring run in the third quarter was his first NFL touchdown since Oct. 15, 2006."
-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 12:40 p.m., February 16
