Believe it or not, the beginning of the Eagles 2014 season is rapidly approaching. Players will report back to the NovaCare Complex on April 21 for the start of the Eagles offseason program. Join us as we count down until the Eagles are back in town ...
The number 99 holds a good amount of significance for the Eagles franchise. Most recently, it refers to the number of plays that the Eagles ran this season that were good for 20 yards or more. Many fans hoped for Chip Kelly to bring these "explosive" plays with him to the NFL from the University of Oregon, but not many could have predicted that the Eagles would set the all-time NFL record for that statistic, previously held by Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk and the rest of the "Greatest Show on Turf" 1999 St. Louis Rams. Whether it was LeSean McCoy finding a hole at the line of scrimmage, DeSean Jackson beating the secondary deep, or any of the other Eagles weapons breaking free, this team made the big play a common occurrence.
The number 99 will also forever be linked to Eagles Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Quick. On November 10, 1985, the Eagles and Falcons were tied at 17 through the end of regulation. The Eagles had squandered a 17-point lead. Backed up to the Eagles 1-yard line, quarterback Ron Jaworski hit Quick on a slant route around the 20-yard line, and Quick did the rest. The 99-yard touchdown pass is one of only 13 such pass plays in the history of the NFL, and the only one that has ever occurred in overtime.
First Player To Wear No. 99: DE Mel Tom (1967-73)
Most Recent Eagle To Wear No. 99: DT Jerome Brown (1987-91)
Six different players have donned the number 99 for the Eagles, but the number will forever be remembered because of Jerome Brown.
A first-round draft pick out of the University of Miami, Brown came to Philadelphia and made an instant impact. He had his finest season in Philadelphia in 1991, when he lead all defensive tackles with 88 solo tackles and recorded nine sacks on the season. Brown was a pivotal member of Gang Green, the Eagles defensive unit that was among the best in franchise history. As a unit, the Eagles held opponents to an average of just 221.8 net yards per game.
It was his second consecutive Pro Bowl season, and the future was incredibly bright for the Eagles young defensive linemen. Unfortunately, that would be Brown's final season. Just a few months after the 1991 season ended, Brown and his nephew, Gus, were killed in a car accident in his hometown of Brooksville, Fla. He was 27 years old. The Eagles kept Brown's locker in place for the 1992 season. Brown was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in September 1996.
Brown played five seasons with the Eagles, playing in 76 games. He recorded 29.5 sacks and three interceptions in his NFL career.
