Later today, the NFL will announce the newest class of inductees to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Of the 17 finalists for induction, only wide receiver Cris Carter has a past with the Eagles. Carter was drafted in the fourth round of the 1987 supplemental draft by the Eagles. He accrued 89 catches for 1,450 yards and 19 touchdowns in his three years with the Eagles before making his mark with the Minnesota Vikings.
UPDATE: Carter was not among those selected to this year's Hall of Fame class. Congratulations to Jack Butler, Dermontti Dawson, Cortez Kennedy, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf and Chris Doleman, the six who will be enshrined this year.
There are currently 13 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame with decorated Eagles careers. Here's a reminder of the Eagles' Hall of Famers, all of whom are members of the team's honor roll.
Reggie White, Defensive end 1985-92, Inducted in 2006 - Nicknamed the "Minister of Defense," White is the club's all-time leader in sacks with 124 in just 121 games, including a team-record 21 in 1987. White earned seven Pro Bowl appearances during his eight-year stint with the Eagles, who signed him after a two-year stint with Memphis of the USFL. White earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1987 and 1991. He was named to the NFL's All-Decade Teams of both the 1980s and 1990s, the 75th Anniversary team, and was voted first-team All-Pro 10 times in his 15-year career with the Eagles, Packers and Panthers. He was born on December 19, 1961 in Chattanooga, TN, and died December 26, 2004 at the age of 43.
Bob Brown, Tackle 1964-68, Inducted in 2004 - A first-round draft pick out of Nebraska in 1964 (second overall), Brown went on to earn an impressive five All-Pro selections and three Pro Bowl berths during his five-year tenure in Philadelphia. During his 10-year NFL career with the Eagles, Rams and Raiders, Brown earned All-NFL honors seven times, NFL/NFC offensive lineman of the year three times, and six Pro Bowl selections. Brown was named to the NFL's All-Decade team of the 1960's. He was born December 8, 1941, in Cleveland, OH.
Tommy McDonald, Wide receiver 1957-63, Inducted in 1998 - "If I had 11 Tommy McDonald's on my team, I'd win a championship every year," Vince Lombardi once said. The 5-foot-9, 176 pounder dazzled fans with acrobatic receptions for 12 seasons and finished his career ranked sixth all-time in receptions (495) fourth in yards (8,410) and second in touchdowns (84). In 1960, he registered 13 touchdowns for the NFL Champion Eagles. A third-round selection in 1957, McDonald starred collegiately at Oklahoma. As a senior, he won the Maxwell Award as the nation's top collegian. McDonald was born July 26, 1934.
Sonny Jurgensen, Quarterback 1957-63, Inducted in 1983 - Despite spending the last 10 years of his career with the Redskins, Jurgensen is remembered as one of the best quarterbacks ever to wear an Eagles uniform. A fourth-round draft pick of the Eagles in 1957, Jurgensen was a backup to another Hall of Fame quarterback, Norm Van Brocklin, on the 1960 NFL Championship team. The following year after the rifle-armed redhead took over as the Eagles starting signal caller and threw a club record 32 touchdown passes.
Jim Ringo, Center, 1964-67, Inducted in 1981 - After beginning his career as the Packers 7th Round draft choice out of Syracuse in 1953, Ringo capped his career with 10 Pro Bowl selections to go along with two NFL Championships. Ringo, who started in a then NFL-record 182 straight games from 1954-67, played on Green Bay's 1961 and 1962 NFL Championship teams. After an 11-year stint with the Packers, he spent his final four seasons in Philadelphia. Ringo was born November 21, 1931 in Orange, NJ.
Bill Hewitt, End, 1936-39, 1943, Inducted in 1971 - Hewitt was the first player to be named All-NFL with two different teams - the Bears (1933, '34, '36) and Eagles (1937). Nicknamed "Stinky," Hewitt is known for pitching a lateral to Bill Karr for the touchdown that won the 1933 NFL Championship game for the Bears. He also was credited with inventing many trick plays. Hewitt, who played without a helmet until a rule change forced him to wear headgear, was born October 8, 1909, in Bay City, MI. He died tragically in an automobile accident on January 14, 1947, at the age of 37.
Norm Van Brocklin, Quarterback 1958-60, Inducted in 1971 - Acquired in a 1958 trade with the Los Angeles Rams, Van Brocklin went on to quarterback the Eagles for three years. The fiery signal caller helped turn a last place Eagles into an NFL Championship squad in 1960. This storybook ending would garner him the league's Most Valuable Player award and provide a fitting end to his playing career as he retired at the end of that season. An All-America selection at Oregon, he went on to participate in 10 Pro Bowls and throw for 23,611 yards and 173 touchdowns in 12 seasons. He was born March 15, 1926 in Eagle Butte, SD.
Pete Pihos, End 1947-55, Inducted in 1970 - A member of the Eagles' 1948 and 1949 championship teams, Pihos enjoyed a career that included six trips to the Pro Bowl and three straight seasons leading the NFL in receptions. He may be best remembered for his game-winning catch in the 1949 NFL Championship game against the Rams. A third-round draft choice by the Eagles out of Indiana in 1945, he caught 373 passes and 61 touchdowns during his career in Philadelphia. He was born on October 22, 1923 in Orlando, FL.
Earl "Greasy" Neale, head coach 1941-50, Inducted 1969 - After coaching extensively on the collegiate level at Marietta, Washington and Jefferson (1922 Rose Bowl team), Virginia and West Virginia, Neale broke into the NFL in 1941 and quickly turned the Eagles into contenders. He captured three straight Eastern Division crowns and back-to-back NFL championships in 1948 and 1949. Neale was recognized as a master of the T formation. From 1918-22, he was an outfielder with the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies. Neale was born in Parkersburg, WV, on November 2, 1891.
Alex Wojciechowicz, Center 1946-50, Inducted 1968 - A two-time All-America selection at Fordham where he was the center on the famed "Seven Blocks of Granite" line, Wojciechowicz was the Lions top draft pick in 1938. One of football's original "iron men," he joined the Eagles in 1946 as a linebacker and helped the Eagles capture back-to-back NFL championships in 1948 and '49. Born in August 12, 1915, in South River, NJ, he organized the NFL Alumni Association.
Chuck Bednarik, Center/Linebacker, 1949-62, Inducted in 1967 - "Concrete Charley" played in 253 games during his illustrious 14-year career. He also played in a team record eight Pro Bowls. Although the Eagles won the NFL Championship in 1949, his rookie year, Bednarik's star shined brightest in 1960 when he played every minute at both center and linebacker during the NFL Championship victory over Green Bay. Born May 1, 1925, in Bethlehem, PA, he was an All-America selection at Pennsylvania in 1948 before being selected with the first overall draft choice by the Eagles in 1949.
Steve Van Buren, Halfback 1944-51, Inducted in 1965 - The Eagles first round draft choice (5th overall) out of LSU in 1944, Van Buren signed his first contract (for $4,000) with a team that had never finished above fourth place. Three straight division titles and back-to-back NFL Championships (in 1948 and 1949) later, Van Buren had cemented his place as one of the most talented backs ever. Nicknamed "Wham-Bam" for his quick and punishing running style, he captured the NFL rushing title four times. In the 1948 title game against the Cardinals, he scored the game's only touchdown in a blinding snowstorm. A year later, he waded through mud and torrential rains in the Los Angeles Coliseum to rush for 196 yards against the Rams in the title game. His 205 yards rushing against Pittsburgh in 1949 is still a club record. He finished his career with 5,860 rushing yards and 77 touchdowns. A five-time all-pro, he was selected to the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team in 1994. Born December 28, 1920, in LaCeiba, Honduras.
Bert Bell, Owner 1933-40, Inducted in 1963 - As the first owner of the Eagles (1933-40), co-owner of the Steelers (1941-46), and NFL commissioner (1946-59), Bell instituted the college draft and implemented TV policies, including the home game blackouts. In 1933, he moved the Frankford Yellowjackets to Philadelphia and renamed them the Eagles. In 1946, he moved the NFL office from Chicago to Bala Cynwyd, PA. Bell played and coached at Pennsylvania and led the Quakers to the Rose Bowl in 1916. A founder of the Maxwell Football Club, Bell was born February 25, 1895 in Philadelphia.
