As part of a 1974 trade for veteran linebacker Bill Bergey, Philadelphia's first two picks of the 1978 NFL draft belonged to the Cincinnati Bengals. But the Eagles were still able to make the most out of their first choice, third-round selection Reggie Wilkes, a linebacker from Georgia Tech.
Moving into the starting lineup in just his third game, Wilkes was in on 88 tackles during the season and along with Bergey, co-led the team with five fumble recoveries.
"Of course you are nervous that you'll get out there and not perform at the level that you want to and disappoint teammates you're out there battling alongside of, but it was exciting," said Wilkes, who was named to the UPI and Pro Football Weekly All-Rookie teams. "You're focused on doing the right thing. It wasn't about being afraid because you'll get killed out there if you're afraid. I had gotten a great opportunity to play and took advantage of it."
Two seasons later, Wilkes and his teammates capped a 12-4 season by beating the longtime division rival Dallas Cowboys in the 1980 NFC Championship Game, 20-7, and earning their way to Super Bowl XV. In New Orleans, however, the Oakland Raiders squashed any hope that the Eagles had of bringing the Lombardi Trophy home by winning, 27-10.
"I was disappointed," Wilkes said. "People talked about us having sort of a lockdown in preparation for the Super Bowl and not really being able to let our hair down, but when we got out on the field it was just an amazing feeling being a part of such an experience. The height of success in professional football is playing in the Super Bowl. There's just no feeling like that. Just to be in something like that and representing your city and your state and your family, if you will, the coaching staff and your teammates, out there on the field ... I'm disappointed that we didn't win the thing, but it was just a great experience and something that I'll never forget."
Wilkes, who was with the Eagles for eight seasons [1978-85], continued. "Being a part of a winning team that made it to the Super Bowl is probably the sporting event that I'm most proud of because that really showed that we collectively as a defensive unit, offensive unit, special teams, the coaching staff, and the fans, all came together to make the thing work. I think a lot of players, even though they may get personal accolades like making the All-Rookie team or some guys who make the Pro Bowl, I think at the end of the day you mostly remember the big games that you were involved in like playoff games and the Super Bowl more than individual accomplishments."
Retiring after two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Wilkes decided to shelve a potential career in medicine. He had attended Temple University's School of Medicine during his first two offseasons with the Eagles, and is now firmly established in his second career as a vice president and senior financial advisor with Merrill Lynch in Philadelphia. He is involved primarily with clients who play and coach in the NFL and NBA.
"I met my wife in med school and sort of watched her go through all the transitions – from college to med school to residency and then fellowship – and I decided I wanted to go in a different direction," said Wilkes. "I knew I wanted to go into business and so I worked with Merrill my first time around for 10 years and developed a broker business in a several hundred million dollar range in terms of assets and management. And during that stint with Merrill, I developed a relationship with several professional players starting with Lance Johnstone, who was [a defensive end] out of Temple and was a second-round pick of the Raiders [in 1996]. And that sort of got me on the road of focusing in on a sports entertainment group."
After leaving Merrill Lynch, Wilkes and two partners began a registered investment advisory firm, Pro Cap, which specialized in investment and lifestyle management services for pro athletes. They then sold that business to Mercantile Trust Bank out of Baltimore, and Wilkes began its sports and entertainment division. He, however, returned to Merrill Lynch some 18 months ago.
"I have a group that's called the Wilkes Group, which includes Lance Johnstone as an associate, and we have 35 or more players and coaches that we provide advice to," Wilkes said. "The advice is not only financial, but it's also lifestyle-related advice that we think can help them overcome the statistic that a majority of NFL players, three years out of ball, are having financial difficulties. They're bankrupt for whatever reasons! And NBA players, five years out of the league, they're out of money! We hope to change that.
"One of the things that we are advocates of is having a team of advisors to separate the services and have oversight. Where no one person controls everything! That way at least eliminates the opportunity for fraud. And our motto has always been when we first start working with a player – 'start at the end at the beginning.' In other words, we try to get them to start thinking about their retirement at the very outset of their careers. What will happen when I retire? Will I have enough money to retire? When can I retire?
"It's not only how much you make; it's how much of a balance can you save as far as financial planning. For guys who have been around longer than others, it's education planning for their kids, estate planning. All of these things are very important to make sure that they are on a solid foundation throughout their careers and then after their career is over."
Wilkes makes his home in the Philadelphia area with his wife, Nina. A doctor, she is an associate professor at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where she is a radiologist specializing in women's imaging and obstetric radiology. They have two daughters: Reina, a recent graduate of Brown University; and Caroline, a sophomore at Tufts University.
