5 Former Eagles Who (Should) Be Hall of Fame Bound
Eagles legendary wide receiver Harold Carmichael got the call he’s been waiting for decades when he was that he will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as one of the 15 members of the centennial class.
Him and Tommy McDonald are considered the greatest receivers in franchise history. He’s the all-time leader in franchise history in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He finished his NFL career with 590 receptions for 8,985 yards and 79 touchdowns. His height had him as a disadvantage for defenses as he became one of the first red zone threats with his 6 foot 8 inch stature.
This brings up an interesting argument about other former Eagles who are the next ones to receive the call to the hall. We have recently seen some that are clear cut hall of famers and others that will be debated by everyone.
Let’s examine those that are currently retired and will have consideration for Canton for years to come.
Donovan McNabb, Quarterback
Donovan McNabb will be debated for years on whether he should be in the hall of fame or not. McNabb became only the fourth quarterback in NFL history to record over 30,000 passing yards, 200 passing touchdowns, 3,000 rushing yards, and 20 touchdowns in his career. He went to six Pro Bowls in his career while being the team’s all time leading passer.
His biggest faults in his career were that he was injured too many times and struggled in big games. His ability to scramble out of the pocket made him a weapon in his earlier years. He also was able to take care of the ball effectively and display great arm strength despite never having great weapons around him in the receiving core outside of Terrell Owens, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin.
For years, McNabb was considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and was on plenty of really good Eagles teams.
He was even considered for years to have carried the team on his back with subpar receivers. The issues lie with him never winning a Super Bowl, an NFL MVP, and his off the field issues with DUIs. This could be a case where he will eventually get in, but he will be debated among sports writers for a long time. His stats show that, compared to other quarterbacks, he should be in the hall of fame, but there are others that deserve it before him.
Brian Westbrook, Running Back
Brian Westbrook has had a similar career to Marshall Faulk’s as both were great runners and receivers at the same time. The big difference between the two that earlier in his career, Westbrook was a great special teams returner including returning a game-winning touchdown against the Giants that helped boost his career. He was a key weapon for years in the Eagles offense as they loved running the screen pass with him and splitting him out as a receiver. Linebackers had trouble covering him with his speed and exceptional hands. He finished his career with 10,275 all-purpose yards and 71 touchdowns. He also made two Pro Bowls and was a First-Team All Pro in 2007.
Granted, he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he is considered one of the most underrated players in NFL history with his impact on the field. It may take some time and some working on from the committee by former players and teammates to speak on his defense, but no one can deny that when they game-planned for the Eagles offense, he was the guy they were keying on. He was a difference-maker in the offense and the reason that their offense was able to stay dominant without big-name targets in the passing game.
Troy Vincent, Cornerback
Known for being a good guy, Troy Vincent was a dominate shutdown corner for the Eagles in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Him and Brian Dawkins along with Bobby Taylor, and Al Harris were dominate in the 2000’s and considered one of the best secondary tandems around. He spent from 1996 to 2003 as the Eagles corner. In his NFL career, he recorded 47 interceptions, 12 forced fumbles and recoveries along with 794 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and three defensive touchdowns. He went to five Pro Bowls (all with the Eagles), was a First and Second-Team All Pro, and named the Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner in 2002.
What also makes him an intriguing choice for the hall of fame is that he now works for the NFL as the Head of Football Operations and his work off the field in the community as he is known for helping others. He’s meant a lot to the game and made a huge impact on the Eagles’ franchise. He will get his time to be a Hall of Famer, but he may have to wait some time as he continues his work in the NFL front office.
Randall Cunningham, Quarterback
He was a playmaker no one has ever seen. His speed, escape ability, arm strength, and punting skills made Randall Cunningham one of the greatest athletes to ever play football. His game in and game out impressed and shocked fans with plays they have never seen before. He came 58 rushing yards away from 1,000 yards on the ground in the 1990 season (at the time, that was unheard of). Cunningham threw for 29,979 yards, rushed for 4,928 yards and had a total of 242 touchdowns.
His big issue is that he never took any team to the Super Bowl despite being close with the Minnesota Vikings late in his career. He struggled in the playoffs in his career and at times had struggled to stay on the field as he started at least 14 games only three times in his last 10 seasons in the NFL.
Statistically, the hall of fame can’t leave him out of it for too long as his numbers are unique to what fans have ever seen from a quarterback. He also transformed the quarterback position in showing a new breed of quarterback that can pass and run the ball. He changed the game and changed the way defenses prepared for offenses as you saw more quarterback spies with linebackers being assigned to watch the quarterback. That’s mainly because of guys like Cunningham who made life miserable for defenses.
David Akers, Kicker
Talk about a player that many Eagle fans appreciate for his consistency and showing up in big moments. David Akers owns many NFL records including points in a single decade (2000–2009) with 1,169, most points in a season with no touchdowns with 166, most games with 4 or more field goals in a season with six, most games with ten or more points in a season with ten, field goals in an NFL season with 44 field goals and most attempted in an NFL season with 52. Akers also made six Pro Bowls, named to two First-Team All Pro teams, and four Second-Team All Pro teams.
Only five kickers in NFL history have made the hall of fame so it seems like a long shot for Akers to make it, but statistically, he was one of the best for years and helped the Eagles win a lot of games. He deserves a strong look at as more and more kickers are gaining attention and respect.
This would take a long time for it to happen, but if there were to be a kicker to consider to go to the hall of fame, Akers has to be up there on the list to be considered.
Featured Image: Clem Murray/AP
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