A Philadelphia Tradition: Eagles Training Camp
I still remember grandpop recalling it as vividly fifty years after as it was to him on that very day.
The Philadelphia Eagles — only having come into existence two years previously in 1933 — had moved Training Camp from Atlantic City, New Jersey to Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia. A short bus ride from West Philadelphia , he set out with a boxed lunch to get a glimpse of the 1935 Eagles.
In 1935 , the world was a different place, and football was no exception. Training Camp wasn’t just a place to study playbooks — it was a time to get back into shape, as many players had offseason jobs—Eagles like (Defensive End Bill Hewitt, who worked as a repairman at a service station. The Eagles began life in 1933 with two seasons at a resort in New Jersey. What awaited fans like Grandpop at Chestnut Hill Academy was a chance to see the team’s practice, to get right up next to the field, and even an opportunity for interaction with players.
The Eagles would only practice at Chestnut Hill Academy for one season before moving to Temple University in 1936–1937. In 1938 and 1940, and then again between 1944 and 1945— they practiced at what would become West Chester — which was known at the time as West Chester State Teachers College. In 1939 and 1943 , the Eagles trained at St. Joseph’s College. They even called a high school in Wisconsin home between 1941 and 1942.
During the first championship years for the Eagles between 1948 and 1949 , they began summer practices outside of Pennsylvania. Right after the Second World War (1946–1948 ) , Philadelphia traveled to Saranac High School in Saranac Lake, New York. Between 1949 and 1950 , the first NFL team to win a World Championship on the West Coast with a summer start at the University of Minnesota, North Central Agricultural School.
Starting in 1951 , the Eagles began a tradition of more permanent destinations for Training Camp locations. Between (1951 and 1967) — the Eagles would begin some sixteen NFL seasons in Hershey, PA. They even made Reading their home while utilizing the facilities at Albright College from 1968 to 1972. Between 1973 and 1979 , Philadelphia even utilized Widener University. Between the years of 1980 and ending in 1995 — the Eagles even returned to the University of West Chester after thirty-five years. And then for seventeen years, Lehigh University in Bethlehem was the site of Training Camp for the entire Andy Reid Era in Philadelphia. It was August of 2012 when Reid’s oldest son, Garrett, was found dead at Lehigh University as a result of an overdose of drugs.
Finally, in 2013 — just in time for the arrival of Coach Chip Kelly — the Eagles joined the growing trend of NFL Teams staying at home in their own Facilities at the Novacare Complex for the yearly Training Camp.
Today , Philadelphia hosts only one open practice during August at Lincoln Financial Field. Unlike ninety years ago in 1935 , security and crowd control now dominate the experience.
Fans are packed into stands, and interaction with players is limited.
Like that 1935 experience that my grandpop had in Chestnut Hill — the chance to see the Philadelphia Eagles before the start of the season — is the pinnacle of excitement for Eagles fans.
That excitement hasn’t changed one bit.
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.