An Eagles Hall of Fame Arm That Might Have Been—If Only They Had Kept Him
The Eagles lost a championship quarterback with the passing of HOF Quarterback Sonny Jurgensen at the age of ninety-one.
Jurgensen’s command of the field, coupled with an amazing arm, made him a force on the field.
It’s sometimes difficult to remember that 2018 wasn’t the only season when the Eagles had two quarterbacks on the roster capable of winning a championship. When Nick Foles became the first-ever quarterback to win a Super Bowl in Philadelphia , everyone wondered what would happen to Carson Wentz.
Fifty-seven years earlier — the Eagles won another championship with Norm Van Brocklin — “The Dutchman” under center.
On the Eagles sideline was Sonny Jurgensen.
Jurgensen was drafted by the Eagles in 1957. When Van Brocklin retired after winning the Championship in 1960, Jurgensen became the starter. After a season as an NFL passing leader and record setter with 3,723 yards in 1961 — on April 1st, 1964 — the Eagles traded him to the Washington Redskins in return for Norm Snead and defensive back Claude Crabb.
Sonny Jurgensen would play 10 more years for Washington through 1974, including a short stint under Coach Vince Lombardi. Jurgensen is considered by many to be the best pure passer of all time. His last game was a playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. Neither Claude Crabb nor Norm Snead could stop the Eagles from falling into the cellar.
They would not be relevant again until the mid-1970s when Dick Vermeil took the job as Head Coach.
For Jurgensen, who gave up giving post-game interviews because he once returned, all of the beer was gone — will always be remembered from the Eagles team that drafted him and the 1960 Championship Team that he will always be a part of.
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Categorized:Eagles News Unique Columns