A Wealth of Talent at the QB Position: Remembering Jack Crabtree
In the Howie Roseman Era, it’s not so difficult to imagine having a wealth of talent at one position, like quarterback.
In 2018 , two top talents combined their abilities to give the franchise its first-ever Super Bowl win. In 1960, the Eagles won the World Championship with two NFL Hall of Famers on the roster.
The 1958 Eagles season was yet another rare exception in the long history of the Eagles, which included a roster with a wealth of talent at the quarterback position. Philadelphia was trending up again after a difficult decade. The team already had acquired Norm Van Brocklin — a former Oregon Duck — who came over from a trade with the Los Angeles Rams.
Sonny Jurgensen was also 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.
One year after Jurgensen became an Eagle, Philadelphia selected Jack Crabtree from the University of Oregon in the 1958 NFL Draft. Crabtree became famous for almost upsetting Ohio State in the Rose Bowl that year. To this day, he is one of only two MVPs to ever win the award in a losing effort.
Ultimately, Crabtree initially chose the Army over playing in the NFL. He would return in 1960 to the Denver Broncos and, finally, to the Los Angeles Chargers before retiring.
In that same year , Van Brocklin and Jurgenson would win a World Championship with the Eagles.
The 1960 NFL Season would be the only one for Jack Crabtree. Instead, he made a career with Champion Sportswear.
Jack Crabtree passed away this week at the age of 90.
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