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It’s not a stretch, is it? It turns out that both Pennsylvania vying for the same top receiver in the NFL Draft doesn’t even scratch the surface of the history of the Eagles and the Steelers (better not make the phone call too early.) This Memorial Day — we remember that The Philadelphia Eagles were born out of tough times. They came to life during a Great Depression and rose to excellence after a World War. And they once had a roster packed with veterans.
Among the American forces that landed and fought their way up the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, and served all over the world in WWII were many Professional Football Players, like Eagles Center and Defensive Lineman Chuck Bednarik, who was a waist gunner in the Army Air Corps on a B-24 Bomber for 29 missions.
Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons.
Guard Jack Sanders (formerly a Pittsburgh Steeler) joined the Eagles in 1945 after losing a wrist and his left hand while fighting on Iwo Jima. Eagles Guard Bucko Kilroy served in the Merchant Marines during World War II.
The Eagles saw tragedy from the war, too. Kicker and halfback Michael M. “Nick” Basca was, a tank commander for the Third Army under George Patton, was killed in action. Harry Benson was killed in the Pacific Theater.
It’s now something of lore that a player shortage forced the Eagles to merge with the Steelers in 1943. The Steagles were 5–4–1. The Steelers were 7–4 in 1942. The Eagles, in their first decade of existence, on the other hand, had been a losing team — having not had a winning season since Bert Bell had created them in 1933.
Somewhere in the late 1940s — the Eagles ascended faster than the Steelers. The end of World War II was the beginning of the Eagles ascension to dominance in the late 1940s. The two teams would meet again in the NFL Playoffs in 1947 — a 21–0 win for the Eagles.
But what if the two teams had combined into one for a World Championship in the midst of World War II? Would we have launched the Pittsburgh to Philly rivalry that has lasted for decades? Would we have Swooped in to take one of the top talents in the 2026 Draft from our cross-state rivals? And would we have ever separated in 1943?
We’ll never know. But Happy Memorial Day, Philly. All the same.
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