Eagles•More PHL•News•Unique Columns
Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons. Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons.
Eagles faithful in Philadelphia aren’t just fans — they are fans for life. It’s an autumn obsession that has been passed down from generation to generation. In the summer — our grandfathers were in Chestnut Hill to see Traning Camp, our fathers were at Widener, and we made that devoted pilgrimage up Route 309 to Lehigh University. The younger generation now flocks to Lincoln Financial Field in August. When the games that count began — our grandfathers were at Shibe Park, our father’s were at Franklin Field, and we in South Philadelphia. Faithfully each year.
If you asked most in Philadelphia Eagles country about the most difficult period in the their respective periods of fandom — the answer is no doubt back when the Eagles were really bad and the Cowboys were really good. Which means that the 1970s and 1990s were a bit more than a bit hard to take.
The late 1960s and early 1970s — the Eagles weren’t very good and Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys were winning Super Bowls. One Eagles bright spot was tight end Charlie Young. A former 1972 National Champion with the USC Trojans — Young was a three-time Pro Bowler for the Eagles. After four seasons — Young was part of the swap with the Los Angeles Rams that sent Ron Jaworski to Philadelphia back in 1977.
If Charlie Young evokes fond memories from Eagles fans — the name of Craig Morton almost certainly will not. A former college standout (UC Berkley) and Cowboys quarterback is the first in NFL history to lead two NFL franchises to the two Super Bowls with two different teams. In October of 1969 — he even threw three first-half touchdowns against Philadelphia — on his way to a total of five in the 49–14 route. He was even part of a trade to the Giants and played against the Eagles in 1974.
This month — both Charlie Young and Craig Morton passed away. Both are enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
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Categorized:Eagles More PHL News Unique Columns
