Philadelphia Eagles players all-time Mount Rushmore

By Brad Weiss | May 19, 2020

PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Former Philadelphia Eagles line backer Chuck Bednarik #60 waves to the crowd at halftime ceremonies during a game against the Green Bay Packers on September 12, 2010 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Packers won 27-20. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Philadelphia Eagles/Getty Images) /

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Chuck Bendarik (Photo by Robert Riger/Getty Images) /

Chuck Bednarik, LB (1949-1962)

The Eagles made Chuck Bednarik the No. 1 overall pick in the 1949 NFL Draft out of UPenn, keeping the star local, and he certainly paid the franchise back. One of the last of the Minute Men, Bednarik starred as both a linebacker and center for the Eagles, helping them to two NFL Championships.

Playing his entire career as an Eagle, Bednarik became one of the more storied players in team history, earning a spot on the NFL’s 50th, 75th, and 100th Anniversary Teams. A devastating player on both sides of the ball, he was named the best center of his day, and was viewed as one of the more vicious tacklers in the league.

The 1960 season was a memorable one for Bednarik, as he not only knocked Frank Gifford out for 18 months, but also had the final tackle in the team’s last championship before the merger. Bednarik played nearly every minute of that victory over the Green Bay Packers, cementing his legacy as one of the more durable, and productive players in team history.

Overall, Bednarik missed only three games during his entire career, a span of 14 seasons, and was named an All-Pro nine times. Rightfully so, the Eagles retired his No. 60, and enshrined him in the team’s Hall of Fame, adding that honor to him already being selected to both the College Football, and Pro Hall of Fames.

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