Of the four, Staley was the most accomplished as a player. As players, all shared a passion for the game. None was projected to be as successful in the NFL as they were. Having earned millions in the NFL, fully vested for their pensions, none does this job for the money.
Now, they project that passion onto a painfully young crop of Birds, all familiar with the Eagles' power structure and the philosophy, and grateful for the chance to learn at the feet of Andy Reid, whose coaching tree grows yearly.
"They've brought good energy," said Reid, who expects to have all four back this year. "They're familiar with the system, so they've been great for the players. They're learning the profession. That's a tough thing to do."
Reid coached Staley, Pederson and Caldwell. When they left the Eagles, he let them know they would be welcome to join him on the sideline if ever they wanted back in. He never coached Zordich, but he knew that Zordich was the quarterback of Ray Rhodes' defense; Reid succeeded Rhodes as the Eagles' head coach after both rose to prominence on the Packers staff.
Rhodes and Reid beat the odds and became part of the NFL's fabric. They gave their lives to the league. For now, this quartet hopes to do the same.
"They've all got great capacity. The sky's the limit for them," Reid said. "They've just got to keep growing in the business."
This is how they got planted in this side of the business.
Duce Staley
Staley spent the past 3 years hosting a sports talk-radio show in his native South Carolina and putting off David Culley.
Culley, the Eagles' wide-receivers coach, had hounded Staley to coach in the NFL since Staley's playing career ended in 2006. Family issues kept him from biting.
This year, at training camp, he nibbled.
Now, he cannot satisfy his hunger.
