Pete Pihos

7 Pete Pihos. His opposition was a kid, some poor rookie who wasn't used to Pete Pihos' pirouettes and pivots. During a training camp practice in 1954, Pihos embarrassed the rookie after he somehow broke free, corralled the football, and dashed downfield for a touchdown. "Don't let that bother you, son," Eagles coach Jim Trimble said. "Pete can do that to any back in this league. " Certainly in his day, Pihos was the most feared wide receiver - or end - in the NFL. A fullback at Indiana, Pihos was the Eagles' third-round pick in 1945, and went on to play for the Birds from 1947 until 1955, when he retired at the age of 32 to focus on his day job as a salesman.

The photograph, one of those grainy black-and-white publicity shots that was popular at the time, is 50, maybe 60 years old. It is of a football player, a Philadelphia Eagle, who is helmetless but with shoulders that can barely make it through a doorway. A ball is tucked in the crook of his right arm and his left hand is balled into a fist, and the way he tilts forward suggests that a collision, a head-on, is imminent. And he is grinning a crooked grin that suggests that, why yes, a head-on collision would suit him just fine, thank you very much.

BETHLEHEM - As the Eagles wrapped up training camp at Lehigh, they announced the passing of one of their all-time greats, Hall of Fame receiver Pete Pihos. Pihos, 87, died yesterday morning from complications of Alzheimer's disease in Winston-Salem, N.C. He led the NFL in receptions in 1953, '54 and '55 and went to the Pro Bowl six times in his 9-year career, all of it with the Eagles. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the Pihos family for the loss of Pete, who was one of the all-time great Philadelphia Eagles," coach Andy Reid said.

"Slants," Eagles fullback Anthony Toney called them. "Stunts," right guard Ron Baker called them. Whatever they're called, the St. Louis Cardinals' defensive line was doing them. And whatever they were, Toney and Baker thought they were a big reason the Eagles had such trouble running the ball during their 31-19 loss. "They were just doing some kind of slants," Toney said. "We'd run a play, and they were right there . . . They were just getting lucky on their defensive calls.

Eagles Hall of Fame wide receiver Pete Pihos died early Tuesday at age 87 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Mr. Pihos passed away at 1:40 a.m. at Grace Healthcare in Winston-Salem, N.C., according to the Eagles. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the Pihos family for the loss of Pete, who was one of the all-time great Philadelphia Eagles," coach Andy Reid said from Bethlehem, Pa., as the Eagles broke training camp. "Again, condolences to his family. A Hall of Famer, man, unbelievable.

54 -- Peters, Floyd | Defensive Tackle | With Eagles: 1964-69, Discarded by three teams before becoming an Eagle for six seasons, Peters reached the Pro Bowl in 1965, 1967 and 1968 - a very good player on not-so-good teams. Recruited by Dick Vermeil at UCLA, the three-time all-American was the Eagles' first-round pick in 1979, won NFL defensive-rookie-of-the- year honors, and led the Birds in tackles three times. Having played neither high school nor college football, Ferrante emerged from the Philadelphia sandlots to become a dangerous two-way end, with 31 TDs among his 169 career receptions.

Two generations of Philadelphia Eagles - the NFL champions and the wanna- be's - passed in the tunnel leading to the Veterans Stadium field yesterday. Thirty-three members of the 1948 and 1949 Eagles' title teams were leaving the field after being introduced to the crowd at halftime. The current Eagles were on their way from the locker room to resume the game with the Los Angeles Rams. The score was tied, 10-10. As the two groups passed, Alex Wojciechowicz, center and linebacker on the 1948 and '49 teams, snapped at Buddy Ryan and company: "Let's go, fellas.

Pick, the editor-man ordered. Pick the greatest Eagles team ever as part of the observance of 75 years of Birds. Go on, pick. Not as easy as it might appear at first blush. Not even for a franchise that has had more losing seasons than winning, whose record for its existence is still under .500. And doubly difficult because, as the wiseacre editor-man suggested: "I'm guessing you haven't seen them all . " Oh-har-de-har-har. Each generation of Eagles zealots has had its heroes.

Former Philadelphia quarterback Tommy Thompson, 72, who led the Eagles to NFL championships in 1948 and 1949, died yesterday at his home in Calico Rock, Ark. Mr. Thompson died at home about 12:50 p.m. after fighting brain cancer for almost a year, according to his wife, Dodie. "He was looking great and had been sleeping," she said. "I went to the drugstore to pick up some medication, and when I came back he was gone. " Mr. Thompson, who ranks third behind Ron Jaworski and Norm Snead in all- time Eagles passing, joined the Eagles in 1941 and left two years later to serve in the Army during World War II. He returned to the team in 1945 and played through the 1950 season.

The Eagles were the defending Eastern Division champions in 1948, a team with four future Hall of Famers, yet they were 19-point underdogs to Chicago when the teams met at Shibe Park that October. An Eagles team with the great Steve Van Buren at halfback . . . playing at home . . . a 19-point underdog? Sounds far-fetched. But oddsmakers always have reasons, and they had them this time, as well. The Bears were 4-0 and considered the best team in football. They never had lost to the Eagles, not once in 11 meetings.

The photograph, one of those grainy black-and-white publicity shots that was popular at the time, is 50, maybe 60 years old. It is of a football player, a Philadelphia Eagle, who is helmetless but with shoulders that can barely make it through a doorway. A ball is tucked in the crook of his right arm and his left hand is balled into a fist, and the way he tilts forward suggests that a collision, a head-on, is imminent. And he is grinning a crooked grin that suggests that, why yes, a head-on collision would suit him just fine, thank you very much.

BETHLEHEM - As the Eagles wrapped up training camp at Lehigh, they announced the passing of one of their all-time greats, Hall of Fame receiver Pete Pihos. Pihos, 87, died yesterday morning from complications of Alzheimer's disease in Winston-Salem, N.C. He led the NFL in receptions in 1953, '54 and '55 and went to the Pro Bowl six times in his 9-year career, all of it with the Eagles. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the Pihos family for the loss of Pete, who was one of the all-time great Philadelphia Eagles," coach Andy Reid said.

Eagles Hall of Fame wide receiver Pete Pihos died early Tuesday at age 87 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Mr. Pihos passed away at 1:40 a.m. at Grace Healthcare in Winston-Salem, N.C., according to the Eagles. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the Pihos family for the loss of Pete, who was one of the all-time great Philadelphia Eagles," coach Andy Reid said from Bethlehem, Pa., as the Eagles broke training camp. "Again, condolences to his family. A Hall of Famer, man, unbelievable.

Eagles Hall of Fame wide receiver Pete Pihos died Tuesday at age 87 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Here is an excerpt of a chapter on Pihos from "Rugged and Enduring: The Eagles, The Browns and 5 Years of Football," from a book written by former Inquirer editor David Cohen, published in 2001 by Xlibris.   The Golden Greek The best prospects available in 1947 were mostly players who could have come out in 1946, but who chose to go back to college for another year.

Pick, the editor-man ordered. Pick the greatest Eagles team ever as part of the observance of 75 years of Birds. Go on, pick. Not as easy as it might appear at first blush. Not even for a franchise that has had more losing seasons than winning, whose record for its existence is still under .500. And doubly difficult because, as the wiseacre editor-man suggested: "I'm guessing you haven't seen them all . " Oh-har-de-har-har. Each generation of Eagles zealots has had its heroes.

54 -- Peters, Floyd | Defensive Tackle | With Eagles: 1964-69, Discarded by three teams before becoming an Eagle for six seasons, Peters reached the Pro Bowl in 1965, 1967 and 1968 - a very good player on not-so-good teams. Recruited by Dick Vermeil at UCLA, the three-time all-American was the Eagles' first-round pick in 1979, won NFL defensive-rookie-of-the- year honors, and led the Birds in tackles three times. Having played neither high school nor college football, Ferrante emerged from the Philadelphia sandlots to become a dangerous two-way end, with 31 TDs among his 169 career receptions.

7 Pete Pihos. His opposition was a kid, some poor rookie who wasn't used to Pete Pihos' pirouettes and pivots. During a training camp practice in 1954, Pihos embarrassed the rookie after he somehow broke free, corralled the football, and dashed downfield for a touchdown. "Don't let that bother you, son," Eagles coach Jim Trimble said. "Pete can do that to any back in this league. " Certainly in his day, Pihos was the most feared wide receiver - or end - in the NFL. A fullback at Indiana, Pihos was the Eagles' third-round pick in 1945, and went on to play for the Birds from 1947 until 1955, when he retired at the age of 32 to focus on his day job as a salesman.

The Eagles were the defending Eastern Division champions in 1948, a team with four future Hall of Famers, yet they were 19-point underdogs to Chicago when the teams met at Shibe Park that October. An Eagles team with the great Steve Van Buren at halfback . . . playing at home . . . a 19-point underdog? Sounds far-fetched. But oddsmakers always have reasons, and they had them this time, as well. The Bears were 4-0 and considered the best team in football. They never had lost to the Eagles, not once in 11 meetings.

Former Philadelphia quarterback Tommy Thompson, 72, who led the Eagles to NFL championships in 1948 and 1949, died yesterday at his home in Calico Rock, Ark. Mr. Thompson died at home about 12:50 p.m. after fighting brain cancer for almost a year, according to his wife, Dodie. "He was looking great and had been sleeping," she said. "I went to the drugstore to pick up some medication, and when I came back he was gone. " Mr. Thompson, who ranks third behind Ron Jaworski and Norm Snead in all- time Eagles passing, joined the Eagles in 1941 and left two years later to serve in the Army during World War II. He returned to the team in 1945 and played through the 1950 season.

Two generations of Philadelphia Eagles - the NFL champions and the wanna- be's - passed in the tunnel leading to the Veterans Stadium field yesterday. Thirty-three members of the 1948 and 1949 Eagles' title teams were leaving the field after being introduced to the crowd at halftime. The current Eagles were on their way from the locker room to resume the game with the Los Angeles Rams. The score was tied, 10-10. As the two groups passed, Alex Wojciechowicz, center and linebacker on the 1948 and '49 teams, snapped at Buddy Ryan and company: "Let's go, fellas.