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Tag: Tommy Thompson

  • The Young Guns – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Young Guns – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Photo Courtesy of Eagles Nation on X.

    Braelon Allen Is Now In Select Company With a Few Other NFL Players. One of Them Was An Eagle.

    Last week — Fond Du Lac’s 20-year old Braelon Allen became the youngest player in NFL history to score a touchdown from scrimmage in an NFL game in 94 years, and to do both in an NFL game — ever. He is now in the NFL record books with ageless former Green Bay Packers and New York Giants quarterback Arnie Herber — who set his record in 1930.

    As with many historical NFL connections, this one also has an Eagles connection.

    Many from the Great generation remember former Giants Coach Allie Sherman. Ever fewer may remember Sherman as an Eagles player. Former Eagles Head Coach Earl “Greasy” Neale gave Sherman a spot on the Eagles roster in 1943 right out of Brooklyn College. In his rookie season, Sherman was both an Eagle and a Steeler when the two teams combined for one season in 1943 due to a player shortage because of World War II.

    Right after the War, as the Eagles began to get better and to build momentum in the winning direction. Playing defensive back and also quarterback for the Eagles — Sherman competed with Tommy Thompson for the starting quarterback role and helped to guide the Eagles to an 8–4 record and a 21–0 win in the playoffs against the Steelers. In the 1947 NFL Championship Game they fell short by one possession at the very end despite a furious comeback in St. Louis. Allie Sherman was also just twenty years old when he scored his first touchdown from scrimmage.

     Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons.

    With Thompson as the starting quarterback, Sherman left the Eagles for retirement and a Head Coaching position in 1948 and would become the New York Giants Head Coach in 1961. He would also go on to be a pioneer of TV Broadcasting for NFL Games and even ESPN. If Sherman had stayed with the Eagles for two more seasons — he would have won two championships.

    Back in Tennessee — where the Titans had the misfortune of being the home team as Braelon Allen exploited the defense both by air and by ground and wrote himself into the record books — the quarterback who gave him the football for both scores was none other than 40-year old Aaron Rodgers.

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    Michael Thomas Leibrandt

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  • What Philly’s Never Had – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    What Philly’s Never Had – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Photo Courtesy of Eagles Nation on X.

    In One Hundred Years of Football We’ve Seen It All on the Field. Almost.

    When you’ve had professional football in your city limits for a century — chances are you haven’t missed much. But if Philly football is asking for a gift from Santa in September— here is something to wish for.

    Since 1924, The Philadelphia Eagles and Frankford Yellow Jackets gave Philadelphia some incredible moments. No, we don’t have ten Super Bowl trophies or three dynasty’s. What we do have, are some cherished moments of exhilaration for one of America’s most important original cities.

    We’ve seen devastating defenses like the 1991 Gang Green and the Jim Johnson aggressive scheme of the early 2000s. We’ve seen miracle seasons that seemed to come out of nowhere like 1960 and 2017. We’ve seen dominating performances when it seemed like our teams were almost unbeatable like the 1948–1949 Eagles and the 1926 Frankford Yellow Jackets. And we’ve seen such pulsating physical performances that added the the lore of Veterans Stadium that no away team wanted to visit.

    Photo Courtesy of Eagles Nation on X.

    But what Philadelphia has never seen is a quarterback who wasn’t just good enough to win the Super Bowl, but to take the Eagles back there for years to come. Many thought that the Eagles had that quarterback in Donovan McNabb, Ron Jaworski, or Randall Cunningham. But injuries, changes in coaching, as well as squandered opportunities meant that none of the Philly quarterbacks saw even one championship.

    The one time that Philly football had a signal caller that brought the Eagles multiple shiny reminders in the trophy case was Tommy Thompson. Thompson led the Eagles to championships in 1948 and 1949. They should have had one in 1947. Just like in 2022.

    Aside from Thompson, only Nick Foles, Harry Homan, and Norm Van Brocklin have won championships as NFL Quarterbacks in Philadelphia.

    None have been able to repeat.

    If Kellan Moore and Nick Sirianni can get Jalen Hurts to be the nearly unstoppable force that he was in 2022–2023, then the quarterback who came one possession from Super Bowl glory can capture his first Super Bowl title at age 26 with perhaps a decade left in his career for many more.

    If, and only if.

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    Michael Thomas Leibrandt

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  • A Fourth Year Frenzy – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    A Fourth Year Frenzy – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    For the Eagles Quarterbacks and For Philly, It’s A Fourth Year Fenzy.

    During the 2020 season — in a frigid December game in Green Bay — the Eagles brought the Carson Wentz Era came to an end when he was sent to the bench in favor of rookie Jalen Hurts. The move wasn’t just because Wentz had become increasing resistant to coaching, molding, and mentorship, or that he had shown selfishness instead of selflessness as documented in a video postgame showing a jubilant Eagles locker room after winning Super Bowl LII while Wentz put his head in his hands. It wasn’t even because he had seethed at the selection of Hurts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft just four years after the Eagles traded up to the first pick to select the North Dakota State product in the 2016 NFL Draft.

    It was all of the above.

    By the start of Training Camp in 2021 both Wentz and Doug Pederson were gone, and Jalen Hurts was the Eagles anointed starter. The Eagles were now his team. Over the next three seasons, Hurts guided the Eagles to three playoff appearances, one NFC Championship, and one Super Bowl.

    History shows us that for franchise Eagles quarterbacks — year four is a tremendous ride.

    Tommy Thompson — In a league where running, not passing was the road to a championship, the vision-impaired Thompson returned to the Eagles in 1945 and became the starter in 1946 to lead the Eagles offense through the air. By 1949, the Eagles were at the top of the NFL and Thompson was a two-time NFL passing leader.

    Photo Courtesy of Eagles Nation on X.

    Ron Jaworski — When Jaworski was traded to the Eagles in 1977, he would join Dick Vermeil’s improving Eagles and lead them the playoffs in four straight seasons. In 1980, the Eagles would make it to the Super Bowl with Jaworski at the helm of an offense including Wilbert Montgomery and Harold CarMichael. The Eagles would not challenge for a championship again for nearly 25 years.

    Photo Courtesy of Eagles Nation on X.

    Randall Cunningham — Perhaps the most athletic quarterback of any ever in Philadelphia, Randall was never surrounded by offensive talent. In 1989 he rushed for 621 yards, threw for 3,400, and accounted for 25 touchdowns while leading the Eagles to the playoffs.

    Donovan McNabb — Although Donovan McNabb became the Eagles franchise quarterback in 1999, his first full season wasn’t until 2000 as a starting quarterback. In 2004, with the addition of Terrell Owens along with Javon Kearse, McNabb and the Eagles defeated the Patriots to advance to Super Bowl XXXIX. That season, McNabb threw 31 touchdown passes for 3,874 yards and had a passer rating of 104.7.

    Photo Courtesy of Eagles Nation on X.

    In 2017, a former Andy Reid draft pick arrived back in Philadelphia after contemplating retirement. The 2017 season would be his fourth as an Eagle, two with Chip Kelly and one under Andy Reid. By the end of the 2018 Super Bowl, he’d be a World Champion.

    His name is Nick Foles.

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    Michael Thomas Leibrandt

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