Eagles Great Chuck Bednarik Has Passed

Former Philadelphia Eagle and Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik sits on the sideline before the NFL game between the San Diego Chargers and the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia. The Chargers won 33-30. (AP Photo/Brian Garfinkel)

Chuck Bednarik — Eagles great, Pro Football Hall of Famer, and the last two-way player in the NFL — has reportedly passed away at age 89.

“With the passing of Chuck Bednarik, the Eagles and our fans have lost a legend,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement at the team’s website. “Philadelphia fans grow up expecting toughness, all-out effort and a workmanlike attitude from this team and so much of that image has its roots in the way Chuck played the game. He was a Hall of Famer, a champion and an all-time Eagle. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this time.”

Aside from his overall career, Bednarik was known for a couple of things: The devastating hit he put on Frank Gifford during a 1960 game and how football had destroyed his hands.

He was also a member of the Eagles last championship team, in 1960, and was proud of that fact: “As far as I’m concerned, the 1960 team is the championship team, and I hope it remains the last team to win the championship,” he told Philly Mag in 2008.

Other quotes from that piece:

Of all the honors I got, getting inducted into the Hall of Fame is probably the biggest. And of course the 1960 championship, where I played the entire game except for one minute and made the game-saving tackle on Jim Taylor.

These guys today are a bunch of cocky SOBs. Overpaid and underplayed multimillionaires. They stay there for three minutes and they’re sucking for air. God almighty.

I could relive Franklin Field forever. Every Saturday, 78,800 people. It was unbelievable, the crowds that we had.

I sold my championship ring for $5,000. For me, $5,000 is a lot, and I figured I don’t need the ring.

Here’s a great little documentary about Bednarik’s life: