4 Philadelphia Eagles legends named among HOF finalists: 3 Reactions
1. How is it possible that Wistert, Vermeil, Kilroy, and Carmichael weren’t voted in before now?
Some of you are probably asking yourselves how Carmichael, Kilroy, and Wistert aren’t already in, and you wouldn’t be wrong to do so. It’s easy to just take for granted that they already enshrined. That isn’t the case though, but no one would offer a rebuttable if you were to make an argument for why they should be included in the final announcement for the guys who get in as part of the 2020 class.
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The ‘Ox’, Al Wistert was a member of the 1948 and 1948 Eagles Championship teams, as was Kilroy. Wistert played in 95 games and started in 84 of them. Kilroy was actually a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Eagles hybrid Steagles in 1943 and played every single one of his remaining 12 seasons in Eagles green before returning to serve as a scout from 1960 to 1961.
Both are members of the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team, and in the case of Wistert, he’s the reason no one will ever wear the number 70 for the Eagles again. Kilroy is being given consideration as a ‘contributor’.
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Carmichael snagged 590 receptions for 8,985 yards and reached the end zone 79 times in his career. He’s also a member of the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team and the Eagles’75th anniversary team.
Dick Vermeil helped turn the Eagles around, changing the culture and leading them to a 54-47 win-loss record and helping the ‘Birds’ reach their first Super Bowl in the 1980-81 season.
He won the Pro Football Weekly NFL Coach of the Year in 1979 and in 1999 (that second one was with the Kansas City Chiefs). He also was given the nod as a two-time Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year (also in 1979 and 1999), and he was named the UPI NFC Coach of the Year in 1978.
All are in the Eagles Hall of Fame, minus Kilroy. All deserve to be enshrined in Canton.