3 Philadelphia Eagles legends offer 3 great statements about Andy Reid

Recently, three legends of the Philadelphia Eagles family took time out to show their appreciation for ‘Big Red’ aka Andy Reid.

When it’s all said and done, there’s only one man that can claim to be the all-time winningest coach in Philadelphia Eagles history. As great as Greasy Neale was, he can’t say that. Neither can Dick Vermeil or Buddy Ryan. Neither can Doug Pederson. The only person that’s passed through the Eagles organization that can wave that flag is Andy Reid.

Sure, all win-loss totals aren’t created equal. Neale won Philly’s first two NFL Championships in 1948 and 1949. He also, with the help of Walt Kiesling, guided Philly through the ‘Steagles’ era, ten-game stretch in 1943 where both the Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers were forced to joining forces for fear that they wouldn’t have enough players to field a team. Guys were being drafted and leaving voluntarily to the armed forces as a Wold War was going on.

No one tried harder or cared more than Dick Vermeil. He got Philly to their first Super Bowl, but he didn’t win it, and then there’s Doug Pederson. He’s the guy that got the Eagles over the hump and erased decades of frustration, but here’s what’s awesome about Coach Reid.

He was the guy that introduced us all to Coach Pederson in the first place. It happened first as a player when Doug held down the starting quarterback role in Philly before a young Donovan McNabb took over. Then, ‘Big Red’ brought Pederson in as an offensive quality control coordinator in 2009 before promoting him to quarterbacks coach in 2011.

Recently, three Eagles legends hung out on 94 WIP-FM to share their love for Coach Reid. There was the aforementioned Dick Vermeil, who also coached the Kansas City Chiefs and won the Super Bowl as the head coach of what was then the Saint Louis Rams. He describes Coach Reid as “authentic” and says when he went back into coaching, Andy Reid was a mentor to him.

Really?

Merrill Reese has been the play-by-play announcer on the Eagles radio call since 1977 and never missed a game that ‘Big Red’ coached in. He says he’s firmly behind him in Super Bowl LIV. Jason Kelce, the author of the most famous speech in the history of victory parades, describes Coach Reid as a great coach and a great human being.

Then, just as a bonus, there’s one of the legends of Philly sports talk radio, Howard Eskin. There are times that it seems as though he has a difficult time finding anything nice to say about anybody, but even he throws his support behind Big Red. He says that the decision not to support Andy Reid is foolish.

All four interviews and more can be heard by clicking here.

Yes, Doug won Philly’s first Super Bowl, but ‘Big Red’ has his fingerprints all over that Lombardi Trophy. That’s why so many players and coaches love Andy Reid. That’s why when those of you who have never met him object to ‘Andy Reid Appreciation Day’, larger contingent steps in to defend him, and there’s no better source for finding out about who someone is than the people that actually know that person.

Some have even referenced his willingness to give second chances to players who have made questionable life decisions and bad choices as a character flaw, and that’s sad.

It’s almost hard to determine which is worse. Should we look at those people skeptically because you’re angry at him for being forgiving, or should reference your oversight of the possibility that you or someone you love may need forgiveness one day? Think about that for a moment when you have a second to do so.