5 Eagles make list of top ten professional athletes in Philadelphia

The City of Brotherly Love has a rich sports history… in all the professional sports. From the Flyers and Phillies to the 76ers and Philadelphia Eagles, every franchise and the legions of fans that follow them share a unique bond with one another.

They’re a tough bunch to satisfy, but once a great athlete finds his way into the hearts of the Philly sports fan, he’s there for life… even if he has no birth record. We’re talking about a city that built a statue for a fictional boxer ladies and gentlemen (Rocky Balboa).

Sure, we all love Rocky, but if there’s one area in which Philadelphia missed the mark, it’s in the decision to sculpt a statue bearing Rocky’s likeness BEFORE they built one for ‘Smoking’ Joe Frazier.

That’s another story for another day, but the point of all of this is as follows. The passion of a Philadelphia sports fan is unrivaled. Just look at the expression on someone’s face when they talk about Randall Cunningham or Allen Iverson. There’s nothing that compares, but above all else, Philly is a football town.

Everything outside of Eagles football is secondary. That’s a fact that was proven again recently.

Seven Eagles land on a list of the top sports stars in the city of Philadelphia.

In a recent well-written piece by 94 WIP-FM’s Joe Giglio, his top ten athletes in Philadelphia right now were revealed. Five Birds made the cut. Here’s the list:

1. Bryce Harper (Phillies)
2. Joel Embiid (76ers)
3. Jason Kelce
4. A.J. Brown
5. Zack Wheeler (Phillies)
6. Darius Slay
7. DeVonta Smith
8. Jalen Hurts
9. Aaron Nola (Phillies)
10. Tyrese Maxey (76ers)

Here are a few thoughts on the five Eagles named.

Jason Kelce

Perhaps the second most beloved Eagle of all time behind Brian Dawkins, there won’t be a dry eye among Birds fans when Jason Kelce hangs the cleats up for good. Might this be his final ride in the midnight green?

A.J. Brown

One of the newer Birds, it’s reasonable to argue that Eagles fans haven’t been this excited about an acquisition since a trade was made in 2004 to bring Terrell Owens to town. Philly’s welcomed A.J. Brown to town with open arms. It should be fun to watch him work in this offense.

Darius Slay

Many view the 30-year-old threshold as the time in which players should be led out to pasture. Darius Slay has aged like a fine wine though.

It seems like the regression should come at some point. It never does though, so we’re going to enjoy this for as long as it lasts.

DeVonta Smith

DeVonta Smith is exactly what the Eagles needed at a time when they most needed him to show up. The tenth-overall selection of the 2021 NFL Draft and the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner should enjoy a long and prosperous career in Philadelphia, especially now that A.J. Brown is on the other side of the offensive formation and taking the pressure off of him.

Jalen Hurts

The Eagles detached themselves from the Carson Wentz Wagon and hitched their immediate future to Jalen Hurts‘ train. Okay, so the term Hurts Train has never been used, and we’re stretching here. Still, the reason for Hurts’ inclusion on this list is easy to understand.

Football is our great nation’s most popular game, and the quarterback position might be the most recognizable in all of sports. Of course, QB1 is on the list