4 legendary Eagles running backs Philadelphia selected after round one
. Running Back. Mountaineers . Tom Woodeshick. 37. player. 877
The Eagles found Woodeshick in the eighth round of the NFL Draft in 1963.
The 1963 NFL Draft lasted 20 rounds. In the eighth, Philadelphia selected West Virginia University’s Tom Woodeshick who was also a 4th-round choice of the Buffalo Bills in that year’s AFL Draft. Mr. Popularity chose to suit up for the Eagles and rushed for a grand total of 18 yards in 14 games during his rookie season.
Fear not ladies and gents. The story gets better. Things definitely got better.
Four seasons later, Tom began to impress. He racked up 670 rushing yards with six rushing touchdowns and 391 receiving yards with four touchdowns while playing in 14 games during the 1967 season. His best season with Philadelphia came one year later.
In 1968, he tallied 947 rushing yards with three touchdowns and added another 328 yards to the tally as a receiver. He was named to the Pro Bowl roster for his efforts, and even though his numbers dwindled in 1971 (188 yards rushing and only 36 yards receiving), he ended his nine-year run in Philly with 3,563 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, 1,173 yards through the air, and six trips to the end zone as a receiver.
Tom would play one more year in the NFL with St. Louis Cardinals, but he’s forever an Eagle. His 3,563 yards on the ground currently rank as the tenth-highest career total in franchise history.