4 legendary Eagles running backs Philadelphia selected after round one
. . Wilbert Montgomery. 31. player. 54.
Before Shady, Duce, and Brian Westbrook, there was Wilbert Montgomery, a fan favorite and a franchise legend.
In 1977, the Eagles were on the lookout for a feature back, one that could fill a huge hole and obvious area of need. Look at it this way. The only player they had that eclipsed the 500-yard rushing threshold during the 1976 season was a fullback, Mike Hogan.
The 17-round 1977 NFL Draft arrived. Philadelphia traded their first four picks and took a flier on Wilbert Montgomery (Abilene Christian) as their choice during Round 6.
How did that work out? Montgomery was the first of two halfbacks the Birds chose (Cleveland Franklin was the other), but he was the one who made an impact.
During his rookie season, Wilbert didn’t craft superstar numbers (183 rushing yards with two touchdowns in 14 games.), but he caught fire and didn’t look back.
In years two and three, he shined brightly, and 2,732 rushing yards with 18 touchdowns in 30 games were the results. He earned back-to-back Pro Bowl trips for those numbers.
During the next five seasons of what became one of the most memorable careers in franchise history, Montgomery recorded 3,623 rushing yards with 25 touchdowns, and while he concluded his career in Detroit, he walked off into the sunset as the Eagles’ career rushing leader at the time with 6,538 yards on his resume.
His accomplishments
- 2× Second-team All-Pro (1978, 1979)
- Two-time Pro Bowler (1978, 1979)
- Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Decades later, LeSean McCoy would move into first place in franchise history as the team’s all-time leading rusher, but Wilbert’s place in Eagles lore is secure. He’s still a fan favorite and a two-time Super Bowl Champion as a coach (XXXIV, XLVII). That’s pretty impressive for a sixth-round draft choice. If any player winds up being half as good, they’ll be pretty successful.
