James Bradberry & six other Eagles to wear the number 24 jersey
- It's hard to tell the Eagles story without bringing up the guys that played here.
- Many of the franchise's colorful characters have rocked the number 24 jersey.
- Here's a tip of the cap to James Bradberry and a few others.
Sheldon Brown, defensive back
The Eagles were looking to add depth to their secondary during the 2002 NFL Draft (and eventual replacements for Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent), and that's what they found with their first three picks:
Lito Sheppard was their first-round choice, and in Round 2, they landed safety Michael Lewis and cornerback Sheldon Brown. They also added Brian Westbrook in Round 3. Wow... What if every draft could play out like that one.
Brown wore the number 39 jersey as a rookie as 24 was already claimed by safety Blaine Bishop, but he switched to 24 during his sophomore season, eventually stepped into the starters role, and went on to start 98 games as an Eagles and another ten during the postseason.
In his first season with Philly, the South Carolina native snagged two interceptions, broke up four pass attempts, forced a fumble, and registered a sack in 16 games. From 2003 to 2007, he snagged 11 interceptions. Two he returned for touchdowns. He also broke up 79 passes, forced four fumbles, recovered one fumble, recorded five sacks, and stuck his head in on 253 tackles. He led the Eagles in interceptions in 2004 and 2007.
The hard-hitting defensive back would continue to deliver in his final two seasons with the Eagles. He racked up six interceptions, scored on a pick-six, forced two fumbles, recovered one fumble, and returned a fumble for a TD. He also registered a sack and collected 85 tackles. His final three seasons were played in Cleveland with the Browns.