1949 Philadelphia Eagles season
Encyclopedia
The 1949
Philadelphia Eagles
season, their 17th in the league
, resulted in winning the NFL Championship.
.
was held on December 21, 1948. It would be 25 rounds long. The Eagles had the Lottery Bonus Pick in the draft and picked 1st. The Eagles would choose 26 players total during this draft. They had the last pick in each round as all teams picked in exery round. The All-America Football Conference
was still a rival league and signing some of the NFL cast offs and draft picks.
With the Bonus and 1st Pick overall, the Eagles took a local hero from the University of Pennsylvania, a center and linebacker, Chuck Bednarik.
Along with him, the other future NFL Hall of Famers picked this year were Norm Van Brocklin
, George Blanda
, and Doak Walker
.
Not shown are acquired picks that the Eagles traded away.
. Blanda would score his last points against Philadelphia in is career 22 years and 1 day later on October 17, 1971. Blanda would have one of the longest pro football careers a total of 26 years.
League Leaders
1949 NFL season
The 1949 NFL season was the 30th regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, Boston Yanks owner Ted Collins asked the league to fold his team due to financial woes, and give him a new one in New York City...
Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
season, their 17th in the league
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, resulted in winning the NFL Championship.
Off Season
The Eagles hold training camp for the 1st time at UM North Central Agriculture school in Grand Rapids, MinnesotaGrand Rapids, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,764 people, 3,446 households, and 1,943 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,057.8 people per square mile . There were 3,621 housing units at an average density of 493.3 per square mile...
.
NFL Draft
The 1949 NFL Draft1949 NFL Draft
The 1949 National Football League Draft was held on December 21, 1948.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
was held on December 21, 1948. It would be 25 rounds long. The Eagles had the Lottery Bonus Pick in the draft and picked 1st. The Eagles would choose 26 players total during this draft. They had the last pick in each round as all teams picked in exery round. The All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
was still a rival league and signing some of the NFL cast offs and draft picks.
With the Bonus and 1st Pick overall, the Eagles took a local hero from the University of Pennsylvania, a center and linebacker, Chuck Bednarik.
Along with him, the other future NFL Hall of Famers picked this year were Norm Van Brocklin
Norm Van Brocklin
Norman Mack "Norm" Van Brocklin , nicknamed "The Dutchman", was an American football player and coach. He was also a first rate punter in college and in the NFL...
, George Blanda
George Blanda
George Frederick Blanda was a collegiate and professional football quarterback and placekicker...
, and Doak Walker
Doak Walker
Ewell Doak Walker, Jr. was an American football player who is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a teammate of Bobby Layne in high school and the NFL.-Early life:...
.
Player Selections
The table shows the Eagles selections and what picks they had that were traded away and the team that ended up with that pick. It is possible the Eagles' pick ended up with this team via another team that the Eagles made a trade with.Not shown are acquired picks that the Eagles traded away.
| = Pro Bowl Pro Bowl In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those... er |
= Hall of Fame Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees... r |
| Rd | Pick | Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Chuck Bednarik Chuck Bednarik Charles Philip Bednarik is a former professional American football player, known as one of the most devastating tacklers in the history of football and the last two-way player in the National Football League... (Lottery bonus pick) |
Center Center (American football) Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense... |
Pennsylvania Penn Quakers football The Penn Quakers football team is the college football team at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. The Penn Quakers have competed in the Ivy League since its inaugural season of 1956, and are currently a Division I Football Championship Subdivision member of the National... |
| 1 | 9 | Frank Tripucka Frank Tripucka Francis Joseph Tripucka is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback, at Notre Dame, in the National Football League, in the Canadian Football League, and in the early American Football League.-Notre Dame Fighting Irish:Tripucka was backup quarterback to Heisman Trophy... |
Quarterback | Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish football Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an... |
| 2 | 19 | Frank Burns | Back | Rutgers Rutgers Scarlet Knights football The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play... |
| 3 | 29 | Frank Ziegler Frank Ziegler Francis Richard Ziegler was an American football running back in the NFL who played for five seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles.... |
Back | Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
| 4 | 41 | Don Panciera Don Panciera Donald Matthew Panciera is a former American football quarterback, halfback, and defensive back in the All-America Football Conference and the National Football League. He played for the New York Yankees , the Detroit Lions, and the Chicago Cardinals... |
Back | San Francisco |
| 5 | 51 | Terry Brennan Terry Brennan Terence Patrick Brennan is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame from 1954 to 1958, compiling a record of 32–18.-Early life and playing career:... |
Back | Notre Dame |
| 6 | 58 | Warren Huey | End | Michigan State Michigan State Spartans football The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level... |
| 7 | 71 | Frank Gillespie | Guard | Clemson Clemson Tigers football The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
| 8 | 81 | Bob Dean | Back | Cornell Cornell Big Red football The Cornell Big Red football team represents Cornell University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Ivy League. It is one of the oldest and most storied football programs in the nation... |
| 9 | 91 | Jonathan Jenkins | Tackle | Dartmouth Dartmouth Big Green football The Dartmouth Big Green football team represents Dartmouth College in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Ivy League... |
| 10 | 101 | Roy Lester | End | West Virginia West Virginia Mountaineers football The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their... |
| 11 | 111 | Bobby Wilson | Back | Mississippi Ole Miss Rebels football The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs... |
| 12 | 121 | Dale Armstrong | End | Dartmouth |
| 13 | 131 | Lyle Button | Tackle | Illinois Illinois Fighting Illini football The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51... |
| 14 | 141 | Bobby Lund | Back | Tennessee Tennessee Volunteers football The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference .... |
| 15 | 151 | Carl Copp | Tackle | Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Commodores football The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference... |
| 16 | 161 | Frank Reno | End | West Virginia |
| 17 | 171 | Leo Skladany Leo Skladany Leo Bernard Skladany was an American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. He played college football at the University of Pittsburgh.... |
End | Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... |
| 18 | 181 | Russ Strait | Back | Muhlenberg |
| 19 | 191 | Paul Odom | Guard | Rollins Rollins College Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia.... |
| 20 | 201 | Lloyd Brinkman | Back | Missouri Missouri Tigers football The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996... |
| 21 | 211 | Lou Futrell | Back | USC |
| 22 | 221 | Harvey Kingry | Back | Colorado Mines Colorado Buffaloes football The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,... |
| 23 | 231 | Hank Kalver | Tackle | Oklahoma City |
| 24 | 241 | Fred Leon | Tackle | Nevada-Reno Nevada Wolf Pack football The Nevada Wolf Pack Football program represents the University of Nevada, Reno in college football. The Wolf Pack competes in the Western Athletic Conference at the Football Bowl Subdivision level of the NCAA... |
| 25 | 251 | John "Bull" Schweder | Guard | Pennsylvania |
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 22, 1949 | at New York Bulldogs | W 7–0 |
| 2 | October 3, 1949 | at Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
W 22–14 |
| 3 | October 8, 1949 | Chicago Cardinals | W 28–3 |
| 4 | October 16, 1949 | at Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 38–21 |
| 5 | October 23, 1949 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 49–14 |
| 6 | October 30, 1949 | at Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
W 38–7 |
| 7 | November 6, 1949 | Los Angeles Rams | W 38–14 |
| 8 | November 13, 1949 | at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 44–21 |
| 9 | November 20, 1949 | New York Bulldogs | W 42–0 |
| 10 | November 27, 1949 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
W 34–17 |
| 11 | December 4, 1949 | at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 24–3 |
| 12 | December 11, 1949 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 17–3 |
Week 4 at Chi Bears
The Eagles get the only loss of the season against the Chicago Bears in a game played in Chicago. The last points of the game were made by 22 years 29 days old George BlandaGeorge Blanda
George Frederick Blanda was a collegiate and professional football quarterback and placekicker...
. Blanda would score his last points against Philadelphia in is career 22 years and 1 day later on October 17, 1971. Blanda would have one of the longest pro football careers a total of 26 years.
NFL Championship Game
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | December 18, 1949 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 14–0 |
Standings
| NFL Eastern Eastern and Western Divisions (NFL) 1933-69 The Eastern and Western Divisions of the National Football League, renamed the American and National Conferences in 1950 and then the Eastern and Western Conferences in 1953, were organized as a result of the disputed NFL championship of 1932... |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 11 | 1 | 0 | .917 | 364 | 134 | W-8 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers 1949 Pittsburgh Steelers season -Schedule:- Week 1 : New York Giants :at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania* Game time:* Game weather:* Game attendance: 20,957* Referee:* TV announcers:Scoring drives:... |
6 | 5 | 1 | .545 | 224 | 214 | W-1 |
| New York Giants 1949 New York Giants season The 1949 New York Giants season was the 25th season for the club in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 287 | 298 | L-2 |
| Washington Redskins 1949 Washington Redskins season The 1949 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 7-5 record from 1948.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
4 | 7 | 1 | .364 | 268 | 339 | L-1 |
| New York Bulldogs 1949 New York Bulldogs season The 1949 New York Bulldogs season was their inaugural season and last as the Bulldogs . The finished 1-10-1, failing to qualify for the playoffs.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
1 | 10 | 1 | .091 | 153 | 368 | L-5 |
1949 Roster
(All time List of Philadelphia Eagles players in franchise history)| = 1949 Pro Bowl Pro Bowl In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those... |
= Hall of Fame Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees... r |
| NO. | Player | AGE | POS | GP | GS | WT | HT | YRS | College | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | Coach | 1949 record 11–1 |
Lifetime 57–37–5 |
9th | ||||||||||||||
| 23 | E-DB | 12 | 4 | 189 | 6–2 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 31 | G | 12 | 0 | 238 | 6–1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 60 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 24 | LB-C | 10 | 7 | 233 | 6–3 | Rookie | ||||||||||||
| 30 | DB-HB | 10 | 2 | 178 | 5–9 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 38 | T | 2 | 0 | 224 | 6–1 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 33 | E-DE | 12 | 7 | 197 | 6–1 | 8 | none | |||||||||||
| 29 | MG-G | 10 | 1 | 265 | 6–0 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 28 | DE-E | 7 | 2 | 192 | 6–1 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 31 | E-DE | 11 | 0 | 179 | 6–1 | 8 | ||||||||||||
| 27 | DT-T-MG | 9 | 0 | 232 | 6–5 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 28 | G-MG-T-DT | 12 | 12 | 243 | 6–2 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| 32 | B | 7 | 0 | 207 | 6–0 | 9 | ||||||||||||
| 35 | C | 5 | 4 | 203 | 6–1 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| 30 | T-DE | 8 | 1 | 217 | 6–2 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 24 | QB | 7 | 0 | 182 | 5–11 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 26 | G | 12 | 3 | 220 | 5–10 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 28 | G | 11 | 2 | 209 | 5–9 | 5 | none | |||||||||||
| 30 | DB-HB | 12 | 0 | 166 | 5–11 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 28 | FB-LB | 12 | 11 | 205 | 6–1 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 25 | FB-QB-LB | 12 | 3 | 200 | 6–2 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 23 | FB-HB | 12 | 1 | 193 | 6–0 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 26 | G-LB | 12 | 7 | 243 | 6–2 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 26 | E-DE | 11 | 9 | 210 | 6–1 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 29 | E | 3 | 0 | 199 | 6–1 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 30 | HB | 8 | 7 | 164 | 5–11 | 7 | ||||||||||||
| 30 | B | 12 | 0 | 182 | 5–11 | 8 | ||||||||||||
| 25 | T | 12 | 0 | 244 | 6–2 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 25 | HB-DB | 8 | 2 | 174 | 6–0 | Rookie | ||||||||||||
| 31 | T-DT | 11 | 11 | 223 | 6–3 | 8 | ||||||||||||
| 22 | E | 3 | 1 | 210 | 6–1 | Rookie | ||||||||||||
| 33 | QB | 12 | 9 | 192 | 6–1 | 9 | ||||||||||||
| 15 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 29 | HB | 12 | 10 | 200 | 6–0 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| 29 | T-G-DT | 12 | 11 | 214 | 6–1 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| 34 | C-LB-E | 12 | 1 | 217 | 5–11 | 11 | ||||||||||||
| 26 | HB-DB | 10 | 4 | 175 | 5–11 | Rookie | ||||||||||||
| 35 Players Team Average |
28.5 | 12 | 206.3 | 6–0.6 | 3.8 |
Postseason
The NFL and the AAFC agree to form one league as the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles are scheduled to meet the AAFC 4 time Champion Cleveland Browns on the 1950 opening weekend in Philadelphia.Awards and Honors
All-Star Selections- Pete Pihos is selected as 1st team End – Defensive End.
- Steve Van Buren is selected as 1st team Halfback
League Leaders
- Eagles Lead NFL as Overall Offensive Team.
- Eagles Lead NFL as Overall Defensive Team.
- Tommy Thompson finishes 2nd in Pass Completion Pct. with a .542 (214 attempts/116 completions)
- Tommy Thompson leads in Passer Rating with a 84.4 rating
- Steve Van Buren leads Rushing Attempts with 263
- Steve Van Buren leads Rushing Yardage with 1,146 at the time a NFL record for season.
- Bosh Pritchard leads in Rushing Yards per Attempts Avg. with 6.0 (84 rushes/506 yards 3 td)
- Steve Van Buren leads Rushing Touchdowns with 11
- Cliff Patton leads league with Field Goals with 9 (on 18 attempts)
- Cliff Patton finishes 2nd in league on Field Goal Attempts with 18
- Frank Reagan and Clyde Scott are 2nd in Punt Returns for TDs with 1 each.
- Pat Mchugh and Joe Muha finishes 2nd in Interceptions Returned for TD with 1 each.