The Pihos family also learned that his condition was far from unique for the players of pro football's "Greatest Generation" of the 1940s and 1950s, who played a pivotal role in taking the NFL from its rough-and-tumble roots into a $9-billion-a-year entertainment colossus in the 21st century.
The Daily News has confirmed with family members that three Eagles Hall of Famers from the team's golden era of the late 1940s - Pihos, who died last August, four-time NFL rushing champ Steve Van Buren, and two-way standout Chuck Bednarik - are or were enrolled in the league's 88 Plan to help care for players diagnosed with dementia believed related to football injuries.
