Eagles to honor Buddy Ryan
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Eagles to honor Buddy Ryan
Daily News staff
Former Eagles coach Buddy Ryan and a number of his former players will be honored at halftime of the Eagles game against the Bears on Monday night.
Ryan had a 43-35-1 record in his five-year stint in Philadelphia from 1986 to 1990, leading the Eagles to three straight playoff appearances (1988-90).
Ryan has been fighting another bout with cancer recently.
According to a press release from the team, the Eagles also will honor:
DE Clyde Simmons (1986-93) – A two-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler, ranks second on Eagles all-time list with 76 sacks.
LB Seth Joyner (1986-93) – Played eight seasons with the Eagles, earning two trips to the Pro Bowl after recording 17 interceptions and 37 sacks.
RB Keith Byars (1986-92) – Racked up 6,104 scrimmage yards (2,672 rushing, 3,432 receiving) and 30 touchdowns (17 rushing, 13 receiving) in seven seasons as an Eagle.
TE Keith Jackson (1988-91) – A Three-time All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowl selection in four seasons with the Eagles after amassing 242 receptions for 2,756 yards and 20 touchdowns.
LB Britt Hager (1989-94) – In six seasons in Philadelphia, played 90 games and recorded 2 sacks and 2 interceptions.
WR Ron Johnson (1985-89) – Registered 61 receptions for 1,105 yards and 4 touchdowns in 47 games.
RB Anthony Toney (1986-90) – Played in 67 games (54 starts) and compiled 2,294 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, adding 122 receptions for 1,031 yards and 5 touchdowns.
OL Gerry Feehery (1983-87) – Played in 47 games (24 starts) in five seasons in Philadelphia.
RB Mike Haddix (1983-88) – Played 88 games (37 starts) in six seasons with the Eagles, rushing for 1,189 yards and three touchdowns, while also contributing 144 receptions for 1,105 yards.
DT-DE Mike Pitts (1987-92) – Ranks 20th on the Eagles all-time sack list with 19.5 in his six-year stint with the Eagles, including a career-high 7 in 1989.
Ryan and many of the players are in town for the Otho Davis Scholarship Foundation banquet on Tuesday at the Sheraton Society Hill. Ryan will be the guest of honor at that event as well.
The guest list includes Dick Vermeil, Mike Ditka, Ron Jaworski, Keith Byars, Keith Jackson, Mike Quick, Seth Joyner, Clyde Simmons, Mike Golic, and many more players and coaches from the Ryan era with the Eagles.
I remember being at the Vet when Keith Byars threw a touchdown pass too, against Dallas. He'd roll out and surprise everyone since he's a lefty.— burholme- will this be at halftime or a pregame ceremony?— sec719
- guess i should've read the first sentence— sec719
- It seems strange to honor the players listed after the first 4. Mike Quick is on the guest list, but we're going to honor Ron Johnson because he had 4 TD receptions in 5 years? I don't understand what the criteria were for selection. What am I missing?— words_matter
- Banner's a weasel..............— Earl J
- Buddy Ryan and Mike Ditka together at the same event? Did they patch things up between them?— hulk0455
- Ryan was awesome! Not a phony like Reid, Banner , Roseman. He would tell everybody If you stunk! His players loved him and would have ran through a wall for him! Loved those teams!— jtcigar
- Buddy- 0..yes...0 playoff wins!!!! I will never forget that Rams game...worst ever!!!— sarah89
- About time..— Zeru
- Britt Hager? Seriously?— kjuggs77
Comment removed.- This is undeserved, Buddy did not win a single playoff game. Buddy was completely over rated. You dont get a trophy for regular season wins. Which is all that Buddy and his teams here in Philly did.— Mikedub
- Comment removed.
- Why is Wes Hopkins alwas left out of groups like this??— eaglewings
- Comment removed.
- Great for the EAGLES. Fine group of talented players. Put Seth and Clyde in the defensive rotation. Great to see irascible Buddy have a his day in the lime light in front of his fans in Philly and everywhere he coached ( Phoenix, Chicago, NYC, etc)— Smashmouth
- Buddy Ryan is my alltime favorite coach. He inherited a team of losers with a loser mentality that was the perennial doormat of the Cowboys every year. He transformed their mindset to that of a winner. Instead of getting sand kicked in our face every year, we became the ones doing the kicking. He embarrassed the Cowboys at every opportunity and infused a toughness in this team that hasn't been seen since he left. 5 years and no playoff wins? reid has 12 years and no SB wins. Nothing matters but the Lombardi so they have the same record in the only category that truly matters.— REVOLUTION
- I guess buddy is not doing too well in his cancer fight if they are throwing such a huge party. How come no Randall?— zwarte piet
- Where's Buckwheat?— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- Good job Gerry - O'Hara class of '78— Bobphxville
- Gotta say, I never liked Buddy Ryan. The Eagles played hard under him, but they also played dirty. Lots of cheap shots, hits out of bounds, etc. That was the only era when I sometimes felt ashamed of the way the Eagles played. Reid has his problems, to be sure, but I'll take him over Ryan any day.— postcynic
- Mike dub is a moron. Did nothing? How about completely change the perception of Eagles football in both the locker room and the city. Do you remember how dreadful the Swamp Fox days were? Do you even know who that is? Buddy brought football and an attitude back to this city's football fans. We were relevant again for first time in almost a decade.— dfirishman
- I cant believe the responses on here about Ryan. He did not win a playoff game that is correct but he started to put the Eagles back on the map as far as respectability. After 1980 this team sucked once Ryan took over (late 80's) we have been one of the better teams in the league. His teams didnt take cr*p from anyone and they took on the personality of this city. We owe alot to Ryan for the way this team is today he helped fill the seats and make football the #1 sport in this city! That team needs to be honored plus Dallas never beat him.— Smittyaecs
- My all time favorite Eagles coach. Who can forget the "Body Bag Game", the "House of Pain" game and kicking the Cowboys butts the majority of the games when Buddy was here and rubbing their noses in spit. His press conferences were must see TV, you never knew what he was going to say. He put bounties on opposing players. He made the Eagles the most entertaining and feared team in the NFL at a time when they were the laughingstock. If he had a few more seasons, I'm sure he would have gotten some good offensive players to go with the original "Gang Green Defense" and maybe won some playoff games and eventually a Super Bowl. So when you talk about the man, show some respect, or reveal yourself as a fraud.— cletisvandam
- If Buddy got the 12 years Reid has had, he would have won a Super Bowl. Remember that was a downtrodden team when he took over, and he totally revamped the image and competitiveness of the franchise. And he was coaching against Hall of Famers Landry, Parcells and Gibbs within the division, and beat them.— watsonmr
- Its honor a scrub night! (after 1st 4)— rumple
- Ryan and his teams may not have won playoff games, but they did get the area interested in the Eagles again. Remember when they had trouble selling out for nondivisional games, and the area Ford dealerships or some other advertiser would have to bail out (usually)Channel 10.— Marcus Aurelius
- Buddy was a great defensive coordinator, but lousy head coach. If he put as much interest into the offense as he did the defense, we would have won a championship.— ej610
- If only Buddy's teams could have faced the Cowboys in the playoffs he wouldn't have had an 0-fer. Loved his comment when asked about an upcoming game with the Cowboys. "Who the heII are the Cowboys? We beat 'em very time we play 'em!" He could have been more successful in the post season, but he was entertaining as could be.— dlscholt
- dfirishman, Smittyaecs & Marcus Aurelius are wise.
Buddy was the man. He got Philly interested in football and the Eagles again. No one cared when Swamp Fox was coach... part of the problem with these people who post on these forums is they're too young to know what they hell they're talking about. How much Reid sucks. They've not lived years with Mike McCormack and Swamp Fox as head coaches. I love Buddy and wish him the best against the big C.— Memphis Bill - Who is keeping Buddy and Ditka apart.— Carlos2
Buddy's big mistake was Randall Cunningham. Just like McNabb with Reid a championship could not happen. Can't win with in the big games against good defenses with non-cerebral QBs.— Kioto- Let's go all the way and throw in Ed Khayat, too. 2-11-1 in '72.— Bruce in NM
- It's about time the Eagles honor the man who brought swagger to the team. Those who slam him do not remember how sad the team was when the Swamp Fox took over for Vermeil. Long live Buddy Ryan! Long live GANG GREEN!— fla.eagle
- Banner and Lurie are so out of touch with Eagles history they probably don't realize Buddy and Ditka don't get along.LOL.
Go Buddy!— Lil Ratman
