Eskin once washed Buddy Ryan’s feet

Recent foot-fetish allegations about New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan have been kicked around by commentators across the land.

But when it comes to Ryan family feet, WIP's Howard Eskin has some, well, hands-on experience.

He once washed the feet of Rex's dad, former Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan.

Now, let's be clear, Eskin says, this wasn't Buddy's idea or his.

Back in the mid-90s, he and Ryan were more like "arch" enemies than "sole" brothers, one might say.

So, a caller, irked by Eskin's anti-Ryan rants, offered $1,000 if the sports yakker would suds up the popular coach's feet.

Fine, if the money goes to charity, Eskin said.

"So I got ahold of Buddy Ryan, and one thing led to another, and he said fine," Eskin recalls.

Since Ryan was in charge of the Cardinals at the time, the event was set for Arizona's next trip into town.

In an empty ballroom at a South Jersey hotel - perhaps the Cherry Hill Inn - Ryan dipped his tootsies in a big bucket and Eskin gave them a going-over with a soft sponge.

No, Eskin didn't say anything like, "Can I smell them?" or "Wow, they're like really soft," as a voice very similar to Rex Ryan's says on a YouTube video to a woman very similar to his wife sticking her bare feet out a car window.

"I forget if I got in between the toes, but there was no trimming of the toenails," Eskin said.

In attendance, the challenger paid up.

Although Eskin was with Channel 29 at the time, he doubts that any, ahem, footage still exists.

End of story? Not quite. There could be a sequel. Involving another head coach's feet.

The Eagles' Andy Reid.

As Eskin was recounting the incident last week, afternoon drive-time cohost Ike Reese, a former Eagles linebacker, proclaimed an even bigger challenge: $2,500 if Eskin would wash Reid's feet.

For that money, he'd wash the feet of the entire team, Eskin said at the time.

That part wasn't serious, but the main proposition was.

After the playoffs end, an intermediary will inquire if Reid's receptive.

"I'm always in for doing something for charity," Eskin said. "I'd do it. Why not? . . . Would I do it just to have fun? No. It's not my kind of fun."

Reid can be a sport. After telling Terrell Owens no more tights at practices, Reid declared he'd wear tights if the star receiver caught 15 touchdowns. (The bet had nothing to do with reaching the Super Bowl, as reported in a previous version.)

An injury left Owens just one short.

No doubt, fans were way more upset about losing to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl that season than losing the chance to see Andy in spandex.

"Now is this going to happen?" Eskin said. "I'd say at best it's 50-50."

"No, I wouldn't do the whole team."