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Former Eagles QB John Reaves dies at 67

John Reaves, a 1972 first-round pick by the Eagles who played quarterback in Philadelphia for three seasons, was found dead at his home Tuesday in Tampa, Fla. He was 67.

This 1977 image provided by NFL Photos shows Cincinnati Bengals quarterback John Reaves. Former Florida and NFL quarterback John Reaves, who finished his college career as the NCAA’s all-time leading passer and later struggled with drug and alcohol issues, has died. He was 67. Reaves was found dead at his home Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017, according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office. The cause of death is being investigated, the office said.
This 1977 image provided by NFL Photos shows Cincinnati Bengals quarterback John Reaves. Former Florida and NFL quarterback John Reaves, who finished his college career as the NCAA’s all-time leading passer and later struggled with drug and alcohol issues, has died. He was 67. Reaves was found dead at his home Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017, according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office. The cause of death is being investigated, the office said.Read moreAP Photo / NFL Photos
    by By Zach Berman, Staff Writer
    Published 

John Reaves, a 1972 first-round pick by the Eagles who played quarterback in Philadelphia for three seasons, was found dead at his home Tuesday in Tampa, Fla. He was 67.

The cause of death is being investigated, according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office.

Reaves is one of five quarterbacks in Eagles history drafted by the franchise in the first round. He started seven games as a rookie and the team lost all seven. He played five combined games in the next two seasons. In three years with the Eagles, he went 118 of 263 for 1,609 yards with seven touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

After leaving the Eagles, Reaves played four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, one with the Houston Oilers, and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"It's sad to see that John has passed on, but we'll celebrate his life down there in Tampa with so many good friends and Gators," said retired coach Steve Spurrier, who coached Reaves with the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits and later hired him as an assistant at Florida. "His memory will always be with us."

Reaves' best years came when he was the quarterback at Florida. He was the school's all-time leading passer with 7,581 yards when the Eagles drafted him.

Reaves threw for a school-record 342 yards and five touchdowns in his first game, breaking the mark of Spurrier, the 1966 Heisman Trophy winner.

"The Gators lost one of their own in John Reaves," said Florida coach Jim McElwain, who recruited Reaves' son, Stephen, to Michigan State. "I don't think anybody will ever realize how much the Florida Gators truly meant to John Reaves."

Reaves became the No. 2 all-time passing leader in the USFL and then coached eight years in the Southeastern Conference at Florida (1990-94) and South Carolina (1995-97).

He dealt with drug and alcohol abuse during his NFL career. Reaves was arrested on gun and drug possession charges in 2008 and entered an Atlanta-area substance-abuse rehabilitation program in May 2009.

This story contains information from the Associated Press.