Jaws fondly recalls Sid Gillman, his mentor

SO IF Clint Dolezel is Dan Raudabaugh's closest mentor, who was Ron Jaworski's?

"That's easy," the former Eagles quarterback said quickly. "Sid Gillman."

Gillman was the quarterback coach during Jaworski's best years with the Eagles, including the run to the Super Bowl during the 1980 season.

Jaworski called Gillman, who died in 2003 at 91, the buffer between him and the often tyrannical head coach.

"Dick Vermeil was a hard, driving, tough, demanding head coach," Jaworski explained. "We played a preseason game and I didn't play well. Sid walks in, sits down next to me and says, 'Consider your ass chewed out.' "

Jaworski was confused. So he asked Gillman to clarify.

"You played terrible," Gilman told his quarterback. "And coach told me to come down here and chew your ass out. So consider it chewed out."

Jaworski laughed as if it happened just five minutes ago.

"That's how it has evolved with Clint and Dan," Jaws continued. "It's a little more love now than hard and driving."