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Eagles vs. Bears
Sunday, November 22
NBC, 8:20 PM ET
Radio: 94 WYSP/610 WIP
Sirius: 127
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PhiladelphiaEagles.com
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A retired football player must make a difficult adjustment after he leaves the game. Many miss the competition. Some miss the lifestyle. But the players voted to the Eagles' 75th Anniversary Team said that they miss the camaraderie more than anything else. Renewing those bonds was what this weekend was all about.
No sooner had Eagles fans spoken with more than 600,000 votes to select the Eagles' 75th Anniversary Team on PhiladelphiaEagles.com, did the Eagles organization begin the fast and furious work to make sure as many of the all-time greats as possible were in Philadelphia to celebrate. Among the greats on hand were Timmy Brown, Sean Landeta, Seth Joyner, Clyde Simmons, Eric Allen, Troy Vincent, Chuck Bednarik, Steve Van Buren, Keith Byars, William Thomas, Vince Papale, Wade Key, Harold Carmichael and Tommy McDonald.
The players on the team represented many different eras of Eagles history. This weekend they reflected on the friendships they made during their days as a player, and made new ones with the other members of their elite fraternity.
"People ask you all the time, what do you miss about the game," former linebacker Seth Joyner said. "What I miss is the camaraderie, being around those guys. You miss the game, from the standpoint that that competitive nature never dies; you know that physically you just can't do it anymore. But I think you miss being around the guys more than anything else."
75th Anniversary Team OLB Seth Joyner
Joyner reunited with former teammates like Eric Allen and Keith Byars and trio that dominated the team's defesive landscape in the early 1990s had an opportunity to spend time with Eagles legends that came before and after them.
"It's a tremendous honor to be able to see Chuck (Bednarik), to see Tommy (McDonald), to see Timmy (Brown), it's just an honor," Joyner said. "To be mentioned with some of these guys -- you are talking about Hall of Famers -- I'd like to extend my gratitude to the fans of Philadelphia."
The players all reflected fondly on playing in front of the fans in Philadelphia. They were voted onto the team by the fans, and all were quick to offer their thanks and appreciation.
"The fans don't get the best publicity across the nation but I think they are the best fans in the world and I wouldn't trade them for anybody," former Pro Bowl cornerback Troy Vincent said.
"You've got that right!" McDonald chimed in.
Unfortunately, not all the players voted onto the team could attend. Some had other engagements and some have passed away, but Joyner emphasized that all were in the hearts and minds of their new 75th anniversary teammates.
"I know that there were bonds that were created in those eight years that will never ever die," he said. "Even though some of our teammates have passed on, those bonds never die. Even though we don't talk to each other every single day, those bonds never die."
The 75th Anniversary Team is also comprised of head coach Andy Reid and six players on the team's current roster, including Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, David Akers, Brian Dawkins, Jon Runyan and Shawn Andrews.
The past and present players gathered on the practice field at the NovaCare Complex on Saturday, and later that evening enjoyed a VIP dinner. On Sunday, the players were honored in a halftime ceremony.
"This last three days here has just been phenomenal. It has been a ton of fun," said former left guard Wade Key. "I just really feel honored to be part of that. I have to pinch myself and ask, 'Am I still here? How did I get here?' so it has really been great for us and we have had a ball."
The official "Throwback Game" Sunday visually marked the Eagles' 75th Season by the players wearing the original blue and yellow uniform colors from the Eagles' inaugural season in 1933 and the game field was painted in blue and yellow with an image of a throwback helmet as the centerpiece.
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