The Eagles are saddened to learn that one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever wear the uniform, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, died on Thursday night. He was 91 years old.
Jurgensen is survived by his wife of nearly five decades, Margo, four sons, nine grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren.
"He always talked fondly and really loved his time there in Philadelphia and loved his teammates, especially Tommy McDonald," said Jurgensen's son, Erik. "They were so close."
Jurgensen and McDonald were both selected in the 1957 NFL Draft. McDonald was the team's third-round selection, while Jurgensen was a fourth-round selection out of Duke, marking consecutive draft picks to reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Jurgensen was the backup quarterback to the start of his career through the 1960 NFL Championship season. After Norm Van Brocklin retired following the triumph over Vince Lombardi's Packers in the 1960 title tilt, Jurgensen took the Eagles' passing game to another level.
In his first season as the starter, Jurgensen led the NFL with a franchise-record 3,723 passing yards and set another team record with 32 touchdown passes. The single-season passing yards record wasn't topped until 1988, and the passing touchdowns mark stood until 2017.
In 1962, Jurgensen once again led the NFL with 3,261 passing yards. Following the 1963 season, he was traded to Washington. Despite only three seasons as a starter in Philadelphia, Jurgensen ranks ninth in Eagles history with 9,639 yards and eighth in touchdown passes (76).
Jurgensen remains the Eagles' all-time leader in touchdown percentage (6.9 percent) and yards per attempt (8.7). No one else in Eagles history is above 8 yards per attempt.
"Sonny really enjoyed his time in Philadelphia. That first year (he started), he was setting records and taking the league by storm," said Jurgensen's oldest son, Greg, whose Godfather was McDonald.
Jurgensen's son, Scott, shared a memory from March 2, 1962, when the Eagles played an exhibition basketball game against the Baltimore Colts in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Jurgensen thought he played well, scoring 30 points. The main event that evening was the Sixers taking on the Knicks. Jurgensen was in attendance as Wilt Chamberlain dropped 100 points on the Knicks.
In his years as Washington's quarterback, Jurgensen's family recalled when the team would travel to Philadelphia the day before the game and practice at Franklin Field. The boys played catch on the field before visiting Jurgensen's old neighborhood and getting dinner at one of the local restaurants.
Jurgensen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and was a member of the Eagles' first Hall of Fame Class of 1987.
