RIP - Mike DItka

Mike Ditka, one of the premier tight ends of the 1960s, passed away on October 9, 2026 at age 86.

Ditka was the Bears' #1 pick (5th overall) in 1961, and played 6 seasons for Chicago. He was named to the Pro Bowl in his first 5 seasons. 

 

After 1966, he was traded to the Eagles for QB Jack Concannon. He played 2 seasons for the Eagles, then was traded to the Cowboys. 

 

Ditka played 4 seasons with the Cowboys, including Super Bowls V and VI. 

 

He retired after the 1972 season, and immediately joined Tom Landry's coaching staff. He coached there from 1973-81, then was the Bears' head coach from 1982-1992, including the Super Bowl XX Champions. He was also the Saints' head coach from 1997-99. 

    

RIP - Charle Young

Charle Young, the Eagles' tight end from 1973 to 1976, passed away on May 12, 2026 at age 75.

Young was the Birds' #1 pick in 1973, and started every game in his 4 seasons with Philadelphia.

 

He was also named 1st-team All-Pro as a rookie, and made 3 Pro Bowls in his first 4 seasons.

 

Young also played for the Rams (1977-79), 49ers (1980-82), and Seahawks (1863-85).

    

RIP - Kent Kramer

Kent Kramer, an Eagles' tight end from 1971-74, passed away on February 21, 2024 at age 79.

Kramer was drafted by the 49ers in 1966. After a season on their bench, he joined the Saints and started 8 games in 1967. 

 

After missing the 1968 season, he played for the Vikings from 1969-70. The Vikings waived him during training camp in 1971, but he was signed by the Eagles the next day. 

 

He started 4 games in 1971, one of five tight ends used by the Eagles that season. Kramer started 8 games in 1972, and was 4th in receptions among the Eagles' receivers (behind Harold Jackson, Ben Hawkins, and Harold Carmichael). 

 

Kramer also played for the Eagles in '73 and '74, but with #1 draft pick Charle Young joining the team in 1973, Kramer had no starts and no receptions in his final 2 years with the Birds.  

 

New Orleans Saints obituary 

  

"Di'ka!"

Mike Ditka played tight end for 12 seasons (1961-72) in the NFL. Iron Mike revolutionized the position.

He was the Bears' #1 pick in the 1961 draft, and played his first 6 seasons with Chicago, starting every game. He made the Pro Bowl in his first 5 seasons, and was Rookie of the Year in 1961. Frequent clashes with owner/head coach George Halas got him traded to the Eagles before the 1967 season for quarterback Jack Concannon.

In 1967 Ditka played 9 games (starting 6), but missed the last 5 weeks of the season while injured. In 1968 he played in 11 games, but only started 6. He was injured for a time, but was also suspended in November for criticizing his coach.

After the 1968 season he was traded to the Cowboys for a bag of beans. For 2 seasons, he played behind 6-year starter Pettis Norman, then behind Billy Truax in 1971.

Ditka started every game during the 1972 season, his last before retiring. He played in 9 post-season games with the Cowboys, including 2 Super Bowls.

Mike was an assistant coach for the Cowboys from 1973-81, the Bears' head coach from 1982-92, and the Saints' head coach from 1997-99.

Ditka was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988, the first tight end to be so honored.

With #89 already taken in Philadelphia, Ditka chose to flip the digits.

Here are his 2 cards while a member of the Eagles.

RIP - Pete Retzlaff

Former Eagles' receiver and General Manager Pete Retzlaff passed away on April 10, 2020 at age 88.

Retzlaff played for the Eagles from 1956 to 1966, initially as a running back before switching to split end and eventually to tight end. He made the Pro Bowl 5 times and was 1st-team All-Pro in 1965.

He retired after the 1966 season, and was a local sports broadcaster for 2 years before filling the GM role from 1969-72. Among the players drafted under his watch were Bill Bradley ('69), Mark Moseley ('70), Harold Carmichael ('71), and John Bunting ('72).

Philadelphia Eagles obituary
 
USA Today obituary
 
ESPN obituary
 

Gary Ballman - WR/TE

Gary Ballman was a receiver who played for the Eagles for 6 seasons, the first 5 as a starter.  He was the team's split end for 2 seasons, then moved to tight end when the Eagles acquired Harold Jackson in 1969.

Ballman was the Steelers' 8th-round pick in 1962, and was their starting flanker (and kick returner) from 1963-66.   (Photos showing Ballman wearing #48 are from his rookie season in 1962. He switched to #85 in 1963).

He made the Pro Bowl twice while with the Steelers ('64, '65).

The Eagles acquired him in March 1967 (too late for a football card update) for fullback Earl Gros and rookie guard Bruce Van Dyke. Van Dyke would be the Steelers' starting right guard from 1967-73, while Gros was only the starter in '68 and '69. (The Steelers filled Ballman's spot with 2nd-year man J.R. Wilburn.)

Gary started 12 to 14 games per season for his first 4 years with the Eagles. On a team with Harold Jackson and Ben Hawkins as wideouts, Gary was usually the #3 receiver, but he lead the receiving corps with 47 catches in 1970. (Fullback Lee Bouggess had 50 catches.)

In 1971 he started the first 6 games, then missed the rest of the season with a knee injury that required surgery. Rookie Harold Carmichael moved to tight end for the rest of the season.

Ballman returned in 1972, but only played in 8 games (starting 4). Kent Kramer had joined the Birds, and started 8 games at TE, with Carmichael picking up the rest.

Gary split the 1973 season between the Giants and Vikings, before retiring.

Here are all of Ballman's cards during his time with the Eagles ('67, '68, '69, '70).


Where's Waldo Gary?

Fred Hill - TE

Fred Hill was a receiver who played for the Eagles for 7 seasons (1965-71). He was mostly a backup tight end, but in 2 of his seasons he started 8 of the 14 games, making him the primary starter.

Fred was the Eagles' 4th-round pick in 1965. After a year on special teams, he started 8 games at split end in 1966, in place of the injured Ray Poage. Hill returned to the starting lineup in 1968, filling in for the injured and/or suspended Mike Ditka at tight end.

He played in at least 12 games every season except 1969 (8 games) and 1971 (7). Hill retired during training camp in 1972.

This is Fred's only football card - from the 1969 Topps set.


Fred Hill was one of the driving forces (along with Eagles' owner Leonard Tose) of the Ronald McDonald House charity. In 1971, Hill's 5-year-old daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. After her successful treatment, Hill and the Eagles started the "Eagles Fly For Leukemia" program, and founded the first Ronald McDonald's House, in Philadelphia.


"Where is he now" story on the Eagles' website


Where's Waldo Fred?

Pete Retzlaff - WR/TE

Pete Retzlaff just barely makes the cutoff for this blog, having retired after the 1966 season.

He played 11 seasons with the Eagles, all as a starter.  Drafted by the Lions in 1953, he never played for Detroit, and after 2 years in the Army he made his NFL debut with the Eagles in 1956.

Retzlaff was the starting flanker for 3 seasons, then moved to split end (is there a difference?) for 4 years before finishing up with 4 seasons as the starting tight end.

He was selected for 5 Pro Bowls, and in 1958 led the NFL with 56 catches. The Eagles have retired his #44 jersey.

I have 3 of Pete's cards - 1964, 1965, and 1967. (He must have retired after the '67 set went to press.)

After his playing career, he broadcast the Eagles' games on local radio for a season or two, then became the team's general manager in 1969 when Leonard Tose bought the team. He was the GM for the 4 seasons of the Jerry Williams/Ed Khayat coaching era, and was replaced by Jim Murray when the Eagles hired Mike McCormick as the head coach.

Notable players drafted on Retzlaff's watch were Bill Bradley, Wade Key, Harold Carmichael, John Bunting, and Tom Sullivan.

Where's Waldo Pete?

Nope! Although Retzlaff was with the Eagles in 1969, it was as their GM, not as a player. While this photo was being taken, Pete may have been in the owner's office, trying to explain why they had selected Leroy Keyes with the 3rd overall pick, instead of DT Joe Greene, who the Steelers took with the very next pick!