Harold Carmichael - WR

As we leave the 1960s-era Eagles behind, let's take a look at the key Eagles from the 1970s, starting with Harold Carmichael.

Harold was the Eagles' 7th-round pick in 1971. Yes, SEVENTH! The Birds wasted their first 6 picks on DE Richard Harris, G Henry Allison, K Happy Feller (who drafts a kicker that high?) and 3 other guys who didn't even play, before selecting Carmichael. It's no wonder the team sucked so bad in the early-1970s. 

 

Carmichael played for the Eagles for 13 years, and was a starting wide receiver in all but his first 2 seasons. He started 6 games as a rookie, but it was as a tight end, filling in for the injured Gary Ballman. He also started 2 games in 1972. 

 

Why all the time on the bench? The Birds already had Harold Jackson and Ben Hawkins as wideouts. Jackson led the NFL in receiving yards in his first (1969) and last (1972) seasons with the Eagles. He also led in receptions in '72. 

 

After the 1972 season, Jackson was traded to the Rams for quarterback Roman Gabriel. Did they miss the league's top WR? No! Carmichael took Jackson's place, not only in the Eagles' lineup, but as the NFL's leader in catches and receiving yards! 

 

Carmichael made the Pro Bowl 4 times (1973, 1978-80), and started all but one game from 1973 to 1981. He missed 7 games 1982, but returned for 15 games in '83, his final season in Philly. 

 

He finished his career with 2 games for the Cowboys in 1984. 

 

RIP - Don Zimmerman

Don Zimmerman, an Eagles' wide receiver from 1973-76, passed away on May 11, 2020 at age 70.

Zimmerman was drafted by the Eagles in 1972, and after a year on the taxi squad he was a starting wide receiver in '73 and '74, playing opposite Harold Carmichael.

In 1975, 2nd-year man Charlie Smith replaced him, limiting Don to just 3 starts. He began the 1976 season as an Eagle, and finished it as a Packer.

Ron Goodwin - FL/SE

Ron Goodwin was the Eagles' 16th-round draft pick in 1963. He played 6 seasons for the Eagles, the first 4 as a starter.

Goodwin played 10 games in his rookie season, starting them all. He was the team's split end for that one year, and wore #31.

In 1964 he changed numbers (to #81) and positions (to flanker, but was it really that much different?)

(I just noticed that in 1966, Goodwin started 9 games at flanker, while Fred Hill started 8 games at split end. Rookie Ben Hawkins started 12 games, presumably at both positions, so it seems Hawk made more starts that season than the "starters", but still was #4 among the four ends, with slightly less receptions and yards than the #3 end Goodwin.)

In 1967 Hawkins took over the flanker spot (with newly-acquired Gary Ballman and Mike Ditka manning SE and TE), so Goodwin spent his final 2 seasons as a bench player.

After retiring from the Eagles, he earned his law degree and began practicing law.

He passed away in 2013 at age 72.

Goodwin's only football card came in the 1964 Philly Gum set.


Where's Waldo Ron?

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Vince Papale - WR

Vince Papale's Eagles' career was after the time period of this blog, but I'm going to make an exception.

I knew of Papale before he became famous as an Eagle. Back then I was on my high school's track team, and one of our opponents was Interboro High School, where Vince was the track coach. Later, he played for the Philadelphia Bell in the WFL, and yadda yadda yadda.

 (Some of his Philadelphia Bell teammates included ex-Eagles Ben Hawkins, Tim Rossovich, Ron Porter, and Vern Winfield.)

Papale only had one Topps card as a player (1977), but RetroCards has made these custom cards, which I bought last year:

"Invincible" is one of my favorite movies of the past 20 years, and I have watched it several times. (I actually have it on DVD, but it is broadcast so often that I think I've only watched the DVD once.)

I realize that "Hollywood" has jazzed up the movie somewhat, but here are some errors I noticed while watching:

1. Papale was from Glenolden, PA, not South Philadelphia.
2. The movie completely ignores his time in the WFL.
3. The touchdown he scored on a fumbled punt in his 2nd game (also seen in "real" footage in the closing credits) was called back.
4. His eventual friend Dennis Franks was also a rookie in Papale's 1st season, not a veteran like he implies in the movie ("Coach is putting each rookie with a veteran").
5. Besides Franks, the movie shows (as actors in non-speaking roles) Roman Gabriel, Mike Boryla, Tom Sullivan, Art Malone, Mike Hogan, Harold Carmichael, Charlie Smith, Guy Morriss, Jerry Sisemore, Wade Key, Dennis Nelson, Horst Muhlmann, Manny Sistrunk, Carl Hairston, Pete Lazetich, Bill Dunstan, Bill Bergey, Frank Lemaster, Terry Tautolo, Bill Bradley, and Larry Marshall, but there were no actual Eagles named "German" or "Banks" (two of his tormentors in the movie).
6. A white player named "Hogan" is shown sitting on the bench, but Mike Hogan was black.
7. "Bergey" is shown lining up on the kickoff coverage team, but I seriously doubt the team's starting middle linebacker would be playing on special teams.

8. I also read somewhere that Papale's wife Janet was not a bartender, but was an Olympic diver. Also, they married more than 10 years after his playing career was over. Meanwhile, he married another (2nd wife) while playing for the Eagles.

Ahh... Hollywood screenwriters.


Other stuff you may already know:
The real Vince Papale is shown briefly as a coach in the background during the 1st training camp workout.
The dude in the green cape at the public tryout is Tony Luke Jr, of Tony Luke's Steaks in Philadelphia.


I always knew I had a card of Dennis Franks with the Lions, but I thought it was from the 1973 set.

Harold Jackson - WR

Harold Jackson was a starting wide receiver for the Eagles from 1969 to 1972, and was probably the best player on the team during his time there.

Jackson was the Rams' 12th-round pick in 1968. He rarely played (2 games) in his rookie season.

In July 1969 he was traded to the Eagles for disgruntled running back Izzy Lang. Jackson immediately assumed a starting spot in the Eagles' lineup, and caught 65 passes while leading the NFL with 1116 receiving yards in 1969.

Harold played every game in his 4 seasons with the team, starting all but 2 games. He made the Pro Bowl as an Eagle in '69 and '72.

In 1972 he led the NFL in both catches (61) and receiving yards (1048).

Jackson returned to the Rams in June 1973 as part of the Roman Gabriel trade. He made 3 more Pro Bowls in his 5-year 2nd stint with LA. He later played for the Patriots, Vikings, and Seahawks,

(Jackson was replaced in the Eagles' lineup by Harold Carmichael, who then led the NFL in catches and yards in his first season as a starter.)

Jackson's first 4 cards are in the 1970-1973 sets (although by 1973 he was with the Rams).


Where's Waldo Harold?

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?

Chuck Hughes - WR

Chuck Hughes was a backup wide receiver for the Eagles and Lions. Sadly, he is mostly known as the only NFL player to have died on the field during a game.

Hughes was the Eagles' 4th-round pick in the 1967 draft, and spent 3 seasons as their #3 wide receiver, behind Ben Hawkins, Gary Ballman ('67-'68), and Harold Jackson ('69).

He never played in more than 9 games per season with the Birds, nor had more than 3 receptions per season.

He was traded to the Lions during training camp in 1970, and started 9 games for Detroit that season (although his 8 receptions were well behind the Lions' top 2 wideouts).

In 1971, during the week 6 game vs. the Bears (10/24) Hughes collapsed on the field while returning to the huddle. He had a heart attack, and was later found to have arteriosclerosis. The game continued to its conclusion (apparently without any crowd reaction, according to reports).


Where's Waldo Chuck?

Ben Hawkins - WR

Ben Hawkins was the Eagles' 3rd-round pick in 1966, and played 8 seasons with the Birds. He was a starting wideout in all but his last season, and played every game during those first 7 seasons.

In 1967, Ben led the NFL with 1265 receiving yards. In 1968 he set a team record with a 92-yard touchdown reception.

In his final season with Philly (1973) he started the first 4 games, then missed the remainder of the season with a broken leg.

Hawkins wrapped up his NFL career with the Browns in 1974, and played with the WFL's Philadelphia Bell in 1975.

He passed away last year at age 73.

Here are all of Ben's cards ('70, '73, '74)


When I was a teen, I had a poster of Hawkins in my room. (I don't remember if it was this one, but here is what I found on the web). He was famous for always playing with his chinstrap unbuckled.

Ben Hawkins story


Where's Waldo Ben?

RIP - Tommy McDonald

Eagles' HOF flanker Tommy McDonald passed away on September 24, 2018 at age 84.

McDonald was the Birds' #3 pick in the 1957 draft. He was the starting flanker from 1959-1963, making the Pro Bowl in 4 of those 5 seasons.

He also made the Pro Bowl in 1958, having led the NFL with 9 touchdowns while playing in 10 games, but only starting 3 times. McDonald led the NFL in yards (1144) and TDs (13) in 1961.

McDonald and Sonny Jurgensen were both traded away following the 1963 season.

McDonald was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.

NBC Sports obituary

New York Times obituary
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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!

RIP - Ben Hawkins

I found out yesterday on this blog about the passing of Ben Hawkins, one of the Eagles' top 2 wide receivers from 1967 to 1972.  "Hawk" passed away on October 9th, 2017 at age 73.

Hawkins was the Eagles' 3rd-round pick in 1966, and played in every game from 1966 to 1972. He also played 4 games in 1973, and finished his career with the Browns in 1974.

In 1967 (his first year as a starter) Ben had a career-high 10 touchdowns, and led the NFL with 1265 receiving yards.

In 1968, he scored a touchdown on a 92-yard pass play from King Hill, the 4th longest in team history.

The next year, he scored 4 touchdowns in 1 game, a team record that was tied by Irving Fryar more than 25 years later.

Philly.com obituary

In this blog's sidebar, I have added a memorial gallery of Eagles players from 1966 to 1975.

The Receivers

Here are the Eagles’ top receivers from 1966-75. Unless otherwise mentioned in the text below, all the other significant pass catchers were running backs.

The Eagles starting receivers in 1966 were Pete Retzlaff (TE), Fred Hill (SE) and Ron Goodwin (FL). Retzlaff’s entire career (1956-66) was as a starter for the Eagles, first as a split end before moving to tight end in 1963. Hill played his entire career (1965-71) with the Eagles, and in 1966 filled in at SE for Ray Poage, the Eagles split end in ’64 and ’65 who missed the ’66 season with a knee injury. Goodwin also played his entire career (1963-68) with the Eagles, and was their starting flanker from 1963-66. Rookie Ben Hawkins was the #4 receiver, almost equaling Goodwin’s catches.

A new group of receivers took over in 1967. Hawkins led the team in receptions from his flanker spot, and was joined by newly-acquired veterans Gary Ballman (SE) and Mike Ditka (TE). Hawkins played for the Eagles from 1966-74, and was a starting wideout every season except his first and last. He led the NFL in receiving yards in 1967. Ballman played for the Eagles from 1967-72, and was a starter every season but his last. After 2 years as a split end, he moved to TE in 1969. Ditka sandwiched his 2 seasons with the Eagles (’67-’68) between stints with the Bears and Cowboys. He was the starting TE in ’67 (although missing 5 games), but was 2nd-team in 1968.

Fred Hill replaced Ditka at tight end in 1968, joining Hawkins and Ballman in the starting lineup.

In 1969, Harold Jackson joined the Eagles (acquired from the Rams in the Bob Brown trade) and immediately became their best player. Jackson played 4 seasons with the Eagles before returning to the Rams in the Roman Gabriel trade. He led the NFL in receiving yards in ’69 and ’72. With the addition of Jackson, Ballman moved to tight end.

All 3 starters (Jackson, Hawkins, Ballman) returned for 1970, although curiously, Ballman led the team in receptions.

With Ballman injured for much of 1971, rookie Harold Carmichael joined the starting group, as the tight end. Carmichael played for the Eagles from 1971-83, and was a starting WR in all but his first 2 seasons.

Jackson, Hawkins, and Carmichael were the top 3 receivers in 1972, although Carmichael split his time between TE and WR. Kent Kramer (an Eagle from 1971-74) was the nominal #1 tight end, although a distant 6th in receptions.

After leading the NFL in receptions and receiving yards in 1972, Jackson was traded back to the Rams. No big loss – Carmichael stepped in as the Eagles’ #1 wide receiver and led the NFL in receiving yards in 1973.

He was joined by #1 draft pick Charlie Young at TE and rookie Don Zimmerman at WR. Young was the Birds’ starting tight end for his first 4 seasons, then was traded to the Rams (see a pattern?) for QB Ron Jaworski. Replacing Hawkins in the lineup, Zimmerman was a serviceable starter for 2 seasons, and a backup for 2 more.

The Eagles used the same 3 receivers in 1974, then 2nd-year man Charlie Smith replaced Zimmerman as the #2 wide receiver in 1975. Smith was a starter from 1975-81.


1969 Receivers:

WR: 29 - Harold Jackson, 18 - Ben Hawkins, 13 - Chuck Hughes, 12 - Kent Lawrence
TE: 85 - Gary Ballman, 86 - Fred Hill, 87 - Fred Brown