Character of a Champion | Eagles 1980 Season Recap

[Music] Super Bowl 50 after 20 years the Philadelphia Eagles return to the world championship game the Oakland Raiders defeated the Eagles 27:10 to win Super Bowl 50 it was a surprising setback for a team that had surmounted all other obstacles a team that had only two weeks before earned the right to be called a champion when the Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys they won the NFC title and wiped out two decades of dreadful memories Jaworski in just five years the Eagles had gone from Patsy to powerhouse a remarkable achievement by a group of remarkable men [Music] it had been 20 years since the Eagles had won a championship that joyous day at Franklin Field had long since faded into years of cruel jokes diced hopes and empty January's but in 1980 the long wait ended it began under the summer skies at Westchester State College coach Dick Vermeil and his staff ran the toughest training camp in the lake but it was just the kind of program that could propel a team towards a title that's it good good job that's it now we won't get a second chance I'm gonna do it right tempo starting to sag some people starting to feel sorry for themselves a little bit out here and I told you no coaches you gonna feel sorry for you get to em Leroy you're gonna ask me quicker Ned that's not quick enough [Applause] [Music] we come out of training camp with coach Emil and the team is ready to play football we go in through six weeks of double days right through the end and we come out of training camp it's like turning the the Indians loose right from the first week the Eagles won but what surprised everyone was the manner in which they did it a previously conservative offense suddenly became the league's most daring attack by combining varied formations with creative play for the Eagle offense could match any team razzle for death [Music] [Applause] P Eagles have 20 offensive goals they hope to achieve in every game they play in the early weeks of 1980 they met or surpassed the more every time the Eagles reached their opponents 20-yard line they scored they averaged 35 points a game and the key to all this offense was deception by shifting their running backs and changing formations the Eagles confused opposing defenses giving them so many looks that by the time the play was in progress bewildered defenders were hopelessly out of position Philadelphia used the run to set up the pass relying on play-action fakes to freeze defenses thus buying extra time to put the ball in flight when Dick Vermeil was carried off the field in Minnesota some critics sniffed that few championships had ever been won in September but even listen the players could sense that 1980 would be a special year it is a scene repeated every day all across America fathers say goodbye to their families and start awful work but this man isn't headed for a factory or office he is on his way to veteran state he is the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles Ron Jaworski safety player safety in 1980 Ron Jaworski was the best quarterback in professional football he was the leading passer in the NFC a Pro Bowl selection and Maxwell club NFL player of the year Jaworski was also a man who led by showing resiliency and correct Jaworski won many honors in 1980 but it was his ability to absorb punishment that carried him far beyond the boundaries of talent Jaworski's durability meant as much to the team as did his skill for executing the Eagle offense but one thing Jaworski did not have to do was motivate the rest of the squad when I'm in the huddle I call the play it's like everybody knows that everyone's gonna do their job it's not like well I can take it easy display because I know the other guy he'll handle it you know everyone is going out every play and busting their butt to do their job and get the job done key players on offense have provided leadership through the entire Vermeil era tackle Stan Waltons Center guy Morris and blocking specialist Jerry Sizemore who did not allow a sack all season they teamed with ageless Woodie peoples and young PD Peru to form a front line that further benefited from the blocking of tight end keith Pratley twice Presley astounded doctors by returning from serious injuries the result was yet another productive season four of a meal era better one of the most honored egos in the Vermeil years has been Harold Carmichael and 1980 was no exception Carmichael set an NFL record of 127 consecutive games in which he caught a pass he was a starter in the Pro Bowl and for his charitable endeavors off the field he was named NFL man of the year [Applause] 1880 was also the year Philadelphia fans rediscovered a forgotten treasure [Applause] critics had been trying to replace receiver Charlie Smith for seven seasons but such talk ended when Smith posted career highs in receptions and yardage [Music] running back Wilbert Montgomery has never been anything but a star to Eagle fans and in 1980 he further ensured their loyalty by leading the team and rushing and receiving despite a series of nagging injuries the popular theory has always been news Whittle burped and kissed the playoffs goodbye the Eagles happily proved otherwise Montgomery missed four games during the season and the Eagles won them all they did it with death of commodity many thought the Eagles lacked players like Billy camp field and rookie Perry Harrington number 35 came off the bench to make big plays in Montgomery's absence the Eagles reached into the special teams to find more help number 33 Luigi Mota is Vikram eels nephew but he plays like he's within an inch of being cut from the squad gia Moana will do anything to win and in 1980 he did a little of everything to win [Applause] [Music] perhaps the greatest improvement came from fullback Leroy Harris once mired in the mills doghouse Harris escaped when he stopped chained eating doughnuts slimmed down and dedicated himself to becoming the best player he could possibly be the Philadelphia Eagles offense a unit loaded with the character people that would take to become a champion [Applause] in 1980 the Eagles were the best defensive team in professional football in a year when offense was king the Eagles permitted only 13 points again nobody else was even close [Applause] no one ruined a run like the Eagles defense Philadelphia held tempos to wonder 100 yards Russia six opponents failed to score more than a touchdown these numbers translated into the NFC's top rated defense and the NFL's most miserly unit in points allowed the secret to this success could be told in one word consistency we're probably through a 16-game schedule one most consistent teams in the NFL and that's what we try to maintain is to play at a high level of consistency every weekend and now make mental mistakes and that comes through coach for meals coaching in and the time that our coaches spending the time that we spent on the field no one is more consistent than M Carl Hairston an all-pro in everything but name Hairston was the steadying force of a defensive line that also featured Claude Humphrey number 87 Philadelphia's designated pass rusher Humphry shared time with Dennis Bigfoot Harrison who recorded nine sacks of his own in his first season as a start [Applause] the focal point of the Eagle defense is right in the middle of the line where a nose guard Charlie Johnson flies his trend for the second straight year Johnson was an all-pro he gained further notoriety with three interceptions an amazing total since he gives way to ten o'clock on passing downs the nose guard is the game's toughest position but it is where Charlie Johnson swab I wouldn't give it up I wouldn't play announcer position that's my job and I like it I really do that's what a 30 defense is is to have a good nose guard a good solid know guard inside where he can take the pressure off the linebackers and tie up two blockers and let the linebackers run free and make the hit bill Bergey John Bucky Frank the master Jerry Robbins try to think of a better group of linebackers in the National Football League you can't as the year progressed the defense got tougher and the player the linebackers there's a major reason with a strong pass rush up front Eagle linebackers were able to drop into coverage instead of blitzing and the result was a pass defense that brilliantly aided the Philadelphia secondary Richard Blackmore Randy Logan Bernard Wilson John Shiro Herman Edwards and rookie sensation Roy Nell young paced a unit that made the big plays when they mattered most with few exceptions the defense was comprised of players who bore the footprints of a dozen personnel directors on the seat of their pants but in Philadelphia these rejects found a home and prospered I think a lot of people be surprised to find out how well a guy can play if he has character in he's in the right atmosphere if you surround yourself with good people chances are things are going to go your way more often than not unfortunately my good people have are also good football players those players would be tested to the limit in the final game of the regular season at Dallas because of the league time braking system the Cowboys had to beat the Eagles by 25 or more points to steal away the Eastern title by the fourth floor Dallas was on the verge of doing [Music] [Laughter] the miraculous play first and goal is to hand off the Montgomery cuts in siding for touchdown and that's going to seal it up for title the Eagles lost the battle but won the war loyal soldiers like Walters Presley Lemaster and Smith had at last earned the distinction long hoped for but never realized they were champions to be able to call sighs Maura a champion bill Bergey a champion all right Randy Logan John Bunning the guys that have been here all five years Carl Harris T horse to be able to call you guys a champion yeah that's the greatest thrill I've ever had in coaching and thank you for what you've done for me in the first round of the playoffs against the Vikings the Philly fans have their game faces on but on the field it seemed as if someone else was masquerading as the Eagles underdog Minnesota to the surprising 14-nothing lead and Philadelphia tempers began to boy [Music] name of the game in his head is pursuing it's working we're not going [Applause] your job to win it I want to see it the Eagles got the message the comeback began with a big play from the special teams a fumble recovery that opened the floodgates to a turnover tidal wave in all the Eagles forced eight turnovers an act that firmly tilted the game in their favor while the Viking offense played give away the ego offense scored touchdowns [Music] [Applause] the Eagles advance to the conference championship by winning 3160 once more the players carried Vermeil off the field but this time there were no objections the Eagles celebrated their victory with a game ball for team owner Leonard tose and while they savored the wind the fans outside issued a championship challenge the fans would get their wish the Cowboys so long the Eagles nemesis would try one more time to deny for adelphia their championship dreams years back and we were struggling to win five and six and seven games a lot of people used to take the Eagles for granted a lot of guys have heard me say never allow anybody to take you for granted I have a feeling that the Cowboys are sort of taking us for granted right now we're here because we've earned the right to be here and we've played well enough to be here and we can beat this football team if the Dallas Cowboys are gonna take us for granted we'll whip their ass [Music] Dallas faced not only the Eagles but an entire city a city united against odds like that the Cowboys never had a chance [Music] nah [Music] Philadelphia's duck wallopers punched holes in the Cowboys sophisticated offense it was like a wrecking ball loose in the Louvre now it was time for Philadelphia's offense to take charge blustery winds wiped out the passing game but on this day these Eagles would not need wings Jaworski [Applause] dick dick huh 1-yard all right just wait 15 days leave whoo bird in there dick yeah two downs here for how to make it yeah Mar Michael split wide to the near side it's a pitch to Montgomery right tackle 25 30 35 40 it [Applause] Hoover's Gumby dick yeah Franco thank you beautiful all right so let's split I want 47 slant this should be a touchdown right here dick yeah should be a score to horse go under the ladle [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Eagles 20 Cowboys said the triumph of the underdog that come back from hard time yes the long waits was finally opened the Eagles were champion [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]

Channel: Philadelphia Eagles

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Rating: 4.8571429 out of 5

Keywords: eagles, eagles football, football, philadelphia, philadelphia eagles, nfl, nfl football, 1980 philadelphia eagles, 1980 eagles, 1980 nfl season, super bowl, super bowl 15, eagles super bowl, nfl season recap, eagles season recap, eagles throwback, nfl throwback, eagles highlights, nfl highlights, nfl yearbook, eagles yearbook, football highlights, ron jaworski, harold carmichael, wilbert montgomery, dick vermeil, bill bergey, herm edwards, tony franklin

Id: w-qqEZi5--g

Length: 23min 2sec (1382 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 25 2020