Jack Ferrante had a unique path to the National Football League as not only was he not drafted, he never played ball in College Football at all.  In fact, he never even finished high school. 

Let that sink in for a minute.   If you were like us,  you might have automatically thought about the Mark Wahlberg film about Vince Papale, which is an excellent story in itself, but Papale was not nearly as good as Jack Ferrante.

A 5^th Round pick from Oregon State, Vic Sears would play his entire National Football League career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Bill Bergey came to the Cincinnati Bengals from Arkansas State, where, as a rookie, the Linebacker would go to the Pro Bowl.  Bergey didn't make a Pro Bowl again as a Bengal, but he was undoubtedly a strong player who was coveted by Cincinnati until they became upset with him.

A beast at Temple University, Francis Joseph "Bucko" Kilroy may not have been drafted but his hometown Philadelphia Eagles knew there was something special there and he made the team; albeit in a combined effort as in 1943 the Eagles merged with the Pittsburgh Steelers due to the depletion of talent due to World War II. 

Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1943, Al Wistert would play his entire nine-year career in Eastern Pennsylvania.  Playing at Tackle (on both sides of the ball), the former Michigan Wolverine would be named a First Team All-Pro by the Associated Press four years in a row (1944-47).  Wistert would be named to the Pro Bowl in 1950 and was an integral part of Philadelphia's back-to-back NFL Titles in 1948 and 1949.  It is difficult to fathom the Eagles winning those championships without Wistert, who was their team captain, was an excellent blocker for Steve Van Buren, and ran their defence.

2023 Pre-Season Rank #9, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #14, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #16, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #17.  Peak Period: 2009-11/2013-14

This may be the end of the road for Peters who has the MPA in Pro Bowls and Games Played, but we said the same thing two years ago, and he found work ith Dallas in 2022.  Then, we said it again, and he played eight games with Seattle in 2023.  "The Mythical Creature" was an All-Decade player in the 2010s, and a nine-time Pro Bowl, but Offensive Lineman need an awful lot to get in.   He probably has enough as he is a Super Bowl Champion with the Eagles and has an Approximate Value over 130, which is well above any other active Offensive Lineman.  We hope Peters finds work as a player in 2024, but if he does not, he has done enough for a bonze bust in Canton.

During halftime of the Philadelphia Eagles home game pre-season game it was announced that Bobby Walston will be inducted into their franchise Hall of Fame on September 21, during their home game against the Detroit Lions.

Walston played his entire 12-year career (1951-62) with Philadelphia where he was one of the most versatile offensive weapons that the team would have as he played at Wide Receiver, Tight End and Kicker.  He was a member of the 1960 NFL Championship Team and was a two-time Pro Bowler (1960 & 1961) and his 5,363 Receiving Yards during his time was the fourth most in the NFL during the time he played.  His 881 Points Scored is still second all-time in franchise history.

Sadly, this accolade will be posthumous, as he passed away in 1987.

Michael Vick may be best known in some circles for his dogfighting ring that cost him two years in the NFL, but prior to that the first overall pick from Virginia Tech was one of the most exciting players in Football; in fact, some would argue for a time he was the most exciting the player in the game. 

Here we are in the National Football League playoffs but for us that it means it is time to discuss the potential class of the 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame.  The Finalists have been announced, and along with regular contributor, Spheniscus, we will go back and forth with each candidate and openly debate as to which player would be a worthy Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.

Committee Chairman: Spheniscus, we have a strong candidate for a first year inductee in Brian Dawkins…except for two things:

The Philadelphia Eagles announced this week two new members, a former player and an announcer to their franchise Hall of Fame.

Middle Linebacker, Jeremiah Trotter will be entering the Eagles Hall of Fame this autumn.

Trotter was a 3rd Round Draft Pick in 1998, from Stephen F. Austin and was used sparingly in his rookie season.  Trotter would become a starter in his sophomore season under new Head Coach, Andy Reid, and would proceed to lead Philadelphia in Tackles in three seasons in a row. 

In 2000, Trotter would be named to the First Team All Pro and make his first Pro Bowl.  He would go to the Pro Bowl again the following season.  Unfortunately for the Eagles fans, he was unable to work out a contract extension and would become a free agent, signing a two year deal with the NFC East rival, the Washington Redskins.  It would only be two seasons in red for Trotter as he would sign back with the Eagles following that stint.

Returning to Philadelphia in 2004, he would again go to the Pro Bowl and again in 2005.  He would sign with Tampa Bay in 2007 and returned to the Eagles for his third and final run with the team for one season in 2009.

Trotter finished his Eagles career with 116 Games, 7 Interceptions, 2 Defensive Touchdowns, 11 Quarterback Sacks and 564 Tackles.  Arguably, Trotter was a key factor to Philadelphia’s last Super Bowl appearance.

The Linebacker will be joined into the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame with Broadcaster, Merrill Reese who will be entering his 40th season broadcasting for the team. 

The ceremony for the new Eagles Hall of Fame class will take place during their November 28th home game against the Green Bay Packers.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate both Jeremiah Trotter and Merrill Reese for earning this prestigious honor. 

It might be hard being named Keith Jackson when there was already a very famous sports commentator with the same name who became the voice of the sport.  The Tight End with the same name still managed to carve out his own identity.

If the Football Hall of Fame was based solely on excitement there should be no doubt that Randall Cunningham would have been inducted on the first ballot.  His nickname of the “Human Highlight Reel” was well deserved and he was hands down the most entertaining Quarterback of his era.

Randall Cunningham could beat you with his throwing arms or with his legs.  He excelled at scrambling and is the current all-time leader for rushing yards (4,928) for a Quarterback.  This made him exciting to watch but also overshadowed his ability to throw.  Cunningham was an efficient thrower and as his speed began to wane, he was able to prove to a lot of people in the league that he could throw with the best of them.

As the first overall pick in 1984, many expected Irving Fryar to be great right away.  He wasn’t, but his career showcased a slow climb to being one of the elite receivers in football, and a lot of times hearing his number called by broadcasters on Sunday afternoons.

You never had to wonder what was on Ricky Watters's mind.  He would tell you whether it was good or bad, and that brashness made him a very polarizing figure in the NFL.  It is also possible that this is why the Hall of Fame has yet to look his way in a serious capacity.

Ricky Watters was one of the most consistent Running Backs in the National Football League.  He gained 1,000 yards on the ground seven times while catching fifty passes five times.  Watters was the player that teams went to when they wanted to move the chains.  With that said, he was far from a darling of the press and it has been speculated that this could be a factor that could keep him out of the Hall of Fame, despite being one of the most durable dual-threat backs in NFL history.  

Maxie Baughan had a successful eleven-year career in professional football, making the Pro Bowl for nine of those years. Despite this, he has not received the recognition he deserves from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Baughan started his career at Georgia Tech and played for the Philadelphia Eagles.

He was a key player in their championship-winning season in 1960, and his skills as a linebacker made him the team's best defender. He was named to the Pro Bowl five times and was a First Team All-Pro while playing for the Eagles. However, as the team's fortunes declined, Baughan was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 1966.

Baughan continued to play well for the Rams, earning four consecutive Pro Bowl selections and four Second Team All-Pros from 1966 to 1970. He was a great fit for the team's Head Coach, George Allen, who knew how to make the most of Baughan's skills. After an injury-plagued 1970 season, Baughan retired but later rejoined Allen as a player-coach in 1974.

Baughan's acrimonious departure from the Eagles likely delayed his induction into their franchise Hall of Honor until 2015. It's unclear when he will be recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

There have been many great defensive stars for the Philadelphia Eagles through the years.  Perhaps one of their quickest was Eric Allen, who was a constant threat to intercept any football thrown in his vicinity, and stuff anyone who had the ball near him.

Eric Allen was an impact player immediately in the NFL, earning the starting job at Right Corner after he was taken with a high Second Round Pick in 1988 from Arizona State.  In his first eight years as a professional, Allen was named to the Pro Bowl six times and despite being a Cornerback, became a Sports Centre staple.  In 1993, Eric Allen had six picks, four of which he returned for touchdowns.  Allen was a glue defensive back in that he had his man covered like he was their Siamese twin.  Blessed with incredible instincts, Allen had 58 career Interceptions, with 9 pick-sixes.  Allen had 34 of his picks as an Eagle, but was still a productive player in his second half, which included three years in New Orleans and four in Oakland.

As one of the most exciting players and best athletes in the league history, Allen has the Hall of Fame profile but is running out of time on the modern ballot.

In this era of sports specialization, it is hard to imagine that football players used to change positions regularly.  Pete Retzlaff played various offensive positions, but he could always be counted on to catch the ball.

It may be called the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but for all intents and purposes, it only focuses on accomplishments from the NFL and to a lesser extent the AFL.  This is too bad for Herschel Walker who chalked up monster totals in his first three years of Pro Football but did so as a member of the New Jersey Generals of the upstart United States Football League.

Walker would go to the Dallas Cowboys and would forever try to live up to the Play Station like numbers he put up in College and in the USFL.  Walker was still very good and put up good numbers for Dallas in both receiving and running the ball.  He was however the focal point of one of the more lopsided trades in NFL history where the Vikings sent five players and a multitude of draft picks (three of which were Emmitt Smith, Alvin Harper, and Darren Woodson).  Dallas would use this to build a dynasty of the ’90s, and Minnesota coaches took their frustration out on Walker who was not used to the best of his ability while as a Viking.  Herschel was still good, but his stock dramatically went down.

One of the best Place Kickers of his day, David Akers, had to wait for a little to prove his worth in the NFL.  Akers was undrafted out of Louisville in 1997, and after trying out for the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers, he was signed by the Washington Redskins but played only one game and missed both Field Goals (though they were 48 yards plus).

At one point, we here at Notinhalloffame.com debated openly that Donovan McNabb played himself out of the Hall of Fame, with horrific stints in Washington and Minnesota, but if he would have won that Super Bowl (the one he threw up in), would that discussion even be held?