The Eagles began as the "Frankford Yellow Jackets." Frankford is a section of Philadelphia and began as a football club in 1899 known as the Frankford Athletic Association.
In the early 1920s, Frankford was regarded as one of the better independent football teams and often competed regularly against NFL teams. In 1924, the club was granted an NFL franchise and became the Yellow Jackets.
The team captured the 1926 NFL title with a 14-1-1 record. The Great Depression devastated the club and after the 1931 season, the team folded due to financial reasons. In July of 1933, Bert Bell borrowed $2,500 from his fiancée and along with his friend Lud Wray, they bought the remains of the Yellow Jackets. The Eagles used the Yellow Jackets old uniforms, which were yellow, blue and white, from 1933 to 1936. In 1936, new unies were purchased with green jerseys and socks, with the standard white helmets and pants.
Bert Bell renamed the club the "Eagles" after the eagle logo on the National Recovery Administration’s emblem. The emblem was in honor of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deals National Recovery Act.
In 1941, Bell and new half-owner Art Rooney swapped franchises with the new owner of the Pittsburgh Iron Men (formerly Steelers), Alexis Thompson. For several months, the Eagles were officially the Iron Men until Thompson renamed his new team the Eagles before any games were played.
One of the NFL's greatest linebackers played for the Eagles from 1949 through 1962: Chuck Bednarik.
The team has won three NFL titles.
Origin Facts:
Established: 1933
Original Owner: Bert Bell & Lud Wray
Original Colors: Powder blue, yellow & white
First Stadium: Baker Bowl, seating 18,800
Retired Jerseys: No. 70 Al Wistert, No. 15 Steve Van Buren, No. 60 Chuck Bednarik, No. 40 Tom Brookshier, No. 44 Pete Retzlaff, No. 92 Reggie White, No. 99 Jerome Brown
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add rice and cook, stirring, until opaque, 2 to 4 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add 1 cup stock and cook, stirring until absorbed, 5 to 6 minutes. Repeat 2 more times. Add remaining cup stock and corn and cook, stirring, until rice is tender and corn is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in ham and cook until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted. Stir in chives.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately topped with additional chives.
1901 – Ed Sullivan, American television show host (d. 1974)
1934 – Brigitte Bardot, French actress. Wow, 6 "partners" and 4 husbands! Busy woman!
1987 – Hilary Duff, American actress and singer
