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Powerful Eagles Quarterback, NFL MVP Dies

Author Jeff Kurkjian
(photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Who remembers watching him play? This Eagles quarterback was also a NFL Most Valuable Player during his career.

Eagles Quarterback Dies At 83 Years Old

Originally reported by

Former Eagles quarterback and NFL MVP Roman Gabriel has passed away at the age of 83. He was the NFL comeback player of the year with the Birds and a Pro Bowler
“Gabe was an amazing player and an even better mentor. Words can’t explain my thanks for what a great teammate he was.… pic.twitter.com/MrTfwMFu2D

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS)

Former Eagles quarterback and NFL MVP Roman Gabriel has passed away at the age of 83. He was the NFL comeback player of the year with the Birds and a Pro Bowler
“Gabe was an amazing player and an even better mentor. Words can’t explain my thanks for what a great teammate he was.… pic.twitter.com/MrTfwMFu2D

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) April 21, 2024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2024">NBC’s John Clark. Eagles Quarterback Roman Gabriel won the MVP when he played for the Rams in 1969. He would later join the Philadelphia Eagles in 1973 where he played for five seasons. He was the No. 2 draft pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 1962.

He was the first Filipino American quarterback in the NFL. His son announced it on social media.

His best year with the birds was 1973 where he led the league in multiple categories. As the Eagles Quarterback, he was above the rest in completions, attempts, yards, touchdowns and yards per game.

He was also chosen for the Pro Bowl that year. Of 460 attempts, he only threw 12 interceptions which, with that large discrepancy, was the best turnover percentage in the league.

Eagles Quarterback Roman Gabriel at his Alma Mater, North Carolina State

Former quarterback Roman Gabriel leaves the field after pre-game ceremonies December 3 at the 2005 ACC Football Championship Game in Jacksonville. Florida State upset Virginia Tech to win an invitation to the BCC Orange Bowl game. (Photo by A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***

“The NFL’s First Gunslinger”

This is what they called Roman Gabriel. In fact, the Rams did a piece all about his career, if you would like to learn a bit more about the former quarterback.

According to

Former Eagles quarterback and NFL MVP Roman Gabriel has passed away at the age of 83. He was the NFL comeback player of the year with the Birds and a Pro Bowler
“Gabe was an amazing player and an even better mentor. Words can’t explain my thanks for what a great teammate he was.… pic.twitter.com/MrTfwMFu2D

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS)

Former Eagles quarterback and NFL MVP Roman Gabriel has passed away at the age of 83. He was the NFL comeback player of the year with the Birds and a Pro Bowler
“Gabe was an amazing player and an even better mentor. Words can’t explain my thanks for what a great teammate he was.… pic.twitter.com/MrTfwMFu2D

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) April 21, 2024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2024">John Clark, another former Eagles Quarterback had something to say about Roman Gabriel.

“Gabe was an amazing player and an even better mentor. Words can’t explain my thanks for what a great teammate he was. A special player and a better man!” -Former Eagles teammate and QB Ron Jaworski

Importance Of The QB

When you are the quarterback of a team, you are the leader of the offense, that’s a given, but in a lot of cases, you are the face of the franchise.

Things were different back in the day to a certain degree but there’s a reason why we liken “quarterback” in day-to-day language as a leader in the household or office.

Just look at Jalen Hurts, the current Eagles quarterback. He is a leader amongst our team. Or Nick Foles in 2017, stepped up to be a leader of a team that was lacking their starting QB. Rest in peace to the leader and gunslinger, Roman Gabriel.

Ranking All Of The Philadelphia Eagles Head Coaches Since 1970

Since 1970, the Steelers have had just 3 head coaches. Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin. In that same time, the Eagles had 14, though two of them coached only a single game. Only 4 of them coached for more than 4 seasons. If Nick Sirianni makes it through the next season, it will make for 5 Eagles head coaches in 14 years.

They of course had stability for a while. Andy Reid lasted from 1999-2012. But after that, it got unstable again. Chip Kelly lasted only 3 years. Doug Pederson was fired after 5 seasons, despite winning the only Super Bowl in team history. Nick Sirianni is going into year 4 but is pretty clearly on thin ice. Before we know it, they could be up to 15 coaches since 1970, while the Steelers are still on their 3rd.

But who is the best among them? Who is the worst among them? Are there any that maybe get more hate than they deserve or perhaps more love than they deserve? Let’s run through all 14, and rank them from best to worst.

Because I am only counting since 1970, guys like Greasy Neal and Buck Shaw got left off. If they were on the list, obviously they would be rated very highly having both won at least one Championship. I am also leaving off both Pat Shurmur and Fred Bruney, who only coached a single game. They may have each won that one game, but you can’t really judge them one way or the other based on them replacing a fired head coach for one game. Only the 12 full-time head coaches made the list. From Jerry Williams, through Rich Kotite, and up to Nick Sirianni.

Here are the best, and worst Eagles head coaches since 1970:

 

  • 12- Ed Khayat- 1971-1972 (8-15)

    Separating Ed Khayat, Marion Campbell, Jerry Williams, and Mike McCormack was tough. All 4 failed to get a single winning season, let alone make the playoffs. But Ed Khayat takes last place. Why? Well for one he alienated his players with a draconian dress code, forcing them to get haircuts and a clean shave. His Pro Bowl Linebacker Tim Rossovich even forced his way out of Philly because of those rules. He also once guaranteed the Eagles would win a game against the Giants where they were 14-point underdogs. They lost that game 62-10.

    Reuben Frank on Twitter: "Ed Khayat is the last Eagles head coach that didn't get another head coaching job.Most didn't do too well.McCormack - 13-26, Ind, SeaVermeil - 66-62, Rams, K.C., SBSwampy - 11-32 AtlBuddy - 12-20 Ariz.Kotite - 4-28 NYJRay - 8-8 GBAndy - 77-35, KC SBChip - 2-14 SFO / Twitter"

    Ed Khayat is the last Eagles head coach that didn't get another head coaching job.Most didn't do too well.McCormack - 13-26, Ind, SeaVermeil - 66-62, Rams, K.C., SBSwampy - 11-32 AtlBuddy - 12-20 Ariz.Kotite - 4-28 NYJRay - 8-8 GBAndy - 77-35, KC SBChip - 2-14 SFO

  • 11- Jerry Williams- 1969-1971 (7-22)

    Ed Khayat may be the last coach to never get another job, but Jerry Williams is the 2nd to last one. The only reason I put him one place higher than Ed was he lasted 1 more season. But given his 7-22-2 record, you could easily argue he is the worst. We are really splitting hairs here between these two.

    But one thing in his favor is that on his way out he called then Eagles owner Leonard Tose “a man without courage or character.” And since Tose once tried to move the Eagles out of Philly, I am inclined to agree with Williams on this one.

    Jeff Skversky on Twitter: "#Eagles Coaches with 0 Playoff Wins by Year 3:Chip KellyBuddy RyanMarion CampbellDick VermeilMike McCormackEd KhayatJerry Williams / Twitter"

    Eagles Coaches with 0 Playoff Wins by Year 3:Chip KellyBuddy RyanMarion CampbellDick VermeilMike McCormackEd KhayatJerry Williams

     

  • 10- Marion Campbell- 1983-1985 (17-29)

    Marion Campbell was a great Defensive Coordinator. And he actually had some great defenses in his time here. But what he never had was a winning team. He also failed to have a winning season in two stints with the Falcons. His 34-80-1 career record is the worst for any coach with over 100 games. Also of note, he was an All-Pro for the Eagles in 1960 when they won the NFL Championship.

    Philadelphia Eagles on Twitter: "The #Eagles are saddened to learn about the passing of former player and head coach Marion Campbell. pic.twitter.com/Ivsqny1PKE / Twitter"

    The #Eagles are saddened to learn about the passing of former player and head coach Marion Campbell. pic.twitter.com/Ivsqny1PKE

  • 9- Mike McCormack- 1973-1975 (16-25)

    Another coach who never had a winning season, let alone a playoff game. McCormack was a Hall of Fame Offensive Tackle. But he never quite figured out being a Head Coach. Though he was fairly retrospective when he lost his job as coach the 2nd time with the Colts.

    “I wanted to be like my mentor, Paul Brown. He was a great teacher and I tried to do the same but unfortunately I always let my emotions carry me away.”

    Old Time Football 🏈 on Twitter: "#1973EaglesThread#Eagles finished 5-8-1.Mike McCormack is the new head coach.#Eagles have a new QB for 1973, Roman Gabriel Philadelphia at training camp pic.twitter.com/bu8WHzSQ4Q / Twitter"

    1973EaglesThread#Eagles finished 5-8-1.Mike McCormack is the new head coach.#Eagles have a new QB for 1973, Roman Gabriel Philadelphia at training camp pic.twitter.com/bu8WHzSQ4Q

  • 8- Rick Kotite- 1991-1994 (36-28)

    Kotite is literally the standard for bad coaching in both Philly and New York. When it started to fall apart for Doug Pederson, and now Nick Sirianni, Kotite is who people compare them to.

    Yes he won a playoff game. But after that, it was a disaster. He started out 1994 7-2, and the future seemed bright. Then he imploded, lost the last 7 games of the season, and finished last in the NFC East. New owner Jeffrey Lurie fired him, and that was it for Kotite in Philly. It got no better for him in his next job with the Jets.

    18 SEP 1994: PHILADELPHIA HEAD COACH RICH KOTITE DURING THE EAGLES 13-7 VICTORY OVER THE GREEN BAY PACKERS AT VETERANS STADIUM IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

  • 7- Chip Kelly- 2013-2015 26-11

    No head coach had a better start to their career than Chip Kelly. His first season had Eagles fans worshipping him. We convinced ourselves he was a genius who was going to change the game. Then the league adjusted to his scheme, and he had no answers. After getting them to the playoffs in year 1, he never got back and got fired before the end of year 3.

    What makes him more hated, is how he pushed out talented players. They bled talent all 3 seasons he was there. Desean Jackson has a career year, he gets cut for nothing. LeSean McCoy gets traded a year later. His style and attitude wore people out fast. He got one more job with the 49ers after the Eagles fired him. They fired him after a single season. He is just lucky Rich Kotite exists or he would be lower on this list.

    ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 08: Head coach Chip Kelly of the Philadelphia Eagles talks with players during warm-ups prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys on November 8, 2015 in Arlington, Texas.

  • 6- Buddy Ryan- 1986-1990 (43-35)

    This one is going to be controversial. But the guy had some of the best rosters the Eagles have ever had, and he never won a playoff game. Reggie White, Jerome Brown, Eric Allen, Randall Cunningham, Seth Joyner, Keith Jackson, Keith Byars, and Cris Carter at one point. All that talent, and you can’t win a single playoff game? Rich Kotite won a playoff team with mostly the same roster, but Buddy couldn’t.

    Some Eagles fans love him because he hated the Cowboys as much as we do, and he managed to beat them when they were at their best. But looking back, he failed big time to take advantage of what should have been a great time in Eagles history. Great Defensive Coordinator. One of the best. But a mediocre over-rated Head Coach.

    Quirky Research on Twitter: "On this date in 1987, Buddy Ryan and the returning Eagles regulars decided to get revenge on a Cowboys team that had blown them out in a scab game two weeks earlier. pic.twitter.com/XMMbM1VXWu / Twitter"

    On this date in 1987, Buddy Ryan and the returning Eagles regulars decided to get revenge on a Cowboys team that had blown them out in a scab game two weeks earlier. pic.twitter.com/XMMbM1VXWu

  • 5- Ray Rhodes 1995-1998 (29-34)

    How is a guy with a losing record better than Buddy Ryan? He did what Ryan couldn’t do, and won a playoff game. And he did it with a worse roster. It was all downhill from there. But in 1995 he was Coach of The Year and coached a Rodney Peete quarterbacked team to the playoffs for a blowout win over the Lions.

    Philadelphia Eagles on Twitter: "Join us in wishing former head coach Ray Rhodes a happy 70th birthday!#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/8UHsB49Kvy / Twitter"

    Join us in wishing former head coach Ray Rhodes a happy 70th birthday!#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/8UHsB49Kvy

  • 4- Nick Sirianni- 2021-Present- (34-17)

    Nick went from beloved, to bemoaned, very quickly. After 2022 it looked like he was the next great Eagles coach. Now? He may be a bad start to next season away from being out of a job.

    He doesn’t call plays, and he doesn’t even design the offense now. He is the “CEO” of the team. But what does that mean? The players mostly seem to like him, so at least he has that going for him. But he apparently needs Big Dom to keep his emotions in check on the sideline. Every new thing we hear about him makes me think they made a mistake bringing him back for 2024.

    But because he coached the team to the Super Bowl, he still gets a ton of credit Sirianni finishes top 4 behind a Hall of Famer, a future Hall of Famer, and the only coach to win a Super Bowl in Philly. But there are a lot of questions about his ability to coach after this past season.

    Eagles Nation on Twitter: "Reporter: "If the OC will be in charge of the offense, and DC in charge of the defense, what will your role be?"Nick Sirianni: "Head Coach of the football team.. I guess it will be very similar to what it is now. Does that mean sitting in on defensive meetings at times? Maybe.... pic.twitter.com/ZnZxIYVHJu / Twitter"

    Reporter: "If the OC will be in charge of the offense, and DC in charge of the defense, what will your role be?"Nick Sirianni: "Head Coach of the football team.. I guess it will be very similar to what it is now. Does that mean sitting in on defensive meetings at times?

  • 3- Dick Vermeil- 1976-1982 (54-47)

    Only 2 Eagles Head Coaches are currently in the Hall of Fame as a coach. Greasy Neale, and Dick Vermeil. Vermeil entered the Hall of Fame in 2022. He also coached the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl Appearance. He would later win a Super Bowl with the Rams. But despite that, he still went into the Hall as an Eagle.

    If it were not for one of the greatest NFL Coaches period, and also the only coach to win a Super Bowl in Philly also being on this list, Vermeil could be even higher.

    John Clark on Twitter: "Dick Vermeil got to put on his gold jacket for the first time and he will go into the Hall of Fame tonight "I'm going in as an Eagle" "Philadelphia is my home team. It's where I live and deeply identify with the community" pic.twitter.com/lBkh9Gc8Bj / Twitter"

    Dick Vermeil got to put on his gold jacket for the first time and he will go into the Hall of Fame tonight "I'm going in as an Eagle" "Philadelphia is my home team. It's where I live and deeply identify with the community" pic.twitter.com/lBkh9Gc8Bj

  • 2- Doug Pederson- 2016-2020 (42-37)

    You could tell me you have him as number 1, and I couldn’t really argue with you too much. He won the one and only Super Bowl in team history. And he had the balls to do a trick play on 4th down in the red zone. A play that everyone will now agree is the best in franchise history and one of the best in NFL history period. All of that makes a convincing argument that he is number 1.

    What keeps him from being 1? Well for one, he has a top 3 coach of all time ahead of him. But also things just kept getting worse after the Super Bowl. That is not all Doug’s fault, but it is not not his fault. His offense got blander and blander. They never recaptured that magic again. But despite how it ended, he will always be the guy who brought use our first Super Bowl parade. And there is nothing wrong with 2nd place.

    NFL Legacy on Twitter: "One year ago today:The @Eagles pulled off a trick that will go down in history. pic.twitter.com/rbgcCv5vBo / Twitter"

    One year ago today:The @Eagles pulled off a trick that will go down in history. pic.twitter.com/rbgcCv5vBo

  • 1- Andy Reid- 1999-2012 (130-92)

    Andy never actually won it all here. But he did give us the best era in franchise history. 5 NFC Championship game appearances, and 1 Super Bowl appearance. And we can’t just ignore he has gone on to win 3 Super Bowls. Andy Reid is going to go into the Hall of Fame, and will probably go down as one of the best coaches ever. What makes it more impressive is that he had success with two different teams.

    For me, he is the obvious answer. It is just a shame he didn’t get to have a parade while he was here.

    John Clark on Twitter: "Andy Reid is going to his 4th Super Bowl over the last 5 yearsHe also led the Eagles to the Super Bowl 19 years ago so this will be his 5th tripOnly Bill Belichick and Don Shula have been to more in NFL history pic.twitter.com/xGRQtRLIpK / Twitter"

    Andy Reid is going to his 4th Super Bowl over the last 5 yearsHe also led the Eagles to the Super Bowl 19 years ago so this will be his 5th tripOnly Bill Belichick and Don Shula have been to more in NFL history pic.twitter.com/xGRQtRLIpK

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Meet The Andie Summers Show

Andie Summers 

Andie Summers has been waking up country music fans in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties on 92.5 XTU since 1999. While Andie loves her job, she is most proud of her role as wife to Leonard, mother to Tori and Leonard, and dog-mom to their poodle Bob Ross.

Jeff Kurkjian 

Jeff Kurkjian grew up in Montgomery County, Maryland and now is proud to call Philadelphia, home. He and his wife, Emily, just welcomed their baby girl, McKinley to the world. In his spare time, he loves to binge watch the latest shows and work on his own podcast called “Do What You Love.”

Donnie Black 

Donnie Black is the Producer of The Andie Summers Show. His love for radio started way back when he was 8 years old when he would record his own radio shows on his cassette player in his bedroom. When he is not at work, he is listening to 90s boy bands, watching the same movies over and over.

Shannon Boyle

Shannon is the Assistant Producer of The Andie Summers Show. She started her radio career with 92.5 XTU as an intern for The Andie Summers Show. Shannon is Philly born & raised, when she isn’t rooting for the city, you can find her crafting and watching her favorite TV shows. 

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Jeff Kurkjian is the morning show co-host on "The Andie Summers Show" on 92.5 XTU, Philly's Country Station. He's the nationally syndicated show host of "Jeff Kurkjian's Backstage Country." As a content creator for 92.5 XTU he shares his perspective of being a dad, husband, country music and sports, specifically baseball.

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