In August 1968, on the first play of Philadelphia's first pre-season game, starting quarterback Norm Snead suffered a broken left fibula when he attempted to tackle Detroit's Lem Barney when an ill-advised trick play backfired against the Lions in Franklin Field.
That year - the one in which Philly fans pelted Santa Claus with snowballs during halftime of the Eagles' final game of the season at Franklin Field - Philadelphia lost its first eleven games and finished 2-12 overall.
They dropped from first in the draft order to third with their two wins in the final three games.
The first draft pick that year? O.J. Simpson.
The fourth? Joe Greene.
The Eagles? They draft Leroy Keyes, a potential two-way start out of Purdue. But in a walkthrough before their final game of 1969, Keyes' rookie year, he gets his foot stomped on by a teammate and has to take a shot of Novocain the next day. That next off-season, while playing basketball, he ruptures his right Achilles' tendon and his career is, at that point, effectively over.
Even more ironic ... that first exhibition game was supposed to have been played in Mexico City. But there were widespread student riots taking place in Mexico City, a lead-up to the infamous Tlatelolco massacre in early October, and the game was rescheduled for Franklin Field just four days before it was played.
Oh, yeah.
Fire Fisher.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2016 07:39AM by The_Bad_Guy.
