Pete Pihos, one of the greatest all-around players in Eagles history, died Tuesday. He was 87.
Pihos played his entire NFL career with the Eagles and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970. He led the league in receiving three consecutive years and he still ranks fourth on the Eagles all-time list with 373 catches. His 61 touchdown receptions are tied with Mike Quick for third in team history.
Pete was the greatest third-down receiver Ive ever seen, said Vince McNally, the Eagles general manager from 1949 through 1964. He also was a great blocker. But greatest of all his assets was the fact that every week he came to play.
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Pihos died at a nursing home in Winston-Salem, N.C., after a long battle with Alzheimers disease. He was named to the Eagles 75th anniversary team in 2007, but he was unable to make the trip to Philadelphia due to his illness.
Known as The Golden Greek, Pihos was born in Orlando, Florida. He attended the University of Indiana where he became only the second player in college football history -- Bronko Nagurski was the first -- to earn All-America honors at two different positions. Pihos played both fullback and end and set the Indiana record for career points (138).
The Eagles selected Pihos in the 1945 draft even though they knew he could not join them until he was discharged from the Army. At the time, Pihos was a second lieutenant serving under General Patton in Europe, dodging bullets every day. I can wait for a player like Pihos, coach Greasy Neale said.
Indeed, Pihos was worth the wait. He joined the Eagles in 1947 and in his nine seasons, he was an All-Pro selection six times on offense and once on defense. He led the Eagles in receptions eight times. He missed only one game in his nine seasons and he was a key contributor to the Eagles back-to-back world championship teams in 1948 and 49.
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Like many players of that era, the 6-1, 215-pound Pihos played both offense and defense. He was a pass-catching end on offense and a sure-tackling end and linebacker on defense. He also played on the kicking team. His blocked punt set up the first touchdown in a 21-0 Eagles win over Pittsburgh in a 1947 Eastern Division playoff game.
Pete could do everything, said Russ Craft, who played for the Eagles from 1946 to 53. He had those big paws and he could catch the ball in a crowd. Because he was a fullback in college, he knew how to run with the ball once he had it. He wasnt the fastest guy, but he was so strong hed just knock people over in the open field.
Neale put in a special play for Pihos: the middle screen which some teams still use today. Pihos would slide down from his end position and catch the screen pass while the Eagles line formed a wall in front of him. Once Pihos caught the ball and turned upfield, he was tough to bring down.
Pihos had 11 touchdown catches in a 12-game season in 1948. He was the first player in franchise history to have 1,000 yards receiving in a season. He accomplished that feat in 1953 while also leading the league with 63 receptions and 10 touchdowns.
In his book Pro Footballs 100 Greatest Players, Hall of Fame coach George Allen wrote: (Pihos) was no giant, but he was big enough. He was no sprinter, but he was fast enough. He was extremely tough and durable and he seemed to me an exceptionally smart player. He never gave an opponent anything.
Pihos played his best in big games. He scored the first touchdown in the 1949 NFL championship game against the Los Angeles Rams, pulling in a 31-yard pass from quarterback Tommy Thompson. The Eagles went on to defeat the Rams, 14-0, in a driving rain at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Pihos shocked the Eagles by retiring following the 1955 season. He still was at the top of his game at age 32. He led the league in receptions for the third year in a row, but he saw the team going downhill. The Eagles finished 4-7-1 in 1955, the first losing season of Pihos career, and he felt it was time to hang up the pads.
In a 1981 interview with the Philadelphia Bulletin, Pihos told of a chance encounter with baseball great Joe DiMaggio and how that influenced his decision to retire. Pihos said: I ran into Joe once in Atlantic City. He said, Pete, when you retire, make sure you retire on top. Things will be better for you. Dont retire as a has-been. I always remembered that. I couldve played longer, but I chose to retire on top.
Pihos enjoyed watching the NFL on television, but he was exasperated by the number of dropped passes he saw each week. In a 1999 NFL Films interview, Pihos talked about his frustration with millionaire receivers who cant catch the ball.
I never dropped a pass, period, Pihos said. A few might have gone over my head or something like that, but if the ball hit my hands, it was caught. If you cant catch the ball, you shouldnt be out there.
Pihos is survived by his ex-wife, Donna Pihos, who was his caretaker for the last 12 years; their daughter Melissa and children from a previous marriage: son Pete Pihos, Jr., daughters Nikki Pihos Walker and Lisa-Anne Pihos Mann and stepson John Wesley Poole.
Visitation will take place Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at the Hayworth Miller Funeral Home on Silas Creek Parkway in Winston Salem, N.C. The funeral is being held Friday at 11 a.m. at the Bethel United Methodist Church in Winston Salem. Both are open to public.
E-mail Ray Didinger at viewfromthehall@comcast.net.