Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Eagles Hall of Famer Pihos dead at 87

The Eagles announced that Hall of Fame receiver Pete Pihos passed away peacefully in his sleep at 1:40 am this morning at Grace Healthcare in Winston-Salem, NC, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 87 years old.

A member of the Eagles 1948 and 1949 championship teams, Pihos spent his entire nine-year career in Philadelphia, earning six trips to the Pro Bowl and five All-Pro selections. He led the NFL for three-straight seasons in receptions (1953-55), twice in yards (1953, 1955), and once in touchdowns (1953). One of the most memorable moments of his career came in the 1949 NFL Championship game vs. the Rams, when he hauled in the game-winning touchdown catch.

A fifth round draft choice by the Eagles out of Indiana in 1945, Pihos amassed 373 receptions for 6,519 yards and 61 touchdowns in his career, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Eagles Honor Roll in 1987.

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