1953 Philadelphia Eagles season


The 1953 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 21st in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 7–5, going 7–4–1. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.

Off Season

At the end of the 1952 season, 2-year player Bud Grant is offered a pay raise in his contract. He chooses to play football in the CFL instead. He would have a career worthy of being named to the CFL's Hall of Fame as a player. Later on he would make the Pro Football Hall of Fame as coach of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Eagles held training camp at Hershey Park Stadium in Hershey, PA for the 3rd strait year.
Matt Guokas, Sr. is hired to be the PA announcer for the Eagles. Guokas played basketball for Saint Joseph's Hawks in college and the Philadelphia Warriors in the NBA. After losing his right leg in an automobile accident, Guokas turned to broadcasting, and he served as an announcer for the N Philadelphia Eagles for 32 years from 1953 to 1985.

NFL Draft

The 1953 NFL Draft was held on January 22, 1953. There was 30 rounds in the draft with 12 teams picking. The San Francisco 49ers received this year's Lottery bonus pick. With this pick they chose Harry Babcock an End out of University of Georgia.
The 1952 expansion team Dallas Texans folded during the 1952 season and then became the Baltimore Colts on January 23, 1953. The Colts had the number 1 pick and choose Heisman Trophy winner Billy Vessels a Halfback out of University of Oklahoma.
With a 7–5 record in 1952 the Eagles got the 7th, 8th or 9th pick in the 30 rounds. With trading away their 1st round pick the Eagles 1st selection was the 7th pick in the 2nd round, 20th overall, they chose Al Conway a Back out of Army and William Jewell College. He did not play due to injury and ended up as an official in the American Football League and an official in the NFL for 28 years.

Player Selections

The table shows the Eagles selections and what picks they had that were traded away and the team that ended up with that pick. It is possible the Eagles' pick ended up with this team via another team that the Eagles made a trade with.
Not shown are acquired picks that the Eagles traded away.
Rd Pick PlayerPosition School Rd Pick PlayerPosition School
17Pick Traded to Los
Angeles Rams
220Al ConwayBackArmy and William Jewell College
334Don JohnsonBackCalifornia445George MrkonicGuardKansas
556Eddie BellEndPennsylvania561Rex Smith
EndIllinois
670Pick Traded to
Chicago Cardinals
776Jack Erickson
pick from Chicago Cardinals'''
TackleArmy/Beloit
781Ray MalavasiGuardArmy/Mississippi State892Jess RichardsonTackleAlabama
9106Roger FrenchEndMinnesota10117Tom BrookshierBackColorado
11128Bob PollardBackPenn State12142George PorterTackleSan Jose State
13153Ray WestortGuardUtah14164Roy BaileyBackTulane
15178Willie IrvinEndFlorida A&M16189Bud WallaceBackNorth Carolina
17200Tony RadosBackPenn State18214Marv TrauthTackleMississippi
19225Pete BachourosBackIllinois20236Rollie ArnsCenterIowa State
21250Hal BrooksTackleWashington & Lee22261Laurie LeClaireBackMichigan
23272Jeff KnoxEndGeorgia Tech24286Eli RomeroBackWichita State
25297Johnny MichelsGuardTennessee26308Harvey AchzigerTackleColorado State
27322Earl HershBackWest Chester28333Joe GratsonBackPenn State
29344Ralph PaoloneBackKentucky30357Chuck HrenBackNorthwestern

Schedule

Game Recaps

Week 1 @ San Francisco

Week 2 vs Washington

The Eagles inability to hold onto the ball allows the Washington Redskins to tie them at 21 – 21.
The Eagles allowed 4 interceptions and would lose 1 fumble as they allowed Washington to gain 182 yards on 9 completions. The Eagles also hurt their cause by having 10 penalties for 99 yards called against them.

Week 3 @ Cleveland Browns

Week 4 vs Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 5 @ Chicago Cardinals

Week 6 @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 7 vs New York Giants

Week 8 vs Baltimore Colts

Week 9 vs Chicago Cardinals

Week 10 @ New York Giants

Week 11 @ Washington Redskins

Week 12 vs Cleveland Browns

The Eagles give the Cleveland Browns their only loss of the regular season in the final week of the season. Cleveland would have 3 turn overs during the game.

Standings

Playoffs

With a record of 7–4–1 the Eagles finish behind Cleveland and fail to make the playoffs. The Detroit Lions won the National Division and played the Cleveland Browns in the 1953 NFL Championship Game.

1953 Roster

'
NO.PlayerAGEPOSGPGSWTHTYRSCollege
Jim Trimble35COACH'1953
record

7–3–1
NFL-Eagles
Lifetime

14–9–1
2ndIndiana University
60Chuck Bednarik +28C-LB1202336–34Pennsylvania
36John Brewer25FB602306–41 Louisville
45Tom Brookshier22DB1101966–0RookieColorado
10Adrian Burk26QB1041906–23Baylor
33Russ Craft34DB-HB1201785–97Alabama
53Ken Farragut25C-LB1202406–42Mississippi
14Bob Gambold24QB302156–4RookieWashington State
27Hal Giancanelli24HB1201825–10RookieLoyola Marymount
88Bob Hudson23DB-LB-E1202256–42Clemson
81Willie Irvin23DE-E302036–3RookieFlorida A&M
78Mike Jarmoluk31DT-T-MG1202326–57Temple
40Don Johnson22HB1201876–0RookieCalifornia
76Bucko Kilroy32G-MG-T-DT1202436–210Temple
25Toy Ledbetter26HB1001985–103Oklahoma State
67John Magee30G1202205–105La-Lafayette and
Rice
61John Michels22G1102005–11RookieTennessee
72George Mrkonic24T-DT1002256–2RookieKansas
68Maury Nipp23G1202196–01Loyola Marymount
43Jim Parmer27FB-HB1201936–05Oklahoma State
35Pete Pihos +30E-DE1202106–16Indiana
21Al Pollard25HB-FB1201966–02Army and
Loyola Marymount
65Jess Richardson23DT1202616–2RookieAlabama
52Wayne Robinson23LB-C1102256–21Minnesota
85Bob Schnelker25E802146–3RookieBowling Green
82Tom Scott23DE-LB1202186–2RookieVirginia
79Vic Sears35T-DT1202236–312Oregon State
73Lum Snyder23T1202286–51Georgia Tech
44Bob Stringer24LB-FB1201976–11Tulsa
11Bobby Thomason25QB1281966–14VMI
31Ebert Van Buren29DB-LB-FB-HB1202106–22LSU
83Bobby Walston25E-HB-K1201906–02Georgia
86Norm Willey26DE-G-E1202246–23Marshall
49Jerry Williams30DB-HB1201755–104 Idaho and
Washington State
75Frank Wydo29T-DT12122256–46Cornell
41Frank Ziegler30HB-DB1201755–114Georgia Tech
35 Players
Team Average
12

  • Jerry Williams will become Head coach of Eagles for the 1969 season

    Post Season

Philadelphia finished second in last 2 seasons to the Cleveland Browns, with that Trimble is awarded a three-year contract after the team's second straight runnerup finish in 1953.

Awards and honors

Pro Bowl
The Eagles placed 6 players on the 1953 Pro Bowl team. Chuck Bednarik is named MVP of the Pro Bowl.
League Leaders