Eagles great, ex-broadcaster Brookshier dies at 78
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By DAVID WEINBERG, Staff Writer | Posted: Sunday, January 31, 2010 | 0 comments


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Former Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro defensive back Tom Brookshier, one of just seven players in franchise history to have his jersey number (40) retired, died Friday night at age 78 after a bout with cancer.

"Tom Brookshier represented everything you could want in a teammate and friend," former Eagles center/linebacker Chuck Bednarik said Saturday in a statement. "Brookie was one of the best people I have ever known, and I am proud to have remained his friend for so many years.

"He was always a leader on the field and in the locker room and might have been the toughest defensive back of our era. We've lost one of the great Eagles of alltime."

Brookshier joined the Eagles as a 10th-round draft choice from Colorado in 1953 and registered eight of his 20 career interceptions as a rookie. After serving two years in the Air Force, he returned in 1956 and played six more seasons.

Brookshier, who earned All-Pro honors in 1959 and 1960, teamed with fellow standouts such as Bednarik and Tommy McDonald to help the Eagles win the NFL championship in 1960. That still stands as their last league title.

"The 1960 team lost a brother," McDonald said Saturday in a statement. "That 1960 team was family. (Brookshier) had an outstanding personality. He was a happy person to be around. ... And he had strong leadership ability on defense with Chuck Bednarik and everybody. You could always depend on him. I will miss knowing that I won't be able to see him anymore, but he's on God's team now."

Upon retiring as a player because of a broken leg, Brookshier joined CBS as a broadcaster and teamed with Pat Summerall to entertain and inform NFL TV audiences.

Brookshier also was a former morning-show host and part owner of WIP-AM in Philadelphia, which switched to its current all-sports talk format during that time. The station's Web site on Saturday memorialized him as "CREATOR OF SPORTSRADIO 610 WIP."

Family members announced through the Eagles that funeral services are pending.

"One of the reasons we have always been so proud to be a part of the Eagles' family is because great men of character like Tom Brookshier were the bricks in the foundation of the franchise," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said Saturday in a statement. "This man could literally light up a room, and he brought the same passion and intensity to his playing and broadcasting careers.

"Tom Brookshier will forever remain an integral part of the Philadelphia Eagles. He was and will always be a champion. Christina and I send our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Barbara, his family, and anyone who had the pleasure of calling Tom Brookshier a friend."

Contact David Weinberg:

609-272-7186

DWeinberg@pressofac.com

Eagles' retired numbers

15: Steve Van Buren

40: Tom Brookshier

44: Pete Retzlaff

60: Chuck Bednarik

70: Al Wistert

92: Reggie White

99: Jerome Brown