Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles mourn the passing of former NFL Champion and Head Coach Eddie Khayat

Posted on by Tony

The Eagles are saddened to learn of the passing of Eddie Khayat, a starting defensive tackle on the 1960 NFL Championship Team and a former head coach. Khayat passed away on Friday evening in Nashville, surrounded by family, at the age of 89. He is survived by his wife, Deborah, and his two sons, Edward Jr. and Bill.

Khayat’s tenure as a player with the Eagles began on the practice squad in 1958 as the backup center. A defensive tackle at Tulane, Khayat was moved back to his normal position and activated for the second half of that season. He reported to Training Camp the following season after adding nearly 30 pounds and became a starter on a defense that featured the likes of Pro Football Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik, Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalist Maxie Baughan, and Eagles Hall of Famer Tom Brookshier among others.

In 1960, the Eagles handed Pro Football Hall of Fame Head Coach Vince Lombardi the only playoff loss of his illustrious career in the NFL Championship Game.

“We could feel it coming,” Khayat said in a 2021 interview for a Where Are They Now? feature. “We finished second in ’59 and we knew we had a good ballclub. When you’ve got (Norm) Van Brocklin and (Sonny) Jurgensen as your quarterbacks, you’re way ahead of the rest of them.”

“That preseason, we beat the Colts, who were the defending World Champs, and we felt pretty good about ourselves. You hear people talk about chemistry. The guys we had were teammates. The closeness that we had and the way that we took care of each other, nobody messed with the Eagles.

“I’ll never forget any of it. A very fond memory was at the end of the (championship) game when Bednarik was on top of (Packers running back) Jimmy Taylor. And I’m cleaning up what I’m telling you. Jimmy Taylor is saying, ‘Let me up, you son of a gun.’ And Bednarik’s saying, ‘I’ll let you up, you son of a gun, when the gun goes off.'”

Khayat played in Philadelphia for six seasons (1958-61, 64-65). He is also one of only four players in franchise history to become the team’s head coach.

In 1971, Khayat succeeded Jerry Williams after the team’s first three games. Khayat righted the ship and finished 6-4-1 in the games he coached that season.

“It was a difficult thing when you’re working somewhere and you lose a guy like that and you’re asked to, on an interim basis, finish the year. It’s difficult to say that you won’t. If you’re working somewhere and they ask you to do a job, then that’s what you have to do,” Khayat said.

“We had some degree of success. We lost the first two games to Minnesota and Oakland, two great ballclubs, but then we went 6-2-1 the rest of the year. And, of course, the next year we were not that successful. We didn’t win but two games that year, and tied one.”

In total, Khayat played 10 years in the NFL and served as a coach in the league for another 25. Khayat has been inducted into six Halls of Fame, including the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the 1960 NFL Championship Team.

Khayat’s son Bill commented that of his father’s 10-year career, he primarily thinks of him wearing an Eagles No. 73 Kelly green jersey. Being part of a championship team was the highlight of that career, and he felt particularly honored, early in his coaching career, to be asked to be their head coach.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date.

Khi bạn có (Norm) Van Brocklin và (Sonny) Jurgensen làm tiền vệ, bạn sẽ vượt lên trên những người còn lại.”

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