Former Eagles Player Named Hall Of Fame Semifinalist
The Pro Football Hall of Fame recently announced a list of 54 semifinalists for the Class of 2023. This list includes 25 former NFL players and 29 former coaches/contributors to the NFL. The list will go from 54 names down to 24 at the end of July.
One former Philadelphia Eagles player is on the list which is Maxie Baughan. Who is Maxie Baughan and what were his contributions to the Eagles and football?
Who is Maxie Baughan?
Maxie Baughan was born on August 3rd, 1938, in Forkland, Alabama. He played his college football at Georgia Tech. In college, Baughan played both linebacker and center. He was his school’s captain during his senior year in 1959. That year he set a Georgia Tech single season record with 124 tackles. He was also an All-American, SEC lineman of the year, and the Most Valuable Player in the Gator Bowl.
NFL Career
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Maxie Baughan in the second round of the 1960 NFL Draft. He was the 20th overall pick as there were only 12 NFL teams at that time. Baughan became an immediate starter as a right-side linebacker.
Maxie Baughan was the runner-up in the Rookie of the Year vote in 1960. Tackles were not recorded as a statistic in 1960, but Baughan had three interceptions in his 12 starts that year. By 1965, Baughan had been voted to the Pro Bowl in five out of six seasons in Philadelphia. He had his first and only career touchdown during an interception return against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1965. Baughan recorded 18.5 of his 24.5 career sacks with the Eagles.
Baughan was a member of the 1960 Eagles Championship team. This was the third Eagles’ NFL Championship win in franchise history and was the last one until Super Bowl 52.
Post Eagles Career
Maxie Baughan wanted a new start as the Eagles were declining by the mid-1960s. He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for linebacker Fred Brown and defensive tackle Frank Molden. Baughan was a captain for the Rams and made the Pro Bowl four straight years. He was later traded to the Washington Redskins in 1974 where he ended his playing career after one season there.
Maxie Baughan got into coaching after he stopped playing football. He was a defensive coordinator for Georgia Tech for two years and then became a defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Colts for five years. After a brief stint with the Detroit Lions, Baughan got his first head coaching opportunity for Cornell University. There he compiled a 28-29-2 record over six years including a conference title in his final season as a head coach in 1988.
Baughan returned to the NFL as a linebackers coach for the Vikings, Buccaneers, and Ravens before retiring at the conclusion of the 1998 season.
Awards
Maxie Baughan is a member of Georgia Tech’s Hall of Fame as well as the College Football Hall of Fame. In 2015, he was inducted to the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame alongside running back Brian Westbrook.
In Conclusion
Maxie Baughan had a long and productive career as a player and a coach. He is the only linebacker in NFL history to not make the Hall of Fame with at least nine Pro-Bowl appearances. 2023 could finally be the year he gets his much-deserved honors of a Hall of Famer.
Do you think Maxie Baughan will be inducted into the Hall of Fame? Check out which other Eagles players deserve to go into the Hall of Fame next.
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