'Decorated war hero; Played Center and LB; 8-time all NFL; Sold concrete in the off-season' - a great man from a different time. God Bless
Posted by Mike Wilkening on March 21, 2015, 10:15 AM EDT
AP
Chuck Bednarik, a standout two-way player for the Philadelphia Eagles, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and a decorated Army Air Corps member in World War II, passed away Saturday morning at age 89 after a short illness, the club announced.
A center and linebacker, Bednarik’s toughness and versatility are part of football lore. Two of his signature moments came in 1960. First, he delivered a clean-but-crushing
shoulder-high hit on fellow Hall of Famer Frank Gifford. The force of the blow knocked the Giants star to the ground, knocked the ball loose and knocked Gifford out of action for the rest of the season with a concussion.
Then, in the 1960 NFL Championship Game vs. Green Bay, Bednarik played nearly the entire contest at center and linebacker, punctuating the effort with the game-ending tackle of Green Bay’s Jim Taylor as Philadelphia held on for a 17-13 win.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 1949 NFL Draft, Bednarik played his entire 14-season career with the Eagles, garnering all-NFL honors in eight seasons. A lasting nickname, “Concrete Charlie,” stems from his offseason work selling concrete.
Before starring at the University of Pennsylvania, Bednarik served in the Army Air Corps, earning an Air Medal as a B-24 waist gunner in World War II.
Bednarik’s wife of 67 years, Emma, survives him, as do five children, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
