'Old Smoothie' is Top No. 79 in Eagles' History

Those adverse to history are likely to call the current No. 79 on the Eagles roster, the best in franchise history.

Three consecutive Pro Bowl berths and the acknowledgment that Brandon Brooks is in a rather short discussion with Indianapolis star Quenton Nelson for the title of best offensive guard in the NFL right now make that a worthy sentiment.

However, Brooks, who will miss the scheduled 2020 season with a torn Achilles’ suffered earlier this month, still has a bit of ground to cover to catch Vic Sears, a 1940s All-Decade Team member who played with the organization from 1941 to 1953 and won world championships with the Eagles in 1948 and 1949.

From now until the Eagles begin the season at Washington on Sept. 13, SI.com EagleMaven will do a jersey countdown, listing the current Eagles player to wear the corresponding number to the days left before the season opener. As a bonus, we will list the top three players in team history to have that number.

Current number 79 and No. 2 overall:

Brandon Brooks. One of the best free-agent acquisitions in franchise history, Brooks was originally a third-round pick in Houston who was a solid player during his rookie deal with the Texans. In Philadelphia, however, Brooks has taken off with three consecutive Pro Bowl berths and a 2019 season in which he was regarded by some as the best offensive lineman in the entire NFL.

About the only hiccups with Brooks since his arrival in Philly have been injuries and illness. His latest torn Achilles’ is his second in just 17 months and Brooks missed the playoff loss to Seattle back in January with a dislocated shoulder suffered in Week 17 against the New York Giants.

Brooks was also diagnosed with a stress-related anxiety disorder in 2016 and has become a leader in encouraging others with similar issues to seek help. A constant battle, Brooks had a relapse before the regular-season game against Seattle last season.

Brooks was so good on the field during his first contract with the Eagles he was rewarded with a four-year, $54.2 million contract extension through the 2024 season in November of last season, which triggered his latest anxiety issues.

Top 3 to wear number 79:

3. Todd Herremans. Herremans turned out to be one of the most versatile offensive linemen in Eagles history after arriving as a fourth-round pick out of the football factory known as Saginaw Valley State in 2005.

He started four games as a rookie at left tackle in place of the injured Tra Thomas and by his sophomore campaign was a full-time starter for the next nine years. More so, he did it at three different positions, settling in at left guard before shiting to right tackle in 2011 and 2012 and then finishing up at RG during his final two seasons in Philadelphia.

Overall, Herremans spent 10 of his 11 professional seasons with the Eagles, finishing up his career in Indianapolis. Of the 128 games played with the Eagles, Herremans started 126 of them at four different OL positions, each one minus center.

Currently, Herremans is a leading advocate for the medical use of cannabis, which he claims can help reduce dangerous opioid use among NFL players

2. See Above.

1. Vic Sears. “Old Smoothie” was a fifth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1941 draft and was quickly traded to the Eagles. A two-way player as both an offensive and defensive tackle, Sears was so accomplished he was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team in the 1940s as a two-time All-Pro.

An Oregon native, Sears spend his entire career with the Eagles save for his 1943 stint with the “Steagles,” the temporary result of the merger between the Eagles and Steelers during the manpower shortages brought on by World War II.

Runner-up:

Mike Schad. Once a first-round pick in both the NFL (by the Los Angeles Rams) and the CFL out of Queens University in his native Ontario, Schad ended up as a four-year starter at left guard for the Eagles between 1989 and 1993. He started in all 55 games he played with the organization and is still the only NFL first-round pick in Queens’ history.

Schad liked the area so much he stuck around for a post-NFL business career in South Jersey.

Others: 

Buck Lansford, Lum Snyder, Gene Gossage, Lane Howell, Mitch Sutton, Manny Sistrunk, Frank Giddens, Rusty Russell, Joe Conwell, Mike Finn, Greg Jefferson, Jeremy Slechta, Jim Flanigan, Ian Allen, and Tanner Hawkinson.

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John every Monday and Friday on SIRIUSXM’s Tony Bruno Show with Harry Mayes, and every Tuesday and Thursday with Eytan Shander on SBNation Radio. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen