Off Season

After coaching #12 UCLA (8–2–1) in a win over #1 Ohio State (11–0) in the 1976 Rose Bowl

1976 Rose Bowl

The 1976 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1976. It was the 62nd Rose Bowl Game. The UCLA Bruins defeated the number one ranked and undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes 23-10. UCLA quarterback John Sciarra was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game...

 by the score of 23–10 Dick Vermeil was offered the Head coaching job of the Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

Vermiel NFL head coaching career with the Philadelphia Eagles began before his first season. He decided to host open tryouts. Because of bad trades by past Eagles coaches, Vermeil did not have a 1st round draft pick until 1978, but Vermeil did big things with the talent he had inherited from previous coaches.

NFL Draft

The 1976 National Football League Draft was an annual player selection meeting held on April 8 – April 9, 1976. It lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks making the first two selections. The expansion teams were also given a pair of extra picks at the end of each of rounds 2–5.

The Philadelphia Eagles would pick 9th in the 17 rounds. They still had to overcome the traded away draft picks of the Mike McCormack era.

The draft began with first overall pick of Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon

Lee Roy Selmon

Lee Roy Selmon was a Hall of Fame NFL football defensive lineman.-Early life:Selmon was the youngest of nine children of Lucious and Jessie Selmon, raised on a farm near Eufaula, Oklahoma...

, Defensive End from Oklahoma, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...

. The Eagles had to wait until the forth round and make a selection with the 111th pick.

Player Selections

The table shows the Eagles selections and what picks they had that were traded away and the team that ended up with that pick. It is possible the Eagles' pick ended up with this team via another team that the Eagles made a trade with.
Not shown are acquired picks that the Eagles traded away.

= Pro Bowl Pro Bowl In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those... er

= Hall of Fame Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees... r

Rd		|PLAYER		|COLLEGE
1	9	Pick Traded to Cincinnati Bengels
2	18	Pick Traded to Cincinnati Bengels
3	69	Pick Traded to Cincinnati Bengals
4a	101	Pick Traded to San Francisco 49ers
4b	111	Mike Smith	DE	Florida
4c		Pick Acquired from New England Patriots Pick Traded to Cleveland Browns
5	135	Greg Johnson	DT	Florida State
6	165	Kirk Johnson	T	Howard Payne
7	191	Carl Hairston Carl Hairston Carl Blake Hairston is a former professional American football player. He is currently the defensive line coach for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League....	DE	Maryland-Eastern Shore
8	216	Richard LaFargue	C	Arkansas
9a	247	Mike Hogan Mike Hogan Mike Hogan is a former NFL running back.Mike Hogan may also refer to:* Mike Hogan, member of Irish alternative rock band The Cranberries* Mike Hogan, member of Christian rock band David Crowder Band* Mike Hogan , Canadian sportscaster... Pick Acquired from Chicago Bears	RB	Tennessee-Chattanooga
9b	248	Richard Osborne Richard Osborne Richard Osborne is a former Australian rules footballer who enjoyed a lengthy career in the VFL/AFL. He played a total of 283 games in 17 seasons, and played with four different clubs, as well as representing Victoria 7 times in interstate competition.Originally from Bulleen/Templestowe, he...	TE	Texas A & M
10	273	Herb Lusk	RB	Long Beach State
11	300	Mike Gilbert	DT	San Diego State
12	228	Pick Traded to New York Jets
13a	353	Terry Tautolo Terry Tautolo Terry Lynn Tautolo is a former professional American football linebacker who played nine seasons in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins... Pick Acquired from New york Jets	LB	UCLA
13b	358	Steve Ebbecke	DB	Villanova
14	385	Melvin Shy	DB	Tennessee State
15	412	Brett White	Punter	UCLA
16	439	Steve Campassi	RB	Kentucky
17	470	Anthony Terry	DB	California-Davis

Vincent Papale

Vincent Papale, at 6-feet 2-inches (1.88 m) and 195 pounds (88.5 kg), was a long shot to make the Eagles roster. At age 30, Papale became the oldest rookie in the history of the NFL to play without the benefit of college football experience (other than kickers). He went on to play wide receiver

Wide receiver

A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...

 and special teams for the Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

.

Papale, earned the nickname "Rocky" (after the 1976 Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone

Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...

 movie

Rocky

Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...

 and character

Rocky Balboa (character)

Robert "Rocky" Balboa, Sr. is a fictional character and the main protagonist portrayed by Sylvester Stallone who has appeared in the Rocky series from 1976 to 2006. During the series, he wins the Heavyweight Championship of the World twice....

) while playing with the Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

, is the subject of the Disney

The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...

 movie Invincible

Invincible (2006 film)

Invincible is a 2006 family film directed by Ericson Core set in 1976. It is based on the true story of Vince Papale, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976–78. Mark Wahlberg portrays Papale and Greg Kinnear plays Papale's coach, Dick Vermeil...

, starring Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg

Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of...

.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 12, 1976	at Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...	L 27–7	54,052
2	September 19, 1976	New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	W 20–7	66,005
3	September 27, 1976	Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...	L 20–17	66,005
4	October 3, 1976	at Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	W 14–13	45,535
5	October 10, 1976	St. Louis Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	L 33–14	44,933
6	October 17, 1976	at Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...	L 28–13	55,398
7	October 24, 1976	Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...	L 31–12	56,233
8	October 31, 1976	at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	W 10–0	68,690
9	November 7, 1976	St. Louis Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	L 17–14	65,505
10	November 14, 1976	at Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...	L 24–3	62,120
11	November 21, 1976	Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...	L 26–7	65,990
12	November 28, 1976	at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...	L 24–0	54,292
13	December 5, 1976	Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...	L 26–7	55,072
14	December 12, 1976	Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...	W 27–10	37,949

Standings

NFC East NFC East The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins....
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
Dallas Cowboys 1976 Dallas Cowboys season The 1976 Dallas Cowboys season was their 17th in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 10–4, winning eleven games. They qualified for the playoffs, but lost in the Divisional round.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-Roster:...	11	3	0	.786	296	194	L-1
Washington Redskins 1976 Washington Redskins season The 1976 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 8-6 record from 1975.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-References:...	10	4	0	.714	291	217	W-4
St. Louis Cardinals 1976 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season The 1976 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 57th season the team was in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 11-3, winning only ten games. This was the first time in three seasons the team did not qualify for the playoffs....	10	4	0	.714	309	267	W-2
Philadelphia Eagles	4	10	0	.286	165	286	W-1
New York Giants 1976 New York Giants season The 1976 New York Giants season was the 52nd season for the club in the National Football League. The Giants had a 3–11 record in 1976 and finished in last place in the National Football Conference East Division. The season was highlighted by the opening of the new Giants Stadium at the New Jersey...	3	11	0	.214	170	250	L-1