HEROIC DADS WHO DIDN’T BACK DOWN
BEING A PARENT ISN’T ALWAYS A WALK IN THE PARK
Kids often look up to their father as
Just as he’d intended, Brad absorbed most of the blow. While Oscar sustained serious wounds, his father’s injuries were more severe. Brad was left fighting for his life in the ICU, with severe fractures to his skull and vertebrae. Thankfully, Brad is expected to make a full recovery and has made serious strides since the accident. He and his son will live to play another day. Greg Alexander: Couldn’t Bear to See His Son Hurt While camping in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in June 2015, Greg Alexander awoke to the sound of a nightmare. The screams of his son intermingled with the roars of an unknown assailant, beckoning Greg to his son’s tent. There, he found his son Gabriel being attacked by a bear. The bear had his son by the head and was dragging him away. Greg jumped on the bear’s back, desperately trying to take attention away from Gabriel. Amazingly, it worked, and in the end, the bear ran away. Gabriel was left with serious cuts to his head, but thanks to his dad’s heroism, the two were able to walk away from that campsite and back to their lives together. The important thing to remember is that you don’t have to take a leap of faith or fight a bear to be a hero in your family’s eyes. Just be yourself, show some support, and do the best you can. Happy Father’s Day, everybody.
one of their greatest heroes. There are the long drives to sports tournaments, the late- night movies, and the sweets when Mom
At the time of writing, the NFL draft for the 2019–2020 season has concluded, and we can’t wait to see how the new additions to the team shape up this fall. While we don’t have a crystal ball to predict what these new players will bring to Lincoln Financial Field, we can look back on some great draft picks from Eagles history. Donovan McNabb It’s hard to believe in retrospect, but McNabb wasn’t a stand-out pick in 1999. With 12 highly valued quarterbacks available that year, the former Heisman Trophy finalist was the first to be passed over by the Browns during their first overall pick. While the Eagles would secure McNabb in their second overall selection, the choice wasn’t exactly popular. Despite the naysayers, McNabb went on to lead the Eagles to their second Super Bowl ever. While he couldn’t bring home the title, the former Syracuse quarterback would take his team to the most playoff wins in Eagles history. Chuck Bednarik This list wouldn’t be complete without “Concrete Charlie.” As if by fate, this legendary Eagle was drafted in 1949, when the first overall pick was assigned randomly. Philadelphia, fresh off their championship win in the previous season, won the lottery and scooped up Bednarik immediately. One of the NFL’s last isn’t looking. We probably all have some reason to look up to our dad as one of our biggest influences. It’s Father’s Day this month, a special time of year when we take a moment to think about the sacrifices the father figures in our lives have made for us. Most dads are pretty great, but some go above and beyond the fatherly call of duty. Let’s take a look at some heroic dads who risked everything to keep their families safe. Brad Lewis: Over the Ledge Life can change in a split second, and how you choose to react in a moment of peril can define your legacy forever. Few people know this as well as Brad Lewis. When Brad and his young son, Oscar, were deeply entrenched in an intense Nerf battle, he surely didn’t think the situation would turn as dangerous as it did. When a few darts missed his father and landed on the balcony, Oscar ran after them but soon found himself teetering on the balcony’s ledge, 12 feet above the ground. Thinking fast, Brad grabbed his son just before he fell over, both taking the plunge while Brad protected his son with his own body. GOOD DRAFTS
BEST PICKS IN EAGLES HISTORY
full-timers, the former University of Pennsylvania player would take the field on offense, defense, and what would eventually come to be called special teams. Playing for Philadelphia from beginning to end, Bednarik more than deserved the honor of first overall pick. Steve Van Buren
While McNabb and Bednarik both led the Eagles back to glory, Van Buren got the team there in the first place. Before Van Buren was drafted in 1944, the Eagles only had one winning season — while they were the Steagles. It was in Supersonic Steve’s time that the Eagles first became a stand-alone NFL powerhouse, and he was arguably the most important element of getting them there. Playing all of his eight seasons with Philadelphia, the All-Pro halfback still holds the team record for most rushing yards in a single game — a staggering 206. It’s no accident the Eagles won back-to-back championships in Van Buren’s day.
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