Remember This Guy?

The Buddy Ryan era produced some of the most memorable moments and players in Philadelphia sports history. Reggie White, Jerome Brown, Seth Joyner, Randall Cunningham, Keith Jackson, Andre Waters, the list goes on and on. There was a member or two from those teams however, that may now have slipped from your memory banks. Players like Mike Pitts. The Ringo Starr of the Eagles Defensive which also included White, Brown, and Clyde Simmons, Pitts was instrumental in helping the Eagles truly dominate both against the run and the pass during his tenure at left defensive tackle from 1987 -1992. In 1989 he laid down opposing quarterbacks 7 times to along with 110 tackles. Those are Pro Bowl numbers these days folks. But next to Brown, Simmons, and White, Pitts was often an afterthought. But he also knew where his success lied as well. "The attention given to Reggie and Jerome on every play made my job easier," Pitts said. "We had such a great camaraderie both on and off the field. On the field, I always knew what Reggie and Jerome were thinking because we played next to each another. For example, if Jerome rushed inside, I would slow down my rush and stunt outside and usually get a free shot on the quarterback." He was part of those games that we all remember so fondly, "The House of Pain Game", "The Body Bag Game" and the game against Dallas in which the Eagles sacked QB Troy Aikman 11 times. On 9/16/1991, Pitts registered 1 of those sacks in the game that Aikman foggily remembers as his welcome to the NFL moment. The Eagles were in their prime when Pitts played on the D line and is cemented in Eagles history as part of the Gang Green Defense. The D will never get the respect it deserved because they never did play in a Super Bowl, but Pitts will always be remembered as a force with the Philadelphia fan base, and he appreciates it as well. Once a coach on the Cleveland Browns staff, Pitts stated, "I would love to coach with the Eagles. To coach in Philadelphia would be very rewarding, primarily because of the fans", said Pitts, "I remember walking out of the 'Vet' locker room when I was playing and talking directly to the fans after the game. "I knew many of the fans by their first name. Eagles fans are the most passionate fans whether we win or lose; it's an amazing atmosphere." "Here in Atlanta, the Falcons fans mostly show enthusiasm when they are winning, and the fans can't even come close to the kind of support given to the sports teams in Philadelphia. "The Atlanta Hawks had the lowest attendance in the NBA. Philly fans are always passionate about their sports teams, and by experience, I can tell you that the coaches and players love that environment." So Philadelphia, before you turn on the game today, remember those players of seasons past and raise your beers and a hot dog to player like Mike Pitts.