3 replies to this topic

[HarborTheClay]

So I saw big Jon Runyan's picture on tv last night winning his reelection to Congress and curiously visited his wikipedia page. With all of this offensive line talk this year, I thought it would be fun to reflect a little on the best right tackle we've had during the Andy Reid era.

Few little tidbits from the wikipedia page, which many here probably already know, but it's a nice refresher:

A 2008 poll revealed that getting blocked by Runyan on a screen pass was one of the scariest things in the NFL.
Perhaps this is one of the answers to the "why don't we run as many screen passes as we used to and I thought we were the "best screen running team in the NFL." Our screens haven't been the same without big Jon.

Runyan held the remarkable streak for an offensive lineman of having started 190 consecutive regular season games. This was the second longest streak among active NFL players in 2008. He has also started in all 18 playoff games his teams have appeared in during this streak.
Nice stat considering our mess this year.

In a 2007 game against the Dallas Cowboys, Runyan instructed Eagles running back Brian Westbrook to take a knee at the one-yard line rather than score a touchdown with two minutes left in the game so that Dallas would not get the ball back. Westbrook followed Runyan's direction, the play worked, and Philadelphia won the game.
How sweet that ending was and for Jon to know Westbrook had a good chance of scoring from the 25 yard line. If you watch the replay, as soon as Westbrook kneels down and after a Cowboy touches him, big Jon is the first Eagle to greet him.

In a Sports Illustrated magazine in October 2006, Runyan was ranked second on a list of the Dirtiest Players in the NFL.^[11] Bills linebacker Shawne Merriman stated that Runyan "was one of the dirtiest players I've ever been against in my whole entire life. He was real good at being dirty".^[12] Runyan did not deny the charges, criticizing the current game instead: "That's the way the game's supposed to be played. I think they’ve tried to change that over the years. It's turned into a basketball game out there."
They don't make them like Jon anymore.

Runyan was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles to a six-year, $30 million contract on February 14, 2000 as an unrestricted free agent. The contract made him the highest paid offensive lineman in NFL history at the time.^[8] Runyan was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2002.
30 Million for 6 years seems like a drop in the bucket nowadays.

Thanks big Jon. Seasons like this makes me miss you even more.

[NickyEyes]

Who would you rather have on this team right now? McNabb in his prime or Runyan and Tra Thomas in their prime?

[L.E.]

I saw he won reelection. Good for him. He's the kind of guy this team sorely misses.

[immrbaldwin]

Yeah, he was a beast. That hairy gorilla