With the Eagles in town to play the Patriots in Super Bowl LII on Sunday, Bud Grant looked back on his two years playing with the Philadelphia franchise, his only seasons playing in the NFL. In 1951, Grant starred on defense and then in 1952 he starred on offense.
Grant gave a very emotional speech about his career Friday when he was honored at the Merlin Olsen Luncheon, put on by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Grant — along with Otto Graham the only two players to play in both the NBA and the NFL — was a first-round draft pick, No. 14 overall, by the Eagles in 1950.
"[The Eagles] drafted me, but between the Lakers money and the money I could make playing baseball in the summer — you know I made more money playing baseball than I did with the Lakers, town ball," Grant recalled. "Well they offered me $7,500. I did not play.
"So when I went back to them after two years they reduced it to $7,000. I thought I might make more. I made less. $7,000 my first year there."
While Grant was a standout wide receiver, the Eagles didn't want him to play that position at first.
"I thought I was a receiver but as it turned out, they liked that I played defense," he said. "So they put me at defensive end. We had a five-man defensive line in those days, so it was kind of a stand-up linebacker, defensive end. I was a speed rusher."
Grant unofficially led the team in sacks and recovered two fumbles while playing all 12 games in 1951.