Pete Pihos, NFL Hall-of-Famer, dies at 87

PHILADELPHIA -- Pete Pihos, a Hall of Fame receiver who helped the Philadelphia Eagles to a pair of NFL championships, has died at 87.

The team said Pihos died early yesterday at a nursing home in Winston-Salem, N.C., after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Pihos was a member of the Philadelphia teams that captured consecutive championships in 1948 and 1949. He made the game-winning catch in the 1949 game against the Rams.

He finished his career with 373 catches for 6,519 yards and 61 touchdowns and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970.

Pihos played with the Eagles from 1947 to 1955 after a stellar college career at Indiana. He was a stalwart on both sides of the ball at tight end and defensive end and missed just one game in nine NFL seasons.

A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Pihos was nicknamed "The Golden Greek." He lacked blazing receiver speed, but relied on pirouettes and pivots to break free from would-be tacklers and was a punishing runner after the catch.

A fifth-round draft pick by the Eagles in 1945, Pihos didn't start his NFL career until 1947 because his college career was interrupted by World War II, when he served in the army under Gen. George Patton.

Pihos' impact on the Eagles' offense and defense was immediate. The team reached its first championship game in his rookie season, losing 28-21 to the Chicago Cardinals.

Pihos' last three NFL seasons were his most productive. In 1953, he had career highs in receptions (63) and yards (1,049) and scored 10 touchdowns. -- AP