Longtime college football quarterback and longtime NFL player and coach Maxi Baughan has died Saturday, the Philadelphia Eagles announced.
He was 85 years old.
Bogan, who played for the Eagles for six seasons, died of natural causes while surrounded by family members, the team said.
“On behalf of the Philadelphia Eagles family, I am saddened to learn of the passing of Maxie Baughan, one of our all-time greats,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lowry He said. He was a member of the 1960 NFL Championship Team as a junior, and went on to win All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors during his career while playing a tough, tough style of football. His legacy is recognized for his contributions to the team. Our hearts are with his wife, Diane, and the entire staff. Maxi’s family and friends mourn his passing.”
Baghan was first selected by the Eagles with the No. 20 pick in 1960 from Georgia Tech, where he was an All-American as a player and quarterback. He had a then school record 124 tackles during his senior season. He spent six seasons with the Eagles, where he had seven interceptions and helped lead the team to an NFL title in his rookie season.
Baghan then spent five seasons playing with the Los Angeles Rams before retiring after the 1970 season. He returned for one year in 1974, where he was a player-coach with Washington. A nine-time Pro Bowler, Baghan retired a total of 18 interceptions over 147 games.
Baughan also served as an assistant coach at Georgia Tech before jumping back into the league to serve as an assistant at Baltimore, Detroit, Minnesota, and Tampa Bay. He was named head coach of Cornell also in 1984, and led the school to an Ivy League title four years later.
Baughan was inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame in 1965 and the Eagles Hall of Fame in 2015. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988, and was a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this year.
“A fierce competitor and incredibly intelligent, Maxi Baughan established himself as the nation’s top center in 1959,” National Football Foundation President Archie Manning said in a statement. Via Associated Press. “His passion for the game lasted his life, and he mentored countless great players over the years, coaching both in college and the NFL. He became an integral part of our game, and we are deeply saddened to learn of his passing. Thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.” .