William Fuller the Best to Wear No. 95 for Eagles
There are now 95 days until the Eagles open the season in Landover, Md., against the Washington Redskins on Sept. 13.
From now until then, at SI.com EagleMaven will do a jersey countdown, listing the current Eagles player to wear the corresponding number to the days left before the season opener. As a bonus feature, we will list the top three players in team history to have that number.
Number 95
Current Number 95:
Joe Ostman. The defensive end has yet to show off his number in a real NFL game, yet, though he has spent the past two seasons on the Eagles roster. He suffered a season-ending ACL injury during last year’s preseason but could find a role on this year’s team.
A refresher on Ostman: He was an undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan, where he earned first-team all-MAC honors and finished his career as one of the school’s all-time defensive leaders in tackles (220), TFLS (45.5), and sacks (26).
The top 3 in team history to wear number 95:
3. Mychal Kendricks. A key member of a linebacking corps that helped the Eagles win their first Super Bowl title in 2017. A former second-round draft pick in 2012 (46 overall), Kendricks could fill up a stat sheet in a hurry.
A bit of a freelancer at times on defense, Kendricks made more plays than not. He had 106 tackles in 2013 with four sacks, four fumble recoveries, and three interceptions. He ended his career in Philly after six seasons, and after the Super Bowl parade, with 458 tackles and 14 sacks.
2. John Bunting. The linebacker came in round 10 of the 1972 NFL Draft and stuck around for the next 11 years, retiring after the 1982 season at the age of 32. In that 11-year run, Bunting started 116 games, including all 16 games at outside LB in the 1980 season that led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl appearance.
Bunting became the head football coach at Glassboro State and, in his fifth season there, after the school became Rowan University, he took the team to a 12-1 record. In 2001, he became the head coach at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina. His career coaching record at both schools was 65-59-2.
1. William Fuller. The defensive end spent only three seasons in town, and those years were when he was in his early 30s, but he packed a lot of punch into that short time. He was a Pro Bowl selection each of those seasons – from 1994-96 – and collected 35.5 sacks in those three years, including back-to-back 13-sack seasons in 1995 and 1996.
Many may forget that Fuller actually got his pro start in Philly when he was picked by the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL in the 1984 Territorial Draft. He played two seasons with the Stars, winning two USFL titles playing with future NFL players such as Bart Oates and Sam Mills.
Runner-up:
Richard Dent. The defensive end was already a legend and future Hall of Famer when he arrived in Philly for one season only in 1997. He retired at the age of 37 following that season, in which he recorded 4.5 sacks for the Eagles.
Others: Jody Schulz, Doug Bartlett, Al Harris, Mike Flores, Henry Slay, Tyrone Williams, Justin Ena, Jerome McDougle, and Victor Abiamiri.
