Willie T. Was Ahead of His Time as Eagles' Top No. 51

In many ways, William Thomas was ahead of his time as one of the better coverage linebackers in the NFL.

The one-time 1991 fourth-round pick out of Texas A&M developed into one of the more underappreciated stars in the Eagles’ history as a two-time Pro Bowl linebacker and the best player to ever wear uniform No. 51 for the franchise.

And Willie T’s calling card was his ability to handle tight ends and backs in pass coverage, although he was also a well-rounded player who could handle his business in run support and his role as a blitzer coming off the edge, becoming a member of the NFL’s so-called 20/20 club -- players with 20 career sacks and 20 career interceptions.

For Thomas, the numbers were 37 sacks and 27 picks over 11 pro seasons, the first nine of which came in Philadelphia.

Thomas started seven games as a rookie and was off and running from there as a full-timer over his final eight seasons with the Eagles, topping out as a consecutive Pro Bowl selections after the 1995 and 1996 seasons.

In 1995 Thomas had an amazing seven interceptions from his OLB spot. He nearly matched that as a member of the Oakland Raiders with six in 2000.

In the modern NFL, Thomas, who played at about 220 pounds, would be considered a Godsend as a coverage LB who could also carry his water in run support with extra defensive backs on the field.

When Thomas was all said and done in Philadelphia he had played 145 games for the franchise, including the playoffs, and started 134 of them. He finished his career with two seasons in Oakland and was a starter for both of them, meaning Thomas spent a decade as a starting OLB in the NFL.

Current number 51:

Shareef Miller. A fourth-round pick in 2019 out of Penn State, Miller essentially redshirted his rookie season, playing in just one game and not seeing even one defensive snap.

Miller will be in the mix with a host of names like Genard Avery, Joe Ostman, Daeshon Hall, and rookie seventh-round pick Casey Toohill for the fourth defensive end job behind Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett and Josh Sweat this season. It’s a tough numbers game but Miller seems to be embracing the challenge.

The top 3 in team history to wear number 51:

3. Carlos Emmons. The rangy Emmons went from seventh-round pick out of tiny Arkansas State into the Eagles defensive MVP in 2003, the culmination of his four years as a starter with Philadelphia.

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Emmons in 1996 and by his third NFL season, the Mississippi native had graduated from special-teamer to starting LB for the franchise that defines the position when it comes to the NFL.

When Emmons became an unrestricted free agent in 2000, the Eagles pounced and Emmons proved to be a difference-maker. In his first season with the Eagles the team finished 11-5 and reached the postseason for the first time since 1996. From there Philadelphia was off and running and over Emmons’ next three seasons the Eagles reached the NFC Championship Game.

"We were talented for one,” Emmons remembered when talking to Eagles.com. “We learned to play together. We learned to embrace the different effects on defense within Jim Johnson's system. He was a brilliant coordinator for putting together game plans to take advantage of other team's weaknesses. I think he put us into position to really be outstanding on defense."

Emmons broke his left leg in Week 16 of the 2003 season and despite being voted as the year's Defensive MVP by his teammates, he was released in the offseason and finished his career with the New York Giants, playing three seasons there.

2. Reggie Wilkes. Wilkes spent eight seasons in Philadelphia, many of them as a starter beginning with a 1978 All-Rookie nod as a third-round pick out of Georgia Tech. He quickly settled in next to star Bill Bergey and had a major impact with five fumble recoveries.

When Jerry Robinson arrived in 1979 the Eagles were all of a sudden loaded at LB with the first-round pick joining Bergey, Frank LeMaster, and John Bunting. By Super Bowl 15 Wilkes was a backup but he recovered to regain his starting job for most of his final five seasons with the Eagles.

Overall the Pine Bluff, Arkansas native played in 115 games for Philadelphia, starting 85 of them, before finishing his career by returning to Atlanta for the final two seasons of his career. He is a member of both the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame and the Georgia Sports HOF.

1 William Thomas. Thomas returned to the area after his playing days and even volunteered as a coach with La Salle University when it still had a football program.

Runner-up:

Takeo Spikes. A 15-year pro and former All-Pro with the Buffalo Bills known for his powerful physique and freaky neck, Spikes spent the 2007 season with the Eagles as a starting linebacker

Others: Enio Conti, Lyle Graham, Al Milling, Robert Wear, Ray Graves, Boyd Williams, Frank Szymanski, Chuck Weber, Jim Schrader, Dave Recher, Dwight Kelley, Dick Cunningham, Ron Lou, Chuck Gorecki, Ricky Shaw, Nate Wayne, Matt McCoy, Joe Mays, Antwan Barnes, Jamar Chaney, Emmanuel Acho, and Steven Means.

John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John every Monday and Friday on SIRIUSXM’s Tony Bruno Show with Harry Mayes, and every Tuesday and Thursday with Eytan Shander on SBNation Radio. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

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