The 1976 Philadelphia Eagles season was the team's 44th in the National Football League. It was the first year with the team for head coach Dick Vermeil, who would bring the Eagles to their first playoff berth in 18 years in 1978 and then their first Super Bowl just three years later. As for this season, the Eagles matched their 4-10 record from last season and failed to reach the playoffs for the 16th consecutive season. It was also the 10th straight season for Philadelphia in which they did not end the season with an above .500 record.
After coaching #12 UCLA (8–2–1) to a win over #1 Ohio State (11–0) in the 1976 Rose Bowl by the score of 23–10 Dick Vermeil was offered the Head coaching job of the Philadelphia Eagles. Because of bad trades by past Eagles coaches, Vermeil did not have a 1st round draft pick until 1978, but Vermeil did big things with the talent he had inherited from previous coaches.
The 1976 NFL Draft was an annual player selection meeting held on April 8–9, 1976. It lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks making the first two selections. The expansion teams were also given a pair of extra picks at the end of each of rounds 2–5.
The Philadelphia Eagles would pick 9th in the 17 rounds. They still had to overcome the traded away draft picks of the Mike McCormack era.
The draft began with first overall pick of Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon, Defensive End from Oklahoma, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Eagles had to wait until the fourth round and make a selection with the 111th pick.
The table shows the Eagles selections and what picks they had that were traded away and the team that ended up with that pick. It is possible the Eagles' pick ended up with this team via another team that the Eagles made a trade with.
Vincent Papale, at 6-feet 2-inches (1.88 m) and 195 pounds (88.5 kg), was a long shot to make the Eagles roster. At age 30, Papale became the oldest rookie in the history of the NFL to play without the benefit of college football experience (other than kickers). He went on to play wide receiver and special teams for the Eagles.
Papale earned the nickname "Rocky" (after the 1976 Sylvester Stallone movie and character) while playing with Philadelphia. He is the subject of the Disney movie Invincible, starring Mark Wahlberg.
66 Bill Bergey MLB 243 6-04 Arkansas St. Cin 2nd Rnd. / 31st pick / 1969
67 Jeff Bleamer T 253 6-04 Penn St. Phi 8th / 198th pick / 1975
10 Mike Boryla QB 200 6-03 Stanford Cin 4th / 87th pick / 1974
28 Bill Bradley FS 190 5–11 Texas Phi 3rd / 69th pick / 1969
23 Cliff Brooks DB 190 6-01 Tennessee St. Cle 2nd / 45th pick / 1972
95 John Bunting RLB 220 6-01 North Carolina Phi 10th / 248th pick / 1972
29 Mark Burke DB 175 6-01 West Virginia Undrafted – Played in 1 game (Punt Returner)
37 Tommy Campbell DB 188 6-00 Iowa St. Atl 7th / 170th pick / 1973
17 Harold Carmichael WR 225 6-08 Southern Phi 7th / 161st pick / 1971
21 Al Clark RCB 185 6-00 Grambling St. Det 3rd / 72nd pick / 1971
61 Bill Dunstan DT 250 6-04 Utah St. SF 14th / 361st pick / 1971
59 Tom Ehlers LB 218 6-02 Kentucky Phi 13th / 324th pick / 1975
53 Dennis Franks C 241 6-01 Michigan Undrafted – No game data available for 1976
5 Roman Gabriel QB 220 6-05 North Carolina St. Oak 1st / 1st pick / 1962
68 Blenda Gay LDE 254 6-05 Fayetteville St. Oak 1st / 1st pick / 1973 Supp
64 Ed George RT 270 6-04 Ferrum, Wake Forest Pit 4th / 80th pick / 1970
78 Carl Hairston RDT 260 6-03 Md-Eastern Shore Phi 7th / 191st pick / 1976
34 Dave Hampton RB 210 6-00 Wyoming GB 9th / 220th pick / 1969
35 Mike Hogan FB 213 6-02 Tenn-Chattanooga Phi 9th / 247th pick / 1976
6 Spike Jones P 197 6-02 Georgia Hou 4th / 92nd pick / 1970
72 Wade Key LG 245 6-05 Texas,Texas St. Phi 13th / 314th pick / 1969
84 Keith Krepfle TE 227 6-03 Iowa St. Phi 5th / 115th pick / 1974
73 Pete Lazetich RDT 245 6-03 Stanford SD 2nd / 36th pick / 1972
55 Frank LeMaster LLB 232 6-02 Kentucky Phi 4th / 89th pick / 1974
41 Randy Logan SS 195 6-01 Michigan Phi 3rd / 55th pick / 1973
32 Herb Lusk RB 190 6-00 Long Beach St. Phi 10th / 273rd pick / 1976
54 Drew Mahalic LB 225 6-04 Notre Dame Den 3rd / 69th pick / 1975
26 Art Malone RB 211 5–11 Arizona St. Atl 2nd / 39th pick / 1970
22 Larry Marshall KR 195 5–10 Maryland KC 15th / 387th pick / 1972
43 James McAlister RB 205 6-01 UCLA Oak 6th / 148th pick / 1974
50 Guy Morriss C 255 6-04 TCU Phi 2nd / 28th pick / 1973
16 Horst Muhlmann K 215 6-01 N/A Undrafted
77 Dennis Nelson T 260 6-05 Illinois St. Bal Colts / 3rd / 77th pick / 1969
38 Bill Olds RB 224 6-01 Nebraska Bal Colts / 3rd / 61st pick / 1973
88 Richard Osborne TE 230 6-03 Texas A & M Phi 9th / 248th pick / 1976
20 John Outlaw LCB 180 5–10 Jackson St. Boston Patriots / 10th / 249th pick / 1968
83 Vince Papale WR 195 6-02 St. Joseph's (PA) Undrafted
24 Artimus Parker DB 208 6-03 USC Phi 12th / 297th pick / 1974
82 Bob Picard WR 195 6-01 East. Washington Phi 6th / 132nd pick / 1973
76 Jerry Sisemore RG 265 6-04 Texas Phi 1st / 3rd pick / 1973
79 Manny Sistrunk LDT 269 6-05 Ark-Pine Bluff Was 5th / 114th pick / 1970
85 Charlie A. Smith WR 185 6-01 Grambling St. Undrafted
25 Tom Sullivan RB 190 6-00 Miami (FL) Phi 15th / 378th pick / 1972
58 Terry Tautolo LB 232 6-02 UCLA Phi 13th / 353rd pick / 1976
75 Stan Walters LT 275 6-06 Syracuse Cin 9th / 210th pick / 1972
11 John Walton QB 210 6-02 Elizabeth City St. Undrafted
71 Will Wynn RDE 245 6-04 Tennessee St. Phi 7th / 159th pick / 1973
86 Charle Young TE 234 6-04 USC Phi 1st / 6th pick / 1973
80 Don Zimmerman WR 195 6-03 Ark-Pine Bluff Phi 12th / 300th pick / 1972
