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By Nathan Kamal
Contributing Sports Writer
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Legendary Philadelphia Eagles head coach and six-time Hall of Fame inductee Eddie Khayat has sadly passed away at 89, according to a statement from the team. He is survived by his wife, Deborah, and his sons, Edward Jr. and Bill.
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Edward Khayat, born on September 14, 1935, in Moss Point, Mississippi, had an impressive career both as an athlete and coach. He began his college journey at Millsaps College in 1953, excelling in both football and basketball and even won the Mississippi Golden Gloves Heavyweight Championship in the novice class. He later transferred to Perkinston Junior College (Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College), continuing to star in both sports.
In 1955, Khayat earned a scholarship to Tulane University, where he played football for two years and also lettered in baseball. His remarkable college career earned him a spot on the All-Time Tulane Green Wave Football Team in 1979, the Tulane Green Wave Football All-Century Team in 1993, and an induction into the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981.
Khayat's professional football career began in 1957 when he signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins. However, it was with the Philadelphia Eagles where he truly made his mark. After joining the Eagles in 1958, Khayat initially played on the practice squad as a backup center.
But once moved back to defensive tackle—the position he played at Tulane—he became a starter. He was a key member of the Eagles' 1960 World Championship team, anchoring a defense that included legends like Chuck Bednarik, Maxie Baughan, and Tom Brookshier.
In 1960, Khayat the Eagles made history by handing Vince Lombardi and his Green Bay Packers the only playoff loss of Lombardi's legendary career, defeating them in the NFL Championship Game. Remarkably, that would be the Packers' last playoff defeat for years, as they went on to dominate the 1960s, winning five NFL titles, including the first two Super Bowls.
"We could feel it coming," Khayat once said of the victory in an interview. "We finished second in '59 and we knew we had a good ballclub. When you've got (Norm) Van Brocklin and (Sonny) Jurgensen as your quarterbacks, you're way ahead of the rest of them."
"That preseason, we beat the Colts, who were the defending World Champs, and we felt pretty good about ourselves. You hear people talk about chemistry. The guys we had were teammates. The closeness that we had and the way that we took care of each other, nobody messed with the Eagles."
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After retiring as a player in 1966, Khayat transitioned to coaching. He began his coaching career with the New Orleans Saints in 1967 and later returned to the Eagles as their head coach in 1971. Though his tenure in Philadelphia was brief and marked by a 2-11-1 record in 1972, Khayat's deep connection to the city remained strong.
Khayat played for the Philadelphia Eagles for six seasons (1958-61, 1964-65) and was also one of only four players in Eagles history to later become the team's head coach.
In 1971, Khayat took over as head coach after the first three games of the season, succeeding Jerry Williams. He helped turn the team around, guiding them to a 6-4-1 finish over the remainder of the year.
Khayat's career spanned 10 years as a player in the NFL and another 25 years as a coach. He has been inducted into six Halls of Fame, including the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the 1960 NFL Championship Team.
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