Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas will be inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame on Thursday, Oct. 14 when the Eagles host the Buccaneers in Week 6.
It’s only fitting that they go in together.
Runyan and Thomas together anchored the Eagles’ offensive line for nearly a decade, starting a franchise record 134 regular season games together as offensive linemen.
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“Tra and Jon gave us every bit of confidence to execute the brand of offensive football we wanted,” Eagles owner Jeff Lurie said in a release from the team.
“Both durable and consistent, they were perfect complements to each other and gave us a tremendous advantage on the edges. Tra brought incredible athleticism and technical dominance, while Jon gave us the power and nasty disposition we needed. They will join the other Eagles greats in quite fitting fashion as they are inducted together at halftime of our game against Tampa Bay.”
Ruynan and Thomas played together from 2000-08 and were a major reason for the Eagles success under Andy Reid during that stretch. In those years, the Eagles went to the playoffs seven times, won the NFC East five times, wen to the NFC Championship Game five times and to Super Bowl XXXIX.
Thomas was drafted by the Eagles with the No. 11 overall pick back in the 1998 draft, the year before Reid became the Eagles’ head coach. Thomas played 11 seasons in Philadelphia and was a three time Pro Bowler (2001-02, 2004). He played in a total of 166 games with the Eagles and started all but one. He is second in games played by an offensive lineman in Eagles history and sixth on the all-time list.
NFL
Runyan was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the fourth round in 1996 but joined the Eagles as a free agent in 2000. He played nine years with the Birds and was a Pro Bowler in 2002. Runyan started 144 consecutive games, which is the fifth-best streak in franchise history.
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