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Eagles Great Wes Hopkins Dies at 57

Wes Hopkins played 10 seasons for the Eagles from 1983 to 1993. 

Will Ragatz

Allen Kee via AP

Former Eagles safety Wes Hopkins passed away Friday at age 57, the team announced. 

Drafted by Philadelphia in the second round in 1983, Hopkins spent his entire career with the team, playing 10 NFL seasons before retiring after the 1993 campaign. Andre Waters and Hopkins were the safety duo on the 1991 Eagles defense known as "Gang Green," a unit that is considered to be one of the best ever.

Hopkins, a first-team All-Pro in '85, played 137 career games, the third-highest total for an Eagles defensive back. His 30 interceptions rank fifth in team history. 

Former Eagles linebacker Garry Cobb was first to announce Hopkins's death, writing on Twitter that the safety was "a great player, a great teammate" and that "we will all miss him dearly." 

“Wes Hopkins is one of the best safeties in the history of our franchise and played a major role in the team’s success during his time here in Philadelphia,” Eagles CEO Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. “He was well-respected among his teammates and coaches, not only because of the way he played the game and what he was able to accomplish on the field, but also because of the way he carried himself and the type of leader he was. He had a genuine love of the game and that’s one of the reasons he connected so well with the people of Philadelphia. Wes will be forever remembered as an Eagles Legend and somebody who helped build the foundation for our organization’s success. Our thoughts are with his family during this time.”

Hopkins was a 2018 inductee to the SMU Athletics Hall of Fame. He initially joined the team as a walk-on but became an all-conference player during his final two seasons in college. 

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Will Ragatz
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