AN APPRECIATION: LeGarrette Blount Retires
LeGarrette Blount announced his retirement from football on Saturday morning, two years after he played his final game on Dec. 30, 2018, with the Detroit Lions.
“Now everyone can stop asking, ‘Are you done?’”
That was how Blount’s statement announcing his decision concluded, and with it came a flood of memories from his one year in Philadelphia, a year that will go down in the modern Super Bowl ear as the best the Eagles ever had.
In fact, a case could be that the Eagles may not have won the Super Bowl LII in 2017 without Blount.
LeGarrette Blount (right) with DT Timmy Jernigan after Super Bowl LII win
Ed Kracz
Forget the on-field stuff for a moment, which was superb that season and seasons before he arrived as a free agent late in the offseason, signing a one-year deal on May 17, 2017, at the age of 30.
It was off the field where Blount was priceless.
My greatest recollection of him was the fun and levity he brought to the locker room.
Eagles mug for the camera after winning Super Bowl LII
Ed Kracz
Back in those days, just three years ago, there was a Pop-A-Shot basketball machine in the back of the locker room, against the wall between where the offensive linemen and linebackers dress. Blount was seemingly always arranging games of Pop-A-Shot with his teammates.
He kept things loose, made coming to work fun, and instilled energy, confidence, and belief, all ingredients that helped the Eagles throw a monkey wrench into the Patriots’ dynasty. The guy always seemed to be smiling whenever he was seen in the locker room.
He had a weight clause in his contract that paid him a $50,000 bonus for keeping it between 240 and 245. Asked how much he weighed once that contract nugget was revealed, Blount said, “The weight I need to be at.”
He laughed when he said it. He seemed to laugh every minute he was observed by this reporter over the course of that season.
For whatever reasons, some thought Blount might be a distraction when he signed, demanding the ball all the time. I never saw any of that, only an affection for winning.
Even after the Eagles added Jay Ajayi after the trade deadline, Blount never pouted about the Eagles acquiring another mouth to feed with the ball. He welcomed Ajayi, knowing that made the team even better.
Blount joined an Eagles team that had running backs Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood, fourth-round 2017 pick Donnel Pumphrey, and undrafted rookie free agent Corey Clement. Ryan Mathews was on the roster but was released due to a neck injury that halted his career.
His addition changed the dynamic completely.
Blount had won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. The last one coming the year before he signed with the Eagles.
He led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns in 2016, which was the highest total in the league since Adrian Peterson had 18 in 2009. He was the Patriots' top power running back, totaling 1,161 yards on 299 carries in the regular season.
In his press conference on May 18, Blount said all the right things, that quarterback Carson Wentz was a player that the Eagles could build around and the team was building something special.
He was right about something special, and it was months later when it happened - they beat the New England Patriots 41-33 on Feb. 2.
He was exactly what the Eagles needed, a 6-foot, 245-pound battering ram runner who wore defenses down.
Perhaps that was no more evident than Week 4 when he carved out 136 yards on 16 carries against the Chargers, with most of the damage coming in the second half. It was the same thing against the Bears weeks later when he had 15 carries for 97 yards.
He finished with 766 yards rushing in the regular season on 173 carries. He had a touchdown in each of the three postseason games, including the Super Bowl, in which he ran 14 times for 90 yards and a 21-yard TD run that gave the Eagles a 15-3 lead with 8:48 to play in the second quarter.
It was deep into his farewell statement posted on his Instagram account when Blount finally came to his season in Philadelphia, perhaps purposely saving his most memorable season for last.
He wrote: “PHILADELPHIA!! PHILLY PHILLY!!! PHILLY SPECIAL!!! Doug, Howie Roseman, Mr. Lurie. That entire season was one of the most special seasons in my entire career for so many reasons!! Getting my 3rd SB ring is just icing on the cake that season. Eagles Nation!!”
Blount’s career ended with 6,306 yards, a 4.2 yards per carry average, and 56 touchdowns over the span of 10 seasons, which were spent with five different teams.
Not exactly Hall of Fame numbers, but Blount certainly had a Hall of Fame one season in Philadelphia, which should not be forgotten.
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