The only NFL player to die on the field wore a cowboy hat when he wasn't wearing a helmet, was fond of singing country songs — Waylon Jennings', in particular — and caught six passes in his three years with the Eagles.
On Oct. 24, 1971, Chuck Hughes was 28 years old, playing wide receiver for the Detroit Lions in a game against the Chicago Bears at Tiger Stadium. The Eagles had traded him to the Lions in the summer of 1970, less than a year-and-a-half before. There were 62 seconds left in the game. The Lions trailed, 28-23. And Hughes, as he headed back to the huddle, collapsed. A blood clot had formed in one of his arteries. He was pronounced dead later that day.
The Eagles have one more chance to prove they're as good as they think they are
