The Eagles havent had the best luck bringing guys in from the CFL.
Anybody heard from Dean Dorsey lately? Gizmo Williams?
Dorsey was a record-setting placekicker in the CFL -- and junior hockey teammate of Wayne Gretzky -- that Buddy Ryan signed in 1988. With disastrous results.
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Williams was a record-setting return specialist in the CFL that Ryan signed in 1989. Again with disastrous results.
Williams, known for celebrating his TDs in Canada with a backflip, recorded an astounding 31 returns for touchdowns during his CFL career, including a 115-yard missed field goal return in the 1987 Grey Cup.
As an Eagle? He infuriated Ryan when he did a backflip after scoring a touchdown in a preseason game at Wembley Stadium in London. Ryan never forgave him, and told reporters that unless Williams cleaned up his act, Hell be back ice fishing in Canada.
Williams averaged a pedestrian 8.9 yards on punt returns and 17.8 yards on kick returns in his one season with the Eagles before Ryan indeed sent him back to Canada, where he resumed his CFL career.
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Dorsey? He once made 23 straight field goals playing in the CFL. But with the Eagles? He was 5-for-10 in 1988 and like Williams, returned to Canada when he was released.
Which brings us to Phillip Hunt, the Eagles latest Canadian import. Like Williams and Dorsey, Hunt enjoyed great success in Canada. He led the CFL with 16 sacks last year, earning a three-year contract with the Eagles.
On Sunday night in Atlanta, Hunt will make his NFL debut when the Eagles face the Falcons at the Georgia Dome. With Darryl Tapp out for at least this game with a pec strain, Hunt will be active and is expected to move into Tapps role as a second-wave defensive end along with Juqua Parker.
Ive been preparing for this the whole time at practice, to get ready to go in at any time, because coach (Jim) Washburn, he always told me, You better be ready for when your time comes, Hunt said. Be ready be ready. So thats all I was doing. I feel like Im 100 percent ready. Im going to have a lot of energy, and Im looking for good things to happen.
Good things happened for Hunt throughout the preseason. He showed great quickness and effort rushing the passer throughout training camp and led the Eagles with three sacks in the preseason.
It earned him his first NFL job -- he was in camp with the Browns in 2009 -- and a 375,000 contract. Far more than he earned in Canada.
The opportunity has presented itself, and I have to make the most of it and make plays and do what I have to do to be a legitimate guy in this league, Hunt said after practice Friday.
They want us to get up field and attack, and I can do that. I have a good get off, and Im good at doing what they want us to do, and thats hitting the quarterback.
Hunt was inactive for the Rams game but made the trip and was on the sidelines watching the other defensive linemen record five sacks, six tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits and a fumble recovery return for a touchdown.
It wasnt difficult, because my teammates, theyre my friends, too, he said. So I like to see them do well.
So when Tapp and everybody else, Jason Babin, was getting those sacks I was on the sideline cheering them on -- even when Juqua Parker ran it for a touchdown, I was on the sidelines running alongside him, Hunt said. So it was a great time last weekend. I look to implement a few of those things that they did last week.
E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com