Former Philadelphia Eagles, Kentucky football star Frank LeMaster dies at 71

Former Philadelphia Eagles star Frank LeMaster has passed away at the age of 71, as announced by the team alongside a touching message. LeMaster was a fourth-round draft pick out of Kentucky as a linebacker when he joined the Eagles’ franchise, and he became a Pro Bowl player who helped revitalize the franchise by helping them win an NFC title in 1980.

The Eagles are saddened to learn of the passing of Frank LeMaster.

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 25, 2023

Frank LeMaster passes away at 71

A beloved former player for Philadelphia, LeMaster played all nine seasons of his pro career with the Eagles. On Saturday, the team shared a message about his passing — along with several quotes and memories that exemplified his impact on the team and community.

“The Eagles organization is saddened by the passing of the Pro Bowl linebacker, who died Thursday at the age of 71,” read the team’s statement. “He spent his entire nine-year career with the Eagles, helping the team win the NFC Championship in the 1980 season and earning Pro Bowl honors the following year. After his playing career, LeMaster and his wife, Marylou, raised their three sons – Justin, Brennan, and Alexander – in the Philadelphia area as he became the vice president of sales for FieldTurf. LeMaster remained an Eagles fan until the very end, attending Training Camp with his former head coach Dick Vermeil this past season.

“LeMaster put 110 percent of himself into the Philadelphia Eagles and the Eagles became champions during his illustrious career. He left no doubt that he was a winner, both on the field and off.”

LeMaster began his career playing on special teams for the Eagles as a rookie, and eventually earned himself a place in the starting lineup in 1975. He went on to lead the team in tackles that season, as well as grabbing four interceptions on the year including a pick-six touchdown. The next season, the Eagles hired coach Dick Vermeil.

The Eagles also shared a quote from LeMaster himself about the change, and how special their impact was on the Philadelphia organization’s culture.

“It was really a breath of fresh air,” LeMaster said of Vermeil’s hiring. “We had had some losing seasons in ’74 and ’75 and we were all welcoming the change. When he came in, he was very young and had some great ideas. We were willing to work as hard as he wanted to work to win. What he did his first year, he kind of weeded out guys who wanted to pay the price and guys who didn’t. He really developed a nucleus of players – the Dirty Dozen – that he really wanted to build the team around. And then we started working. He really was good about studying the game and because of his intensity and everything, I think it was contagious.”