PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia-based artist is hoping to catch the attention of the Eagles with his latest painting. "On the Road to Victory" manages to fit roughly 70 years of Eagles football history into one canvas.
Jordan Spector's body of work includes Philadelphia sports legends and iconic athletes from around the country, but he says this piece of art is special.
"This is a milestone for me," Spector tweeted on June 30, a day before the public release of the painting.
"I've always been a huge Eagles fan, and this was something that I dreamed of creating," the Willow Grove-raised artist told KYW Newsradio.
The long road
The painting, inspired by a huge mural outside of Lincoln Financial Field, took Spector, 28, about a year and a half to complete.
From left to right, the work showcases some of the team's fondest memories, from the 1940s to their Super Bowl LII victory. And the shape of the image — 3' high and 15' long — feels like an appropriate visual representation of how long fans waited for that title.
"When you think about it, an organization like the Eagles going that long and finally winning a Super Bowl — it kind of feels like all that time put in by all the players in the past was a part of that, all that rich history for the Philadelphia Eagles," Spector explained.
"I really want people to look at this, and if they have this hanging in their home, they'll remember this whole history in the best way forever."
Artist Jordan Spector encapsulated 70 years of Eagles history in a single painting.Meg Brock Photography
Spector says the reaction on social media has been very positive, but the reaction he wants most is from the Eagles themselves.
"My end goal with this, my dream, was to hopefully get contacted by the Eagles or work with them to put a massive version of this in their facilities or in the stadium," he said.
No Eagle left behind
Working with the client who commissioned the project, Spector did meticulous research, including conducting surveys to see whose images should be included. He had to fit 40 players and coaches — plus mascot Swoop and an actual eagle — into the frame.
"Tough decisions," said Spector, via Twitter.
Set in Minneapolis' U.S. Bank Stadium, where the Eagles won Super Bowl LII in 2018, the journey through time begins (in black and white) with halfback Steven Van Buren and head coach Greasy Neele, essential figures in the 1948 and 1949 NFL Championships. Linebacker and center Chuck Bednarik, from the '49 team, smokes a victory cigar. Jumping ahead to the 1960 championship season (now in color), flanker Tommy McDonald and quarterback Norm Van Brocklin are shown in Bednarik-inspired clutch tackle poses.
Next in line are some of the faces of the team that made it all the way to Super Bowl XV. Head coach Dick Vermeil smiles and waves. Towering wide receiver Harold Carmichael stands near with quarterback Ron Jaworski, and just behind are running back Wilbert Montgomery, second in franchise history in rushing yards, and linebacker Bill Bergey, part of the heart and soul of the 1980 Eagles defense.
Buddy Ryan's Eagles, who are popular among fans but who never won a playoff from 1985 through 1990, are featured. With the coach is "The Minister of Defense" Reggie White, wide receiver and present-day broadcaster Mike Quick, defensive tackle Jerome Brown, defensive end Clyde Simmons, cornerback Eric Allen, quarterback Randall Cunningham and linebacker Seth Joyner.
Shifting literally from Kelly green to Midnight green, the lineup moves on to the Andy Reid era. Coach Reid reached his peak in Philadelphia with a loss at Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005, but his tenure is arguably one of the most consistent and successful phases of Eagles football. Safety Brian "Weapon X" Dawkins, linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, in "Axman" pose, and running back Brian Westbrook are featured along with cornerback and present-day NFL executive Troy Vincent, place kicker David Akers, right tackle and former New Jersey Congressman Jon Runyan, and quarterback Donovan McNabb. From Reid's final years in Philly: the all-time franchise leader in rushing yards, LeSean McCoy, wide receiver Desean Jackson and left tackle Jason Peters.
The underdog 2017 Eagles featured from the Doug Pederson era include Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles (hoisting the Lombardi Trophy), tight end Zach Ertz, center Jason Kelce and defensive end Brandon Graham, along with right tackle Lane Johnson, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, quarterback Carson Wentz, right guard Brandon Brooks and safety Malcolm Jenkins.
Even longtime radio broadcaster Merrill Reese, holding a microphone in one hand and a newspaper blasting the unforgettable headline "At Last" in the other, is in there — as are Easter eggs scattered throughout, including the words "Minister of Defense" on White's pants, a diagram of the "Philly Special," a dog mask, and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady sitting, dejected, in the far, far background.
