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Troy VincentCornerback Troy Vincent, who played for the Eagles from 1996 thru 2003, was signed partly to lend more physical size to the pass coverage unit. He provided stability, consistency, and Pro Bowl-level performances.
Troy was chosen by the Miami Dolphins in the 1st round of the 1992 draft out of Wisconsin. An immediate impact player for the Dolphins, he was a consensus All-Rookie selection. His progress was hindered by a major knee injury during the 93 season, but he was back and playing well when the Eagles signed him to an offer sheet as a transition free agent following the 1995 season; the Dolphins declined to match it.
Joining the Eagles was something of a homecoming for the Trenton, NJ native who had attended Pennsbury High School in Fairless Hills, Pa. The 60, 194-pound Troy replaced the diminutive (57, 154 pounds) Mark McMillian in the starting lineup, providing the Birds with a bigger-than-average cornerback combination in tandem with the 63, 216-pound Bobby Taylor. During the 96 season, he was involved in what at the time was the longest return of an interception in NFL history when LB James Willis, who had intercepted a Troy Aikman pass four yards deep in the end zone at Dallas, lateralled the ball to Vincent after having run to the 10-yard line. Troy completed the 104-yard play by running the final 90 yards to the Cowboys end zone.
Troy intercepted a total of 3 passes for the Eagles in 96, the first of 28 in all. His high was 7 in 1999, which tied for the NFL lead that year, though his career best for yards returned, thanks to the long run at Texas Stadium, was 144 yards in 96. That return was also the only TD that Vincent scored in an Eagles uniform; he had two interception returns for touchdowns with Miami. In addition, he had one interception as an Eagle in the playoffs (he had three with the Dolphins) - a memorable over-the-shoulder snag of a Brad Johnson pass in the end zone against Tampa Bay in the NFC Wild Card playoff following the 2001 season which was a high point in an otherwise injury-marred postseason (he appeared in a total of 10 playoff games with the Birds).
Other highlights included two 4th quarter interceptions of Drew Bledsoe passes in a 24-9 win over the Patriots in 1999; two interceptions and a fumble recovery that set up an Eagles TD as the Birds won at New Orleans, 21-7, in 2000; and an interception of a Kurt Warner pass in the end zone to help the Eagles win a hard-fought 10-3 contest over the Rams in 2002.
A solid hitter as well as an adept cover corner, Troy recorded 4.5 sacks for the Eagles, with one in each of three successive seasons commencing in 1998, capped by 1.5 in 2001. In a game against the Buccaneers in 1999, he became the first Eagles cornerback to record an interception and a sack in the same game. His high for tackles in a season was an even 100 in 1999 (75 solo, 25 assists), which included a career-high 15 in the opening game against Arizona.
While he had a reputation as a big-play defender and one of the better all-around cornerbacks in the league, he was sometimes criticized for inconsistent performances in his first few years in Philadelphia - in fairness, problems in other areas of the defense made his job more difficult, and a recurring quad injury marred his 1998 season.
As his play reached a peak and become steadier, he was rewarded with selection to the Pro Bowl in five consecutive seasons (1999-2003). He also was a 1st team All-NFL selection in 2002 (AP), 2nd team All-NFL choice in 2001 (AP), and earned 1st team All-NFC recognition in 2000, 01, and 02 (Pro Football Weekly). Troy was chosen as one of the cornerbacks on the Eagles 75th anniversary All-Time team.
At age 32, Vincent left the Eagles as a free agent following the 2003 season, joining the Buffalo Bills for 2004 and 05. Injuries caused the Bills to release him early in the 2006 season, and Troy finished the season (and his career) with Washington.
Much admired for his good works off the field, Troy received the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2002; he also served as president of the NFL Players Association. Both on and off the field, Troy Vincent always gave his best.
Troy Vincents career interception record with the Eagles:
Year
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
| | | | G
16
16
13
14
16
15
15
13
| | | | Int.
3
3
2
7
5
3
2
3
| | | | Yds.
144
14
29
91
34
0
1
28
| | | | TD
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
|
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