Eagles: We were fortunate to have Chris Long

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Defensive end Chris Long announced his retirement from the NFL on Saturday night after spending the last 11 years playing for three teams in the NFL.

The final two years of that career were spent with the Eagles and saw Long win both a Super Bowl and the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. The Eagles noted both of those accomplishments in a statement released after Long made his announcement.

“When you look at everything Chris Long accomplished as a player and person, it’s easy to see how fortunate we’ve been to have him on our team. Chris was everything that we thought he was and even more – not only as a great player for our football team, but also in the community. There aren’t many players who can say they won back-to-back Super Bowls and the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award. He accomplished both with class and grace. There’s no question that his work ethic combined with his unique talent made him into one of the greatest of this era’s professional athletes. We’re very thankful Chris chose to play for the Philadelphia Eagles, and congratulate him on a fantastic career. He will always be part of the Eagles family.”

Long recorded 11.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in his two years with the Eagles while also working to provide clean water to communities in Africa and donating his salary to fund educational initiatives in the United States. Those charitable efforts earned him the Man of the Year award and will likely be a main focus of Long’s post-football life.