The former fullback's second career provides a unique perspective of the Eagles

Jon Ritchie, a native of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, a town near Harrisburg, made his way back to the eastern part of the state, specifically Philadelphia, twice in his professional career.

The first time was in 2003 when the fullback signed as a free agent with the Eagles following five seasons in Oakland as a Raider.

"They had the (NFL's) best record since 2000," says Ritchie, who will be today's Honorary Alumni Captain presented by Santander. "I was coming off of a Super Bowl (XXXVII) and I felt like they had a chance to get there. I wanted to get back to the Super Bowl and I wanted to get back home.

"I didn't realize when I was playing out in Oakland that no one ever got the games back here, being that it was regional. Unless we were playing (in a nationally televised game) on Monday night or Thursday night or Sunday night, a lot of people – friends and family and that sort of thing – didn't have much of a chance to see me play.

"So it was nice to get back close to home and have people I knew sitting in the stands. That meant a lot to me because I had not had that experience before. It became kind of an event for our family and our friends. It was a different feeling. It was a nice, comfortable situation, for sure."

As the lead blocker for Philadelphia's "three-headed monster" backfield of Brian Westbrook, Correll Buckhalter, and Duce Staley, Ritchie defined the fullback position.

"It was a workmanlike mentality where you knew you had a role," Ritchie says. "The role kind of evolved from the time I started playing until when I was done playing. The fullback became less and less involved with the offense. It was a strange process, but that was my role. Just do what you can with what you're given. Do what the coaches asked and don't ask questions."

The 2004 season, which came to an early end for Ritchie after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee during a September 26 game in Detroit, would be his last. He was released by the Eagles near the end of the following year's Training Camp.