Part of the Eagles’ success this season has been the steady contribution of their receiving corps of Devonta Smith, A.J. Brown, and Dallas Godert. The trio has combined for 139 catches for 1,948 yards and 12 touchdowns. Recently signed seven-time Pro Bowler Julio Jones figures to be in the mix going forward.

But who is considered the greatest Eagles’ receiver of all time? Many consider legendary Harold Carmichael to be the best since the 1970s, but there also is Mike Quick and old-timers Pete Retzlaff, Tommy McDonald, and Pete Pihos? How about Harold Jackson?

In this week’s version of my Yesterday column – reminiscing about sports and pop culture in the 1960s. 70s. 80s and sometimes before and after – I’ll take a look at the some of the more recognized Eagles’ receivers in their history.

Carmichael garnered 70% of the vote in a recent Times New Facebook poll, and Quick was second with 19%. Others in the mix were Jackson and Retzlaff at 3%, and Pihos at 1%. Pihos’ contributions are always overlooked.

Who were some of the great wide receivers around the league that we watched? Speaking of receivers, do you remember the names Kenwood, Pioneer, and Sansui? And think back to how we formerly found our bank account balances?

Prime Targets ... Carmichael is a true rags-to-riches story. He was a seventh-round pick in 1971 out of Southern University. His 6-foot-8 stature helped him make the squad where he became a league anomaly. I remember watching the Eagles’ preseason games on Channel 10 - I believe it carried the games then too - and hearing and seeing this big tight end – he was drafted as a tight end - with the peculiar name.

Back then, the Eagles were struggling, and Carmichael found a roster spot alongside Jackson, Ben Hawkins, and fellow tight end Gary Ballman. (Does Ballman ring a bell?) Carmichael caught 20 passes his rookie year, and then led the league two years later with 73 receptions.

He became an integral part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl run under Dick Vermeil and was a four-time Pro Bowler. Like many of his teammates, Carmichael’s run ended, and he ironically ended his career with Dallas in 1984, as I previously mentioned in another column. Carmichael finished his career with 590 catches for 8,985 yards and 79 touchdowns. He continues to be recognized as an all-time Eagle great.

Quick was a more high-profile player being the team’s No. 1 draft pick from North Carolina in 1982. He quickly became a five-time Pro Bowl selection from 1983 to ’87, and played his entire career with the Eagles until 1990. Quick became a fan favorite and began to overshadow Carmichael. He jumped to the broadcast booth and has become a staple with the team. He ended his career with 363 receptions for 6,464 yards and 61 touchdowns.

Don’t Say You Don’t Remember ... For those older than me (63), there was Pihos, McDonald, and Retzlaff - the latter who became the league commissioner.

Pihos was known for being a “50-minute man” for his ability to constantly be on the field. The Hall of Famer played 1947-55 with the Eagles and caught 373 balls for 5,619 yards with 61 touchdowns. He was a five-time Pro Bowler. I always have heard the name, but I don’t have any memories of him.

Another Hall of Famer, McDonald was the Eagles’ third-round pick in 1957, and he spent seven seasons with the club, catching 287 passes for 5,499 yards with 66 touchdowns. McDonald was highly regarded around the Philadelphia area until his death in 2018, and was involved in many team functions through the years. He was a media favorite.

Retzlaff was a 22nd round pick of the Detroit Lions - I remember when there were all those picks, do you? He was picked up by the Eagles off waivers in 1956. He began his career as a flanker – great, old-school term – and then shifted to tight end. Retzlaff was a fan favorite and caught 452 passes for 7,412 yards, with 47 touchdowns over 11 seasons. He was an Eagles broadcaster and became involved with the NFLPA. I always confuse him with Pete Rozelle.

Others in the Nest ... Over the years, there have been plenty of Eagles’ receivers who have crossed our paths during the 1960s, 70s, 80s and beyond.

Looking back, there was Fred Barnett, Keith Krepfle, Charle Young, Charlie Smith and Greg Garrity to name a few? Should we add Terrell Owens to the mix?

Another type of Receiver ... In the 1960s and 70s, audio receivers began to hit the market. Pioneer was true to its meaning as being the breakthrough company, and Kenwood was also a popular brand. Others popular brands were Sansui, Marantz, and Sherwood (Any of those sound familiar or are in your attic or basement?).

In the 60s, the compact cassette was a hot item as well as the cassette player. Dolby sound was the one that everybody wanted in their system.

Finally, do you remember the “speaker wars,” where we would try and have the loudest speakers, those big wooden ones?

Another Classic Game ... Paydirt is a two-player board game from 1979.

Each team chooses an actual NFL team from a specific season. For each team and season, a chart was designated to reflect the team’s strengths and weaknesses during the season. Players choose a play, roll dice and refer to the team charts for the result.

You Know These Guys ... Along with some Eagles’ greats, some of the league’s standouts that I recall growing up were the Packers’ Max McGee; the Chargers’ and Cowboys’ Lance Alworth; the Cowboys Bob Hayes; the Colts’ Raymond Berry and John Mackey; the Raiders’ Fred Biletnikoff (the stick-um); the Browns’ and Dolphins’ Paul Warfield; the Steelers’ Lynn Swann and John Stallworth; the Bengals’ and Chargers’ Charley Joiner; and the Cardinals’ Mel Grey and Jackie Smith.

Remember these Items? ... Do you recall the small, yellow metal box that we popped open with our thumbs? It was Anacin, and was considered to be the item to help cure your headache or ailments. I always remember my mom having the box in her purse, and I even used to have it in my pockets.

Remember the bank deposit books that we would flip up to see our balance in the blue ink? The ink was a result of the teller stamping it in your book. That was once our high-tech balance availability.

Also, we all had our share of the packets with the large smiling faces on the water pitcher. Kool-Aid basically was sugar-infected water back in the day, but we all had to try all the flavors we could. If you liked Kool-Aid, you probably had your fill of Tang as well.

Memory Lane ... Each week, I’ll look back at a former player, coach, manager, or media personality from our yesterday? Do you remember Eagles’ tight end John Spagnola? The former Patriots’ ninth-round pick of the 1970 draft joined the Eagles the same season. He spent eight years with the Birds, and became one of their more popular players. Spagnola caught 256 passes for 2,833 yards with 14 touchdowns in eight seasons in Philly. He spent 1988 with Seattle, and his final year was with Green Bay.