Ben Hawkins, one of the most prolific wide receivers in Eagles history, has died at the age of 73, the team announced.
Hawkins, who was drafted in the third round in 1966 after a stellar career at Arizona State, became famous for playing with his chin strap unbuckled.
“I felt like the air got to my face better,” Hawkins said in The Eagles Encyclopedia, written by former Daily News writer and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Didinger.
“People identified it with me, so I kept doing it. I didn’t worry about [injury]. You get hurt playing football, one way or the other.