ATLANTA – Former NFL standout and College Football Hall of Famer Maxie Baughan died Saturday, the Philadelphia Eagles, his former team, announced. He was 85.
Baughan died of natural causes in Ithaca, New York, and was surrounded by family and friends at the time of his death, according to the Eagles.
The former Georgia Tech linebacker played 12 seasons in the NFL after being drafted 20th overall by the Eagles in the 1960 NFL Draft. Baughan made nine Pro Bowl appearances during his career and helped lead the Eagles to the NFL Championship during his rookie season in 1960.
“On behalf of the Philadelphia Eagles family, I am saddened to learn of the passing of Maxie Baughan, one of our team’s all-time greats,” Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie said in a news release. “A member of the 1960 NFL Championship team as a rookie, he went on to earn All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors during his career while playing a tough, hardnosed style of football. Maxie’s induction into the Eagles Hall of Fame in 2015 solidified his legacy and recognized his contributions to the team. Our hearts are with his wife, Dianne, and all Maxie’s family and friends as they mourn his passing.”
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After spending the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Eagles, Baughan played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1966 to 1970 before retiring. He returned to Georgia Tech as an assistant coach in 1972 and 1973 before unretiring to play one more season in the NFL as a player-coach with Washington in 1974.
Following his playing career, Baughan also served as an assistant coach with the NFL’s then-Baltimore Colts, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also served as head coach at the collegiate level for Cornell from 1983 to 1989, leading the Big Red to the 1988 Ivy League co-championship.
Baughan was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame in 1965. He is also a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 seniors category.
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“On behalf of the entire Georgia Tech football family, I offer my deepest condolences to the Baughan family,” Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key said in a statement. “Maxie is one of the most legendary figures in our program’s history and a shining example of what a Tech Man is. We are heartbroken by his passing.”
Baughan is survived by his wife of 62 years, Dianne; three children, Max, Mark and Matt; and eight grandchildren, Christopher, Connor, Charlie, Hunter, Hailey, Natalie, Cal and Heather.
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