🏈 College vs. NFL | Sports Daily Newsletter

There once was a time when players in the NFL and college faced off in a preseason game.

From 1934 to 1976, the annual Chicago Charities College All-Star game featured an NFL team that won the league championship and had many of its starters play against college football’s best athletes.

In this day and age, that’s a crazy concept to consider. Although the playing field and athletic abilities are likely to be evenly matched, most NFL starters don’t even play in preseason games. It’s too much of a risk.

But the Eagles once played in the event in 1949, 1950, and 1961, and actually came up short in the 1950 game, which included a former Villanova standout.

Kerith Gabriel turns back the clock to look back on an event known for proving ground for college players to see if they could handle the rigors of playing in the NFL.

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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A pivotal week for the Phillies began in the desert with three games against the Diamondbacks that will have implications in the National League wild-card race. It was a good time, then, to check in with Arizona general manager Mike Hazen. He joined Scott Lauber on Phillies Extra to discuss his absent star player, the playoff race, and that memorable (or forgettable, depending on your perspective) NLCS in 2023.

The Phillies needed some help from their bullpen to preserve a 2-1 win in Arizona for the team’s fifth straight win.

And here’s a fun fact: Last Saturday, Cristopher Sánchez joined Jesús Luzardo with 200 strikeouts this season. The pair also surpassed 200 strikeouts in 2025. Their milestone made it the first time the Phillies have had multiple lefties with more than 200 strikeouts in consecutive seasons since Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee in 2012 and 2013.

Next: The Phillies continue their series in Arizona at 9:40 tonight (NBCSP). Jesús Luzardo (12-5, 3.09 ERA) will start against Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (14-4, 2.50).

Even after announcing the initial 53-man roster, the Eagles didn’t reveal who will back up Jalen Hurts against the Washington Commanders next Sunday in the season opener.

The real question here seems to be: Why did the Eagles go the unconventional route of keeping all four (Hurts, Andy Dalton, Tanner McKee, and rookie Cole Payton) quarterbacks?

“I feel like all those guys have value for our team — some is short-term value, some is long-term value,” says general manager Howie Roseman.

And Uar Bernard and Joshua Weru, both from the International Player Pathway, cleared waivers on Monday and later signed with the Eagles’ practice squad.

Jaylen Brown has had a long offseason. It started with trade rumors positioning him in Milwaukee as part of a trade to lure Giannis Antetokounmpo to Boston. It continued with personal criticisms and deep examinations of his game. Then, finally, it culminated with a trade to the 76ers as part of a deal that brought back Paul George and picks to Boston.

Brown has had to reckon with the Celtics’ decision to part ways, his icy relationship with former running mate Jayson Tatum and a divorce with the only city he has known in his adult life. The final step came this weekend in Boston, where he held a block part at Boston Common and celebrated the city before officially taking off for Philly. They celebrated him too, as Chris Hine documented from the scene.

The Diamondbacks series will serve as a benchmark as to whether these Phillies even have a chance of achieving what the 2023 Phillies came so close to achieving.

They could leave Arizona on Wednesday with the wild-card lead if they take care of business and if the Brewers batter the Cubs. But the Diamondbacks have lately been poison for the Phillies, writes columnist Marcus Hayes.

How many NFL teams kept four quarterbacks on the initial 53-man rosters this year?

A) Six

B) Four

C) One

D) Three

We asked: What is your favorite outdoor activity and why?

Golf is my favorite outdoor. Even a so-so round can’t mess up a beautiful day outside with friends. — Tom G.

Walking up the gang plank of a cruise ship. Any ship going any where. My “safe place.” Sailing aboard the Queen Mary 2 for 11 nights in November. — Ronald R.

I used to bike often back in Orange County, but crashed and broke my collarbone right before moving here to Prescott AZ. Now at 88 my favorite outdoor activity is hiking while taking bird and wildlife photography. And we have enough Bald Eagles here to remind me of my favorite team. — Everett S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Kerith Gabriel, Lochlahn March, Scott Lauber, Jeff Neiburg, Chris Hines, and Jeff McLane.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

As always, thanks for reading! That’s it from me this week, Maria will be in your inbox tomorrow. — Bella