Legendary Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Maxie Baughan passed away on Saturday. Baughan was 85 years old when he died due to natural causes in Ithaca, NY, per the Eagles' official website.

Baughan was an All-American offensive lineman and linebacker at Georgia Tech football in the late 1950s. Head coach Buck Shaw and the Eagles' front office loved Baughan's intelligent and hard-hitting style on the gridiron. Consequently, they made him the 20th overall selection of the 1960 NFL Draft.

Maxie Baughan started all 12 games at linebacker as a rookie. He helped the Eagles win the 1960 NFL Championship. He went on to earn two First-Team All-Pro, five Second-Team All-Pro, and nine Pro Bowl selections in 15 combined seasons with the Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, and Washington Redskins from 1960 to 1974.

Baughan enjoyed a successful coaching career following his retirement from the NFL. He served Georgia Tech football, Baltimore Colts, and Detroit Lions as their defensive coordinator. He also became head coach of Cornell football from 1983 to 1988. Baughan returned to the NFL coaching ranks and became the linebackers coach of the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Baltimore Ravens in the 19990s.

Baughan is a member of the Eagles' Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame. He is also a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2024. The other semifinalists include Mike Holmgren, Robert Kraft, Roger Craig, Carl Banks, and Ken Anderson.

There's no question Maxie Baughan set the bar high and paved the way for great defensive players in Eagles history such as the great Reggie White.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Baughan and his family during this difficult time.