Philadelphia Eagles Football

Eagles sign TE Asher

Courtesy of Philadelphia Eagles public relations

PHILADELPHIA (April 12, 1999) — The Philadelphia Eagles agreed to terms on a three-year deal with veteran free agent tight end Jamie Asher, it was announced.

As is club policy, terms of the agreement were undisclosed.

The 28-year-old Asher is entering his fifth NFL season after spending the first four years of his career with the Washington
Redskins, for whom he caught 133 passes for 1,421 yards and 5 touchdowns in 34 starts.

"Jamie Asher gives us a tight end that comes in with known receiver abilities," head coach Andy Reid said. "He'll do a nice job in this offense, in which we count on our tight ends to be a threat. He'll work into the tight end rotation and add depth to that position."

Asher, 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, had his 1998 season cut short by a knee injury that resulted in his being placed on injured reserve in mid-November. He was on pace to set career highs in receptions and yards. He finished with 28 catches for 294 yards.

Asher put together solid back-to-back campaigns starting in 1996. After posting career highs in 1996 with 42 catches for 481 yards and a team-leading 4 touchdowns, Asher recorded 49 receptions for 474 yards and 1 touchdown in 1997, a year in which he led all tight ends with 21 third-down catches and
became the first tight end to lead the Redskins in receiving since Jean Fuggett did so 1977.

"He is a very nice fit for this offense because he's got excellent hands, he runs really good routes, and is a very good receiving tight end," Eagles director of football operations Tom Modrak said. "He certainly upgrades the tight end position and gives us quality depth there that we need."

One of Asher's best games to date came at Veterans Stadium against the Eagles in 1996, when he grabbed 5 passes, including two for TDs, in a 26-21 Washington victory.

The Indianapolis native starred collegiately at the University of Louisville, where he became the school's all-time leading pass-catcher with 151 career receptions. His 1,741 career receiving yards were also second most in Cardinals history.

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