Eagles go for gold, sign Olympic skiing star

Moguls specialist Bloom inks 4-year deal as receiver, return man

Tom Strattman / AP

Jeremy Bloom talks to reporters at the NFL football scouting combine on Feb. 24. The two-time Olympic skier agreed to terms on a deal with the Eagles on Tuesday.

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updated 1:06 p.m. ET July 12, 2006

PHILADELPHIA - Two-time Olympic skier and fifth-round draft pick Jeremy Bloom, and third-round selection Chris Gocong signed four-year contracts with the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday.

Bloom was a burgeoning star at Colorado before his football career was put on hold by an NCAA ruling. In the fall of 2004, the NCAA said Bloom wasn’t eligible for the football team because he accepted endorsements to keep his successful freestyle skiing career on track.

The 5-foot-9, 172-pound Bloom was picked to help the Eagles’ special teams and wide receiver corps. The 147th overall selection, Bloom had 24 receptions for an average of 19.1 yards per catch in two seasons at Colorado. He returned 47 punts at 13.5 yards per return and 25 kickoffs at 25.1 yards per return. He had five touchdowns of 75 yards or more.

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The 24-year-old Bloom finished in sixth place on the moguls at the Turin Olympics and then went to the NFL scouting combine, where he ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash. Bloom finished ninth at the Olympics in 2002.

Gocong, a 6-foot-2, 264-pound defensive end/linebacker, won the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in Division I-AA last season. He had a I-AA season-record 23½ sacks and forced four fumbles for Cal Poly.

The Eagles sent a third-round pick (76th) and seventh-round pick (220th) to the New York Jets to move up five spots on draft day to get Gocong.

The 22-year-old Gocong had 212 tackles, 42 sacks and one interception in his college career. His 61½ tackles for loss ranks fourth in I-AA history.

The Eagles also released cornerback Eddie Canonico.