It’s a tricky thing. To measure greatness.
Statistics are quantified. Qualities of a subject that one can measure with a certain standard. Touchdowns, yards, and, yes, even gold jackets. These things share a positive correlation with a player’s impact on a city. But they don’t necessarily go hand in hand.
Greatness is immaterial. It’s when you remember the first and last time that a player’s mud-splattered jersey entered the end zone. Or when you swoon at the mere mention of a player’s name. It’s when a player does not demand respect, but rather, attracts it, and attracts so much respect that you feel obligated to remember them.
It is rare that players alone attain this level of transcendence. Often times, they need help. It’s why you hear of the fabled football legends. The Doomsday Defense. Electric Company. The Purple People Eaters. These are teams and position groups who sustained team success parallel to the prowess of their individual players.
As a result, we remember them. The embodiment of greatness.
Throughout the history of the Washington Redskins franchise, there have been many who achieved this. Capital Punishment, with Dexter Manley and Charles Mann scouring the offensive ranks. The Posse, with Art Monk, Ricky Sanders, and Gary Clark breaking records left and right en route to three Super Bowl titles (count that, Eagles fans).
The ultimate goal of every NFL player, beyond making a living for themselves and their families, is to be remembered. So, when combing through the extensive history of one of the NFL’s original eight teams, and when deciding the Redskins’ greatest 30 players in history, there is only one question to be asked.
Who do we remember?
Honorable Mentions: Bruce Smith, Brig Owens, Mark Rypien, DeAngelo Hall, Kirk Cousins, Jerry Smith, Brandon Scherff, Santana Moss, DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Chris Cooley, Brian Mitchell, Brian Orakpo, Joe Rutgens, LaVar Arrington, Jordan Reed, Deion Sanders, Henry Ellard, Sam Huff, Champ Bailey, Mark May, Pat Fischer, Trey Quinn
Mark Moseley is the only kicker ever to win the Associated Press NFL MVP award.
‘Nuff said.
Okay, maybe not. Granted, the award isn’t as impressive when you take into account that the season in which he won it, 1982, was shortened to nine games by a player strike. The league’s passing leader that year was San Diego Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts, with 2,883 yards, and the league’s rushing leader was New York Jets running back Freeman McNeil, with 786.
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So maybe Moseley didn’t have a lot of competition for the MVP award that year. But he still had a season to be remembered. In an era where kickers were normally expected to make no more than 75 percent of their field goals on average, Moseley only missed one of his 21 attempts throughout the season, compiling a 95.2 field goal percentage.
The 1982 season was an outlier for Moseley. He led the nation in scoring in the following season, and made an additional Pro Bowl in 1979, but he would never eclipse a field goal percentage higher than 77.4 percent in a season again.
Nevertheless, Moseley’s career was fruitful. He ended his tenure with the Redskins as their all-time leading scorer, and today, he still upholds that title.
Moseley kicked 300 field goals, with a 65.6 field goal percentage, a decent number at the time. He also made 482 of 512 extra point attempts. In a time where the Redskins can’t even rely on their kicker to make a 34-yard field goal in overtime, it’s nice to know that at one point, the Redskins had an MVP-caliber player at the position. It’s the little things that count.
And we stole Moseley from the Philadelphia Eagles. So that’s nice, too.
In today’s day and age, there is uncertainty surrounding the Redskins receiving core. Yes, Josh Doctson is a former first-rounder. Paul Richardson is a former second-rounder. And Jamison Crowder works wonders in the slot. But as of right now, we don’t know who the group, as a whole, will fare heading into the season.
It makes it mean that much more that, at one point in time, the Redskins didn’t have this problem.
They called them “The Posse”. Art Monk was the headliner of the group; the ever-consistent first-round pick. Gary Clark was Monk’s right-hand man, running laps after every touchdown. And then there was Ricky Sanders.
Sanders’ path to the Redskins was a winding one. He started out at Texas State University, then played in the USFL for a spell. The New England Patriots drafted him in the 1984 NFL Supplemental draft and traded him to the Redskins in 1986 after he failed to play a snap in two years.
Sanders’ career would arrive at a turning point in Washington, however. He assumed a role as a depth receiver right away, and just two years after joining the team, he broke the 1,000-yard mark in receiving. He accomplished the feat once more before his production took a dip, but for five more years beyond that, he would be a steady contributor in the Redskins’ offense.
Sanders is most known for his performance in Super Bowl XXII. Behind the arm of Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams, Sanders caught nine passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-10 blowout. Sanders’ speed was an inexhaustible resource, and it gave him an edge against some of the best the NFL had to offer.
Sanders never went to a Pro Bowl, and the peak of his career was relatively short. But for his role in forming one of the greatest receiving corps in NFL history, and for the performance he had on the game’s biggest stage, he deserves a spot on the list. People will remember him.
He may only have one year of national recognition to speak for in his NFL career, but Dave Butz‘s placement on this list is a testament to his longevity more than anything else.
Butz was a top-five draft pick, but not for the Redskins. The St. Louis Cardinals picked Butz at No. 5 overall in the 1973 NFL Draft. His 6-foot-7, 291 frame, as well as his standout college career with the Purdue Boilermakers, made him a coveted asset on the defensive line.
The Cardinals didn’t get their desired return from their investment, however. After his second season, coming back from an injury, Butz opted out of his contract and signed with the Redskins. The price was high, as the Redskins had to award the Cardinals a compensation package.
But in truth, it was impossible for any team to compensate for Butz.
Butz wreaked havoc on the defensive line, using a stellar combination of size, twitch, and aggression to maintain a presence on the front four. His play only improved as his career went on, and he peaked in years 1982 through 1987, where he totaled 34.5 sacks on the interior line, earning All-Pro recognition.
At one of football’s most physical positions, Butz played 16 seasons in the NFL, 14 of which were with Washington. He may not be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he may not have any MVP awards to his name, but Butz was a fixture of the Redskins’ Super Bowl aspirations in the 1980s. He was the staple of a fearsome defensive unit.
When a skill position player, such as a wide receiver, or a running back, or a quarterback, is a superstar, you hear about them. You see their status plastered on chyrons on television; on the crawls that snake in and out of the screen.
But when an offensive lineman is a superstar, it’s quiet.
The best offensive linemen are the ones who stay out of the headlines, and off the defensive highlight reels. The ones who do their job. Quietly. With efficiency. Deadly, nullifying threats to a defense. It is in this way that brute strength can be covert.
Chris Samuels was that kind of offensive lineman. Drafted third overall by the Redskins in the 2000 NFL Draft, Samuels was a premier prospect at offensive tackle, possessing a mountainous 6-foot-5, 325 frame and solid mobility for a blocker.
The Redskins have drafted frequently from the talent pool of the Alabama Crimson Tide in recent years, but the truth is, they’ve always loved their ‘Bama boys, and Samuels was the one who set the standard. The SEC product quickly established himself as one of the best blind side blockers in the league, and in 10 seasons as the Redskins’ starting left tackle, Samuels notched six Pro Bowl berths.
The best offensive linemen take their opponents out of the game. They might not be flashy. But they get the job done. And as Joe Bugel, the Washington’ offensive line coach at the time, said of Samuels: “He’s like Gilligan; he’s got this guy the whole game”.
There’s a widely accepted theory in the NFL; the theory of the positional shelf-life. There are outliers, but many positions have generic shelf-lives: Time periods where we can reasonably predict when a player will peak, and when a player will regress.
Running backs typically have the shortest careers. Kickers and punters typically have the longest. And more often than not, the peak is lined up in the middle, with the slopes on either side symmetrical, equidistant to each other. Teams make projective decisions with this theory, and this trend, in mind.
But London Fletcher puts this theory to shame.
Fletcher entered the league as an undrafted free agent, signing with the St. Louis Rams. As a middle linebacker, Fletcher was the team’s most prolific rookie, and in just his second year, Fletcher became the starter at the position.
For a long time, playing with the Buffalo Bills and the Rams, Fletcher was a high-end starter. But Fletcher ultimately wouldn’t earn a Pro Bowl berth until he joined the Redskins. By that time, Fletcher was 32 years. But, if I may use the fine wine cliché, he got better with age.
Fletcher earned four straight Pro Bowl berths from 2009 to 2012, notching his last one at the age of 37. By the time he retired in 2013, Fletcher had amassed almost 1,000 tackles in a Redskins uniform, and over his entire career, he’d totaled over 2,000. One of the most active and long-lasting defenders of the modern era, Fletcher’s resume, as well as his modest origin, makes him impossible to forget.
Great running backs have an attitude. It’s comes with the territory. Running the football is as personal as it gets in the NFL. And Clinton Portis was one back defenders didn’t want to trifle with.
Admittedly, the way that Portis was acquired was suspect at best. The Redskins traded Champ Bailey and a second-rounder for Portis, a running back whose career length was almost guaranteed to be shorter than that of Bailey, due to Bailey’s position.
Bailey would go on to enjoy a Pro Football Hall of Fame caliber career with the Denver Broncos. But Portis would make a name for himself in Washington as well.
In his first two seasons with the Redskins, it was immediately clear what Portis brought to the table: A top-tier running back. He amassed over 300 carries and 1,200 yards in each of those seasons, totaling 20 rushing touchdowns. After an injury-shortened season, Portis returned to the 1,000-yard rushing club for two more years, earning a second Pro Bowl nod in the process. He career was cut short soon after that by injuries.
In light of the Redskins recent struggles at running back, many have come to appreciate what the team had in Portis. His career may have ended earlier than most, but when he suited up in burgundy and gold, you knew the Redskins had someone they could count on to run the ball, churn the clock, and give the team a chance to win.
The Redskins know how to find quality offensive tackles. But hitting on one isn’t enough. Good teams keep talent coming in, and they find a way to maintain continuity, even when the name on the back of the jersey might be different.
The second act is just as important as the first. And Jim Lachey, Joe Jacoby’s second act, found a way to carry the mantle.
Lachey wasn’t the same caliber player as Jacoby, but that’s like saying Matt Ryan isn’t as good as Aaron Rodgers. It goes without saying, but both are high quality, and the lesser player is borderline elite. At his peak, Lachey was one of the best in the business.
As the Redskins slowly phased out the regressing Jacoby from the left tackle position, they brought in Lachey, a former first-round pick who’d most recently played with the Raiders. In 1989, the Redskins moved Jacoby to right tackle and started Lachey at left tackle, and the results were immediate.
In 1989, Lachey cemented himself as yet another Hogs great, bulldozing the competition en route to All-Pro recognition. From 1989 to 1991, Lachey was a dominant force on the edge, and by the time his peak was over, he had been to the Pro Bowl twice, and recognized as an All-Pro player three times. And in 1991, he earned the rite of passage of any Hog: A Super Bowl ring. Lachey had both the team success and the individual accolades to form a legacy. No player asks for more.
One of the most criminally underrated players of the modern generation, Ryan Kerrigan isn’t often mentioned in the same conversation as players like Von Miller and Khalil Mack. In a sense, there’s a reason for it. He’s not as athletic as either player, and he doesn’t have trademark moves. For Kerrigan, there’s only one trademark: Consistency. But he’s as consistent as they come.
Drafted by the Redskins with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, burst out of the gate, logging 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in his rookie campaign. He followed up that season with two more with 8.5 sacks, and in 2015, he reached a career high 13.5 sacks, while also accruing five forced fumbles.
Now, in 2018, Kerrigan is coming off a year in which he arguably provided his greatest value, keeping the Washington pass rush respectable amidst a slew of injuries. After registering 13.0 sacks in 2017, Kerrigan now sits at 71.5 sacks in his career. Three or four more years of consistent production (which we’ve come to expect from the 29 year old), and he’ll be in the 100.0 sack club. Of the 32 players to reach that esteemed mark in NFL history, 13 are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On top of his pass rushing prowess, Kerrigan also has a penchant for pushing the turnover battle. In seven seasons with the Redskins, Kerrigan has 22 forced fumbles and three interceptions, all of which have gone for touchdowns.
Kerrigan is one of the league’s most under-appreciated players. To make the leap from the Hall of the Very Good to the illustrious Pro Football Hall of Fame, he’ll need more team success. But he’s proven he can hold up his end of the bargain, time and time again.
Some positions on the Redskins’ offensive line in the 1980s saw turnover. But not all of them. Jeff Bostic was the Hogs center. There was no one else.
As renowned as Bostic’s career with the Redskins was, it didn’t start with nearly as much glory. Boston entered the league as an undrafted free agent, in a time where there were 12 rounds in the NFL Draft, not seven.
To say Bostic, a standout at Clemson University, was overlooked is an understatement. He carved a role for himself on day one with the Redskins, earning snaps as the backup to Bob Kuziel. Bostic played in all 16 games of his rookie season, and in 1981, he took the starting role from Kuziel. He didn’t let go of that role for 13 years.
Over his career with the Redskins, Bostic only went to the Pro Bowl once. But he helped maintain the fearsome reputation that was the Hogs’ own. He was the only constant from 1980 to 1993, and that holds value. At his best, he was dominant, just like the rest of them.
When Larry Brown came to the Redskins, it was Sonny Jurgensen’s team. They didn’t run the ball unless they had to. Brown changed that.
Brown originally earned the job more out of positional scarcity and opportunity, but when Vince Lombardi came to Washington, he instituted Brown as the full-time starting running back, giving him an increased workload.
The move paid off, as Brown, in 1970, rattled off 1,125 yards and five touchdowns on 237 carries. The next year, he flirted with the 1,000-yard mark once again, and in 1972, he had the best year of his career, accumulating 1,216 rushing yards, 473 receiving yards, and 12 total touchdowns. He won NFL MVP honors for his performance that year.
Despite his below-average size and his hearing impairments, which forced him to lean on an earpiece to hear the snap count, Brown exceeded expectations and helped the league evolve at running back. He was the first Redskins running back to break the 1,000-yard mark, and once wasn’t enough for him. His consistency in the older era of football speaks volumes, and it’s not bold to say that he set the tone for a more versatile, balanced Redskins offense, moving forward.
Ken Harvey entered the fold just a little too late, joining the Redskins in 1994. But despite his lack of Super Bowl rings and his bad timing, Harvey still found a way to make a mark on Redskins history.
Harvey spent more than half of his career with the Phoenix Cardinals, who drafted him in the first round of the 1988 NFL Draft. He had a modest stint as a starter with the team before losing his role in 1993. When the offseason hit, Harvey joined the Redskins at the age of 29.
Harvey’s move to D.C. would spark a late-career revival. The four best seasons of his career came in his first four years with the Redskins. He went to the Pro Bowl in each year, stating 62 of 64 possible games, notching a career-high 13.5 sacks in 1994.
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After a superb four-year streak, however, Harvey’s 1998 season would be shortened due to injury, and it would be his final appearance in the NFL. Harvey’s time with the Redskins wasn’t as bountiful as others, but as a player, Harvey was an absolute game changer, bringing speed and physicality to the middle of the defense.
The second member of the Posse to grace this list, Gary Clark was a feisty competitor for the Redskins at the wide receiver position.
Standing at 5-foot-9, 173 pounds, Clark was always undersized. But he didn’t let that limit his game. In an eight-year stint with the Redskins, from 1985 to 1992, Clark accumulated 549 receptions, 8,742 receiving yards, and 58 receiving touchdowns.
In his time in the nation’s capital, Clark was a spark plug, and a reliable weapon in a stacked receiving core. Not once did he log less than 892 receiving yards with the burgundy and gold, and no less than five times did he surpass the 1,000-yard mark.
Clark ended his career with four All-Pro nods and two Pro Bowl berths, and although a gold jacket eluded the receiver, he remained one of the most esteemed Redskins in history. Two Super Bowl rings help with that as well.
As the NFL has grown more complex, versatility has become a quality of greater importance in players. But while versatility makes the players of today great, it made the players of yesterday’s football era special. And Bobby Mitchell had that versatility.
Ask yourself what Mitchell could do, and, after a moment of contemplating which answer to say first, you might be inclined to ask what he couldn’t do, because that is a much easier question to answer. Frankly, there wasn’t a thing Mitchell couldn’t do when he was on the football field.
Traded to the Redskins in a draft day swap that sent the ill-fated Ernie Davis to the Cleveland Browns, Mitchell came to the Redskins as a player ready to compete right away. He’d previously made a name for himself in the NFL as a running back, but the Redskins used him at wide receiver, and they quickly reaped the benefits from that move.
In 1962, Mitchell’s first year with the Redskins, Mitchell broke the 1,000-yard mark by a wide margin, and he did the same in the next year. After earning All-Pro honors, Mitchell’s production would dip to a more modest average. But when he retired in 1968, he left an undeniable mark on the game. Mitchell now has a gold jacket to show for his accomplishments. As a historical example of the success of versatility, Mitchell’s story is one that won’t soon fade into the depths of time.
Sometimes it isn’t the journey that makes a legend. Mere moments, if they carry enough magnitude, can mean even more. The finality of it.
Doug Williams’ career, from a holistic standpoint, had its ups and downs. As a first-round quarterback, he didn’t last nearly as long as one might have expected. And at his peak, he was a mid-tier starter.
Despite these facts, Williams is known for his residence and his ability to convert in clutch moments. Perhaps no moment was greater for Williams than the Super Bowl of 1987, when Williams came in for a team in need of a quarterback and delivered one of the best performances in history.
How Williams got to the Super Bowl, however, is perhaps just as good a story as the Super Bowl itself. Williams served as the starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier in the decade, and when his contract expired, a dispute between him and the owner led him to join the USFL. He played there until the league ended in 1986, and he joined the Redskins for the upcoming season.
Over the 1987 season, Jay Schroeder and Williams traded off the starting job, with Williams filling in whenever Schroeder was injured. Williams played well enough that he was given the starting job for the playoffs. This confidence from Joe Gibbs was not misplaced.
Williams directed a blowout against the John Elway-led Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, throwing for over 300 yards and four touchdowns. His performance earned him the starting job for the next season, and while his career only lasted two more years beyond that, Williams converted in the moments that mattered. He now serves as the Redskins’ Director of Player Personnel, hoping to earn another ring. In a different way.
Paul Krause only played four of his 16 seasons with the Redskins. But in those seasons, he was an otherworldly talent, and his gold jacket speaks to that.
The Redskins drafted Krause in the second round of the 1964 NFL Draft. Standing at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Krause was ahead of his time, in terms of his size. He started right out of the gate as the team’s right safety, and had arguably had one of the greatest rookie seasons in history for a safety.
After notching 12 interceptions in 1964, Krause was a known quantity: A dangerous, rangy ball tracker. He earned both Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in his first two years, but after accumulating only 10 interceptions in the two years after that (I know, what a crime, right?), he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings for a seventh-round pick and linebacker Marlin McKeever.
This trade can easily be deemed a failure, as McKeever would only play one season as the Redskins’ starter before leaving to join the Los Angeles Rams in 1971. Krause, meanwhile, went on to carve out a Hall of Fame career with the Vikings, notching 53 more interceptions in 12 years with the team. He ended his career as the NFL’s all-time interception leader, and in 1998, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Like Champ Bailey, Paul Krause is another cautionary tale of handling talent for the Redskins. The team, at the time, was confident in McKeever. But sometimes, if you have a player who’s exceeding expectations, it might be best to stay the course.
The blind side blocker has slowly garnered a reputation as one of the most important positions on not just the offensive line, but on an entire offense. It’s the blind side blocker’s job to keep the help the quarterback do his job, and keep his sanity in tact. When the quarterback get hit from the blind side, it’s particularly devastating.
In this regard, the Redskins are lucky. They have Trent Williams.
If there was ever a sure thing coming out of the NFL Draft, Trent Williams was that. Williams locked down the opposition at Oklahoma, using his size, quickness, and length to neutralize any opposing rush. His combine results were insane; at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, Williams ran a 4.88 40-yard dash and logged 23 bench reps. He probably could have played edge rusher if the Redskins wanted him to.
But Williams was drafted to be the ever-important blind side blocker, and the moment he stepped into Redskins Park, he became the team’s starter at left tackle. And for eight years, he’s manned that position, starting 106 of 107 games played.
Since 2012, Williams has earned six straight Pro Bowl berths, and he’s not even 30 years old yet. He not only has the respect of the Pro Bowl voters, but also the respect of his peers on the field. He’s a regular appearance on the NFL’s Top 100 Players, and this year, he fell in at No. 57.
Williams’ athleticism and toughness are unmatched in the NFL. He played the last half of 2017 on a knee in need of season-ending surgery, and if he comes back fully healthy in 2018, his recent Pro Bowl tear should only continue. Williams is the best left tackle in the NFL. Those kinds of players are remembered.
During the time that the Redskins were playoff contenders, from around 1980 to the mid-1990s, the team won three Super Bowls. In each Super Bowl a different quarterback led the way for the burgundy and gold.
In the Super Bowl that kicked off the Redskins’ run as a dynasty, it was Joe Theismann who stood at the helm.
Following up the era of Billy Kilmer, encapsulated by underachievement, Theismann, in 1978, took hold of a starting job ripe for the taking. His first year was average at best, but as the former fourth-round pick grew comfortable, and as a talented team was built around him, his performance only improved.
In 1979, Theismann broke 20 touchdowns for the first time in his career, and by that point, he was locked was the Redskins’ franchise quarterback. In the strike-shortened season of 1982, he was on pace to do it again, and he carried that strong play to a Super Bowl victory. The next year, Theismann had his best performance yet, throwing for 29 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and nearly 4,000 yards. His play in 1983 earned him AP NFL MVP honors, an award which no other Redskins quarterback has won.
Theismann’s career would ultimately be cut short by injury. In 1985, in a game against the New York Giants, Lawrence Taylor tackled Theismann from behind, inducing a career-ending leg injury.
Theismann could have won another Super Bowl with the Redskins, had the injury not occurred. But despite the untimeliness of the injury, Theismann still put together a respectable career. Over his years in Washington, he passed for over 25,000 yards, 160 touchdowns and 138 interceptions. The last years may have been taken away, but Theismann still has a Super Bowl ring and an MVP award. Those are two things he’ll never lose.
Chris Hanburger doesn’t get a surplus of respect within his own fan base. Perhaps this is because his arrival in Washington was in conjunction with the arrival of the team’s franchise quarterback, Sonny Jurgensen. Many fans today don’t remember that time, but even so, Jurgensen attracts the natural notoriety that comes with being a quarterback.
Despite this known discrepancy, the silence surrounding Hanburger’s legacy is almost alarming. In fact, even AutoCorrect doesn’t know his name. But while Sonny Jorgensen was the quarterback of the offense,
Hamburger
Hanburger was the quarterback of the defense. And he did his job very well.
Hanburger’s career began just as quietly as it now resonates in the modern era. He was drafted by the Redskins in the 18th (yes, the 18th) round of the 1965 NFL Draft. That’s 11 rounds later than fellow Hall of Famer Trey Quinn was drafted, for those of you keeping track.
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Despite his draft status, Hanburger quickly became a key contributor for the Washington defense. By 1966, he’d already earned his first Pro Bowl berth, and in 1969, after earning four straight Pro Bowl nods, Hanburger was recognized as an All-Pro for the first time in his career.
As his off-field reputation gained steam, so too did his notoriety in opposing locker rooms. Hanburger was known as “The Hangman” for his relentless aggression when tackling the ball carrier. As his longtime NFL opponent, and fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer John Hannah remarked, “[Hanburger] was at that time the smartest player in the league. We did everything we could to try and eliminate him from the play. We knew if we didn’t neutralize him, we had less of a chance of winning.”
In the process of stymying opponents’ hopes of winning, Hanburger helped initiate a new era of success for Washington’s squad. After going 42-79-7 in the 10 years before Hanburger’s acquisition, the Redskins amassed a record of 111-79-6 during Hanburger’s career. Hanburger, over that time, accumulated a plethora of personal accolades as well, garnering recognition as a Pro Bowler nine times and an All-Pro five times. He only went to one Super Bowl, which he lost. But on Hanburger’s watch, the Redskins’ defense was a force to be reckoned with, and in 2010, he earned a gold jacket for his accomplishments.
Charley Taylor is the fourth receiver on this list. But he didn’t start out that way. When he originally entered the NFL, he was a running back, and a big one, measuring at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds.
Interestingly enough, Taylor played his career with a bad knee, as it had been injured during his baseball days in college by a direct hit from a line drive. Taylor played both baseball and football in college, and it was that injury that forced him to pursue a career in the NFL.
Taylor didn’t let the injury hamper his long-term production, however, and following a position change from running back to wide receiver, he set a new standard at the position. In 14 years with the Redskins, Taylor amassed 649 receptions, 9,110 receiving yards, and 79 touchdowns through the air. He went to the Pro Bowl a whopping eight times, earning All-Pro honors with his efforts in the season of 1967.
Taylor only passed the 1,000-yard mark once, but in a past era of football, Taylor achieved unnatural success at the wide receiver position. He ended his career as the most prolific wide receiver in the NFL’s then short history, and although his records have been broken, his legacy will never die.
Ryan Kerrigan is today’s master of the peanut punch, but he wasn’t the first Redskins defender to make an art out of forcing fumbles.
Charles Mann was drafted by the Redskins in the third round of the 1983 NFL Draft. After winning the Super Bowl in 1982, the Redskins needed a playmaker on the defensive line opposite Dexter Manley. So, of course, they took one look at Mann’s last name and decided that he was the best option, for marketing purposes.
Just kidding. That’s not what happened. I think. In truth, Mann’s 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame made him an enticing prospect on the edge. He’d also displayed a propensity for getting to the quarterback. In his senior season, he led the Big Sky Conference with 14.0 sacks, and he received regional accolades as a result.
In the NFL, Mann found that getting to the quarterback was just as easy. On four separate occasions, Mann eclipsed double-digit sacks, and he also earned four coinciding Pro Bowl berths. He didn’t simply disrupt the pocket, either. He disrupted the quarterback’s possession of the football. Over his career, he accumulated a grand total of 17 forced fumbles on 83.0 sacks. It’s safe to say he outperformed his draft slot.
The Redskins’ defensive line was a force to be reckoned with in the 1980s, with players like Dave Butz and Charles Mann wreaking havoc on opposing offensive lines. In today’s NFL, the Redskins’ defensive line seems to be growing closer to that past reputation, but there’s one player they’ll never have the luxury of employing.
The Secretary of Defense. Dexter Manley.
Standing at 6-foot-3, 252 pounds, Manley was the prototypical edge rusher. And so when his time came to suit up with the Redskins, he didn’t waste any time producing solid numbers on the field. By 1983, his third season, Manley had cracked double-digit sacks, and he did so for four straight seasons, hitting a peak in 1986, when he broke the Redskins’ franchise sack record with 18.5 in a season.
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His career would slope to a close beyond that point, but Manley still remained for a spell as a solid contributor on the defensive line. He closed out his career with 97.5 official sacks, but in 1981, the year before sacks became an official statistic, he accounted for 6.0 more. So, unofficially, Dexter Manley is a part of the 100 sacks club. He’s the only longtime Redskins player to uphold that honor. But in the years to come, that could change.
People don’t always understand how hard it was for quarterbacks to play in the era of leather helmets and black-and-white game tape. Receivers didn’t have the protection they have now, and looking back, safety was a fairly pressing concern. It was called the dead ball era for a reason. The nature of the game was skewed in favor of defense.
With those factors in mind, the exploits of Sonny Jurgensen are truly extraordinary.
Jurgensen will never be in the conversation as one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game. Most quarterbacks need Super Bowls to be in that conversation. And he never won a Super Bowl. In fact, the only Super Bowl he even went to, he was a backup to Billy Kilmer.
But as a pure player, Jurgensen was one of the smartest. He was one of the toughest. And did he ever have an arm.
Jurgensen was virtually unmatched at the quarterback position in his time with the Redskins. In 11 years with the team, he passed for over 22,000 yards, 179 touchdowns and 116 interceptions. In 1967, Jurgensen broke the record for passing yards in a season, a record that was his already. No one else had beat it. So Jurgensen had to take matters into his own hands.
Jurgensen was regarded as an all-time great upon his retirement, and today, although his stats may pale in comparison to the offensive production of the modern NFL, Jurgensen was the best at making something out of nothing. He never got a ring to show for it. But a gold jacket is a fine substitute.
Every “Posse” needs a ring leader.
Art Monk was always the No. 1 receiver. Having a cast of players always helps, but from 1980 to 1991, Monk was the go-to guy, and he was one of the most reliable wide receivers in the NFL.
First-round picks were rare for the Redskins in the 1980s, as the team often traded away picks in return for experienced players. 1980 was different. The team went into draft season needing a receiver, and so they selected Monk with the No. 18 pick.
It took a few seasons for Monk to hit his stride, but when he did, there were few players in the league better than him. In 1984, Monk’s stats skyrocketed. He caught 106 passes for over 1,300 yards and seven touchdowns, setting a new record for receptions in a season.
From then on, Monk was a player to be feared. The ring leader didn’t hold back. He kept padding his stats, passing the 1,000-yard mark four more times, earning two more Pro Bowl berths and two more Super Bowl rings in the process, both with different quarterbacks.
In 1989, Monk, along with his partners in crime, Ricky Sanders and Gary Clark, eclipsed 1,000 yards, becoming the first receiver trio in history to pull off the feat. Monk ended his career with a laundry list of exploits, and records, and although none still stand today, his legacy is one that won’t be forgotten. He raised the bar. And when the bar goes up, it doesn’t go back down.
Players, to varying degrees, either rely on their individual talents, team success, or a mixture of both, to garner recognition. Ken Houston is an example of the former. He literally earned his gold jacket all by himself.
In the earlier years of his career, Houston played for the Houston Oilers, before playing with the Redskins from 1973 to 1980. The Oilers, during Ken Houston’s tenure, went 30-49. The Redskins had a winning record, but in the playoffs from 1973 to 1980, they were 0-3.
Houston didn’t have team success on his side. But his individual accomplishments number in the dozens.
In 14 seasons, through which he accumulated 49 interceptions, Houston went to the Pro Bowl 12 times. In 1975 and 1978, he was recognized as an All-Pro player, and in his time with the Redskins, he went to seven straight Pro Bowls. Using his 6-foot-3 frame and impressive quickness, he became a stellar center fielder for the Redskins, and he was recognized nationally, year in and year out.
If that’s not consistency, I don’t know what is.
The name “Russ Grimm” is deserving of a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on its own. Luckily, Grimm was good enough to get there with his play.
Going into college, Grimm knew he was destined to do one thing: Play football. In his Hall of Fame website bio, Grimm stated: “I had the desire. That’s all I wanted to be. A lot of guys go to college for a degree. I went to college to play football. I went to college because I had to go to college to go to the pros. To me, football is what I do best. I’m not the kind of guy to sit behind a desk.”
Grimm wouldn’t sit behind a desk. Instead, he would sit behind the line of scrimmage. Drafted out of the third round of the 1981 NFL Draft from the University of Pittsburgh, Grimm quickly earned the starting left guard job and ran with it. He was one of the first arrivals of the famed “Hogs” offensive line, and as the Redskins acquired more pieces, they rose to the status of dynasty under Joe Gibbs. And they built up from the trenches.
In 1983, at age 24, Grimm had already earned his first All-Pro bid, his first Pro Bowl berth, and his first Super Bowl ring. And he didn’t stop there. Over the next three seasons, Grimm would earn two more All-Pro bids and three more Pro Bowl trips. Teaming up with mammoth tackle Joe Jacoby on the left side, Grimm steamrolled opposing defenders en route to directing a devastating rushing attack, one that would help the Redskins reach four Super Bowls, winning three of them, in the span of a decade.
In 11 years, Grimm started 140 games, solidifying a reputation as one of the most feared offensive linemen in NFL history. Players resented the notion of lining up across from him, and with Grimm’s presence on the line, the Hogs became known as one of the best, most dominant position groups of all time.
Grimm got a gold jacket in 2010. A lot better than an office chair.
Despite Russ Grimm’s place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Joe Jacoby still falls a spot ahead of him on this list. Why? It’s simple. Jacoby deserves to be enshrined in Canton as well.
Despite his sizable stature, Jacoby went undrafted after leaving college early to pursue an NFL dream. Upon joining the team, Joe Gibbs incorrectly assumed that Jacoby was a defensive lineman. But it wouldn’t be long before Jacoby, with his outrageous wingspan, came the team’s starting left tackle.
In 1981, his rookie season, Jacoby became one of the founding members of the Hogs, along with Russ Grimm and Jeff Bostic. A mere two years after that, Jacoby was known as one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the NFL, earning his first All-Pro nod, as well as the first of his four Pro Bowl berths.
Over his career, Jacoby would help lead the Redskins to four Super Bowls, and three Super Bowl victories. He started in every Super Bowl played over that time, providing quality play at his lowest, and the play of a hall of fame-caliber at his highest points.
Jacoby, standing at 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, was the prototype of the modern NFL tackle. Size is now of the utmost importance, and one could argue that Jacoby was one of the first to use his length as a strength. Jacoby’s Pro Football Hall of Fame eligibility was recently exhausted, when he was robbed yet again in the voting process. But Redskins fans know he belongs.
You won’t find any game film on this guy, but you can trust us on this: This guy had game.
One of the Redskins’ earliest first-round picks, Sammy Baugh was the definition of an athlete, back in the day. Upon arriving at Texas Christian University, Baugh was given the option to play baseball, basketball, and football. The multi-sport athlete ultimately chose the dirtiest of the three, and it quickly revealed itself to be the right choice.
After an esteemed career with the Horned Frogs, Baugh joined the Redskins as the sixth overall selection in the 1937 NFL Draft and immediately became the team’s starter at quarterback. He didn’t miss a beat.
In his first seven seasons, Baugh earned four All-Pro honors and five Pro Bowl berths. At his peak, he threw for nearly 3,000 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions on close to 60 percent completion percentage. His best season was better than Joe Flacco’s average season, and Baugh played 80 years ago, in a time where cornerbacks could have their way with receivers. I don’t know if that’s more a compliment to Baugh or a slight to Flacco, but it stands to reason that Baugh was ahead of his time.
Speaking of cornerbacks, Baugh tried his hand at that position as well, and he held his own. Over his career, he totaled 31 interceptions, notching a career-high 11 in the 1943 season. It wasn’t enough for Baugh to be the best quarterback. He had to go out on defense and make opposing quarterbacks feel inferior there, too.
Over 16 years with the Redskins, Baugh won two NFL Player of the Year awards and led his team to two NFL Championships; one in 1937 and one in 1942. Even today, Baugh is remembered for his accolades. His No. 33 is the only number to be officially retired by the Redskins, and it’s easy to understand why.
The Diesel himself.
Fans who were old enough to witness Riggo’s romp in the Super Bowl of 1982 probably remember the call by memory. How it was fourth and one. How everybody saw it coming. “Here comes The Diesel”, remarked the announcer.
And then the snap. The exchange. The No. 44 running between the tackles and past the line. Past the defense…past Don McNeal…past the pylons. “He’s gone! He’s gone! Touchdown, Washington! What a play!”
Moments, albeit brief and minimal in time scale, have the power to immortalize. John Riggins’ name has been etched into the brass vessels of history. That play, and that Super Bowl, made him what he is today. Not every running back can handle 38 carries in a Super Bowl, let alone 30, and Riggins kept wanting more. In the end, he amassed 166 yards and a game-winning touchdown. That’s how the national fans came to know him. But in truth, he was one of the NFL’s best for some time before.
Before that MVP performance, Riggins was one of the most feared in the league for years on end. He broke the 1,000-yard mark twice before his breakout performance against the Miami Dolphins in the big game. And in 1983, the Redskins fed The Diesel all that he could chew, giving him 327 carries, which he converted for over 1,200 yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground. 24 touchdowns. You probably don’t need anymore convincing. Riggins was an absolute beast. He didn’t make people miss. He made them pay.
Unsurprisingly, he’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Waiting for someone else to run like he did.
When a player lingers, and when they remain for years on end, providing the same consistent play that they always have, we sometimes take it for granted, and come to expect the routine to carry on. These players, with both the longevity to stay on the field, and the consistency to maintain a high level of play, are perhaps the most under-appreciated in football. Few embody this persona better than Darrell Green.
Green was a 5-foot-9 cornerback. He played 20 years in the NFL. Often dubbed the “Ageless Wonder” for his exploits, Green played until he was 42 years old. In such a physical game, such a thing rarely happens, save for kickers, punters, and Tom Brady.
Green was never a dominant player at his position, but with his speed, smarts, and quickness, both with his processing and his direction changes, Green made a name for himself as a dangerous adversary in the Redskins’ defensive backfield.
With the Redskins, Green went to three Super Bowls, winning two of them. He earned seven Pro Bowl nods, and was an All-Pro selection in 1991. His accolades speak for themselves, and his gold jacket was well-deserved. Rumor has it he still wanders, seeking out radar guns, running 4.4’s even at almost 60 years old.
Sean Taylor wasn’t afforded the time that other players on this list were. But it doesn’t matter. This is a list of the Redskins’ top players in franchise history.
And there might never be a player like Taylor again.
Taylor quickly rose through the football ranks, using a 10-interception campaign in college to leverage a reputation as a generational talent. Taylor’s 6-foot-3 frame, length and sheer relentlessness on the field made it impossible for the Redskins to pass on him with the No. 5 overall selection.
It didn’t take long for Taylor to live up to his draft status. He wreaked havoc on opposing wide receivers, making the middle of the field a deadly place. With every devastating hit, furor sparked in the crowd, and the announcers’ voice swelled. Just like kids yell “Odell” when they make an acrobatic catch in their backyards, Taylor wasn’t simply known for the backbreaking blow. He defined it.
Known on the field for his unavoidable presence, and off the field for his tireless work ethic and desire to be great, Taylor earned two consecutive Pro Bowls in 2006 and 2007. One Pro Bowl berth came on the heels of a campaign with one interception, three forced fumbles, and seven pass deflections.
The other came as a posthumous honor.
Taylor’s career was cut short by a deadly home invasion that occurred in the midst of the 2007 season. Taylor was with his family in Florida, recovering from an injury. Robbers stormed his house, and while defending his family, he was shot in the leg. The bullet severed his femoral artery, and in turn, it severed short the legacy of a great.
Taylor might not have 20 seasons under his belt. And he might not have ended his career as the NFL’s all-time interception leader. But his combination of talent, passion, and growth was something that might never be seen again. Remembrance is the true mark of greatness.
Everyone remembers Taylor.
Next: Washington Redskins 15 best first-round picks in history
Of course, in the measure of greatness, there will always be a certain degree of subjectivity. It is quantifiable, but through moments, experiences, and values, we all see greatness in a different light. But if a player is great enough, they transcend the borders of subjectivity, and they are remembered by all.