Defense doesn’t always get its due, but today, we’ll go through the best defenders in Redskins history.
Six former Washington Redskins’ defensive players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I’m counting real Redskins. Not the mercenaries who showed up for a quick payday at the end of their careers – guys like Deacon Jones, Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, and Jason Taylor. (BTW, fun fact: Three of those names are in the top ten most popular surnames in the United States, while the fourth, Sanders, is in the top 75. Moral: If you are a signing a mercenary, he’s likely to have a generic last name).
Compare that to the eleven Redskins offensive players in the Hall. I’m counting the early two-way players on offense, because even though the likes of Sammy Baugh and Cliff Battles did play defense, they are in the Hall of Fame for their exploits on offense.
I have not done a study of this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this is generally true for most teams. Defense may win championships, but offense gets the glory. Offensive players almost always win the league MVP award, or the Heisman Trophy, or the date to prom with the head cheerleader. Not fair, but life.
So it’s time to give the defense some love. I can’t arrange the cheerleader date, but I can choose the greatest defensive players in Redskins’ history. Those six Hall of Famers figure prominently, though three of them played their most significant years for other teams, so they may drop down the list a bit. I’m only considering what players did while wearing the burgundy and gold.
As with any historical piece, I am indebted to Redskins historian Michael Richman for his wonderful reference material, especially when it comes to evaluating the players I never got to see in person.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Lorenzo Alexander, Mike Bass, Bill Brundige, Brad Dusek, DeAngelo Hall, Joe Lavender, Harold McClinton, Ron McDole, Mark Murphy, Neal Olkewicz, Brian Orakpo, Brig Owens, Tony Peters, Joe Rutgens, Barry Wilburn
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25: Diron Talbert (Defensive Tackle, 1971-1980)
He came with the Over-the-Hill Gang, assembled by George Allen to quickly reverse the fortunes of a team that had been awful for the previous two decades. Talbert had gone to the University of Texas, and no player helped ignite the rivalry with the Cowboys the way this tough-as-nails interior lineman did. He recorded four sacks in a game against the Giants in 1975 and once swore he’d knock Cowboys QB Roger Staubach out of an upcoming game. No wonder Redskins’ fans loved him.
24: Dexter Manley (Defensive End, 1981-1989)
Like Talbert, Manley also had four sacks against the Giants (in 1988), and he didn’t just threaten, but actually did knock a Dallas QB out of a crucial game (Danny White). Dexter was beloved by fans for his flamboyant style, his phenomenal speed for a man his size (during his rookie year, Dexter covered kicks and was a nightmare on kickoffs), and his 97.0 career sacks. And perhaps more than any of that, his greatest achievement may have been appearing before Congress to testify about his own illiteracy, which he had kept secret his entire life. His story is chronicled in the compelling autobiography “Educating Dexter,” which he wrote with former Redskins beat writer (and Chevy Chase’s own) Tom Friend.
23: Erny Pinckert (Defensive Back/Linebacker, 1932-1940)
Pinckert was a two-way player, there at the very beginning of the franchise. He was a punishing hitter, whether as a lead back on offense, or as a linebacker on defense. As Michael Richman notes, Pinckert once knocked Bears’ legendary fullback Bronko Nagurski out of a game in 1933.
22: Pat Fischer (Cornerback, 1968-1977)
Those Redskins’ years came after seven years playing for the St Louis Cardinals. The diminutive Fischer was a mainstay on the tough defenses of the George Allen era. He was 5’9” and not particularly fast, but he played with guile and intensity that earned him All-Pro status in ’69 and ’72. His battles with the towering Eagles receiver Harold Carmichael were epic.
21: Bob Toneff (Defensive Tackle, 1959-1964)
Toneff arrived from San Francisco in ’59 and immediately went to three straight Pro Bowls. More from Richman: Toneff never missed a game in his years with the Redskins and recovered five opponents’ fumbles in that 1959 season.
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20: Paul Lipscomb (Defensive Tackle, 1950-1954)
Like Toneff a decade later, Lipscomb came from Green Bay and went to four consecutive Pro Bowls for the Redskins. During his second year in Washington, owner George Preston Marshall wanted to hire Bears head coach Hunk Anderson away from George Halas. Halas agreed, provided Marshall would send Lipscomb to Chicago in exchange. Long story short – Dick Todd became the Redskins’ coach.
19: LaVar Arrington (Linebacker, 2000-2005)
Arrington came to the Redskins along with Chris Samuels when the team managed to secure the 2nd and 3rd picks in the 2000 draft. His career had as many downs as ups, and it should have served as an early cautionary tale for an owner who seemed to value crafting friendships with star players above crafting a quality organization. But despite troubles with coaches, contract disputes, and injuries which ended his career just when he should have been reaching his prime, Arrington managed to make three straight Pro Bowls, as well as his share of big plays for a defense that often struggled.
18: Ken Harvey (Linebacker, 1994-1998)
After spending the first half of his career in Phoenix, Harvey came to the Redskins in 1994 and immediately became the team’s best defensive player, leading them in sacks and making the Pro Bowl four straight years. When he retired at age 34 following knee surgery, head coach Norv Turner said of him: “When you put together character, athletic ability, heart and the willingness to compete no matter what, Ken Harvey is the best I’ve been around.”
17: Monte Coleman (Linebacker, 1979-1994)
He never made a Pro Bowl. The 11th round draft pick from Central Arkansas wasn’t even a starter for much of his career. But no one was more versatile and more respected than Monte Coleman. And no one, with the exception of Darrell Green, played more games for the Redskins. He finished with over 1,000 tackles and three Super Bowl rings.
16: Dave Butz (Defensive Tackle, 1975-1988)
George Allen filled his defense with older veterans in the early 1970s, but in 1975, he grabbed a young player from another team. Dave Butz, the mammoth tackle, would anchor the Redskins defensive line for more than a decade, helping them to their first Super Bowl win along the way. He was defensive POY in 1983 and a member of the NFL 1980’s All-Decade team. His battered helmet was one of the most stunning representations of just how violent football in the trenches is.
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15: Chuck Drazenovich (Linebacker, 1950-1959)
The four-time Pro Bowler was known as one of the hardest hitters in the game. And he may have been the first modern middle linebacker. Richman quotes NFL Films’ Steve Sabol, saying several years before Tom Landry began using the modern 4-3 defense with the Giants, Redskins’ coach Joe Kuharich was running it in Washington, with Drazenovich patrolling the middle. As soon as he took over the new position, the Pro Bowl appearances began.
14: Wilbur Moore (Defensive Back, 1939-1946)
Moore, who was known for having more broken bones than any other player in the league (the number I have read was fifteen distinct broken bone injuries), helped the Redskins to the championship in 1942. In that game, Moore intercepted Bears’ HOF quarterback Sid Luckman, and four plays later, made a leaping TD catch over Luckman and several other Bears to put the Redskins ahead for good.
13: Sean Taylor (Safety, 2004-2007)
It is impossible to rank Taylor. His short professional career ended with his tragic murder in November, 2007. He was just entering his prime, earning first-team All-Pro honors in his final season. A month before his final game, he intercepted Brett Favre twice and forced a fumble, while breaking up four other passes. Shortly after his death, coach Joe Gibbs retired from football for good. His loss continues to be felt both on and off the field.
12: Sam Huff (Linebacker, 1964-1967, 1969)
The first Hall of Famer on this list retired after the 1967 season, but then returned to play a final year for coach Vince Lombardi in 1969. Huff would go on to become a very popular radio announcer for decades after hanging up his cleats. The seasons that won him the reputation as the most violent man in the league and landed him in the Hall of Fame were played predominantly in New York for the Giants. But Huff was still a force, especially in his first couple seasons with the Skins.
11: London Fletcher (Linebacker, 2007-2013)
Fletcher, who never missed a game in his sixteen-year career, made the Pro Bowl as a member of the Redskins four consecutive years and was second-team All-Pro in two of them. He started every single game in his seven years with the Redskins and averaged more than 135 tackles a year, leading the league in 2011. At 5’10”, many considered him undersized, but he played with the heart of a giant.
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10: Ryan Kerrigan (Linebacker, 2011-present)
Kerrigan will most likely be backing up younger players this year as he moves from a 3-4 OLB to an end in the 4-3. It probably would have served him better to have played in a 4-3 his entire career, but that’s not what the defensive scheme called for. So Kerrigan adjusted, playing in four Pro Bowls and collecting 90.0 sacks along the way. Most of the important defensive plays made by the Redskins in the 2010s involve Ryan Kerrigan.
9: Lemar Parrish (Cornerback, 1978-1981)
Most of Parrish’s glory years, when he was both an extraordinary cornerback and kick returner, came in a Bengals uniform. But after taking over for Pat Fischer, Parrish proceeded to be named first-team All-Pro in two of his four seasons in Washington. Tony Peters, who played safety when Parrish was a corner for the Skins, said Parrish was always worried about getting the defensive calls straight, always double and triple checking what the play was. But it didn’t seem to matter. He was always there when it counted.
8: Paul Krause (Safety, 1964-1967)
This was one of the two great ones to get away. Krause would leave the Redskins via trade after just four seasons, then spend another twelve years in Minnesota crafting a Hall of Fame career. But it wasn’t as if he didn’t show up for the Redskins. He led the league in interceptions his rookie year, and was a first-team All-Pro in both 1964 and 1965. Krause was a classic free safety, patrolling the back of the field like a centerfielder and snatching up any loose balls (to the tune of 80 career interceptions) that came into his territory.
7: Wilber Marshall (Linebacker, 1988-1992)
He came from Chicago at a hefty price, and there was always the feeling during Marshall’s time in Washington that they never quite got everything he had to give. But he still was a two-time All-Pro and Defensive POY during his time in Washington. During that 1992 season, he recorded 138 tackles, six sacks, and accounted for five turnovers. Marshall is one of only five players in NFL history with more than 40 sacks and 20 interceptions.
6: Champ Bailey (Cornerback, 1999-2003)
Clinton Portis had a fine career for the Redskins. But the trade that sent Bailey to Denver in exchange for Portis remains among the worst in Redskins history. Despite making the Pro Bowl in four of his five seasons with Washington, the Redskins felt it appropriate to part with one of the best cornerbacks the league had ever seen just as he was entering his prime. His staggering accomplishments in Denver would land him in the Hall of Fame, but his five years in burgundy and gold still make him an all-time Redskins great.
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5: Gene Brito (Defensive End, 1951-1953, 1955-1958)
In 1954, Gene Brito played in Canada, the result of a contract dispute with owner George Preston Marshall. When he returned to Washington, he was a first-team All-Pro four straight years. He had also been selected to the Pro Bowl in 1953, after switching from being a two-way player and focusing entirely on the defensive side of the ball. The Redskins were not very good during Brito’s time in D.C., but he was always a star – one of the most popular players in team history, who was also one of the first to host a television show while still playing. Fans carried him from the field after his final game as a Redskin.
4: Charles Mann (Defensive End, 1983-1993)
For much of his career, Mann was overshadowed by defensive line mates like the flamboyant Dexter Manley and the hulking Dave Butz. But by the time his career was over, Mann had established himself as the best all-around lineman in Redskins’ history. The four-time Pro Bowler and three-time Super Bowl Champion totaled 83 sacks while being equally sturdy against the run. As an NFL Films documentary about the Redskins’ 1991 Super Bowl season declared, “the Redskins had many gifted players, but none were as gifted in as many ways as Charles Mann.”
3: Chris Hanburger (Linebacker, 1965-1978)
Nine Pro Bowls. Five first-team All-Pro seasons. Election to the Hall of Fame. Hanburger played his entire career for the Redskins and it was easy to overlook him. He was undersized and never showed blazing speed or superhuman power. He just tackled people. All the time. Often hitting them with the then-legal clothesline. Hanburger played with barely controlled fury that could extend beyond the field. Veteran sports writer Dick Heller told how Hanburger once locked him in a storage room for fifteen minutes. He didn’t like reporters. He didn’t like opponents. He just made tackles for the Redskins throughout his 187-game career.
2: Ken Houston (Safety, 1973-1980)
It was impossible for me to choose between the top two players on this list. Ken Houston was the greatest safety I ever saw play. Greater than Ronnie Lott. Greater than Ed Reed. Over his 15-year career, he was a first or second-team All-Pro twelve times. He had the speed to cover anyone, and a nose for the ball that resulted in 21 fumble recoveries. His goal-line tackle of the Cowboys’ Walt Garrison in 1973 remains one of the best defensive plays in Redskins’ history, and proved that Houston was as tough as he was athletic. The fact that he played his first six seasons in Houston is the only separation I could find between him and the number one player on this list.
1: Darrell Green (Cornerback, 1983-2002)
If you’ve read this far, I don’t need to tell you anything about Darrell Green. Along with Sammy Baugh and Monte Coleman, he is the only man to wear the burgundy and gold over the course of three decades. A member of the NFL All-Time Team as well as the 1990’s All-Decade team. Multiple All-Pro and Pro Bowl years. One of the fastest players ever and one of the most beloved. When I was doing a list of all-time memorable Redskins’ plays, I was surprised by how many of them Green figured into. As I said at the beginning, the Redskins, not unlike many NFL franchises, have more iconic offensive players than defensive. But however you divvy up Sammy and Sonny, Riggo and Charley and Arthur – Darrell Green is on the Mt. Rushmore.