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Washington Redskins: Top 30 players in franchise history

By Ian Cummings

2 Dec 2001: Darrell Green #28 of the Washington Redskins reacts during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Fed-Ex Field in Landover, Maryland. The Cowboys defeated the Redskins with a final score of 20-14. Digital Image. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Squire/ALLSPORT
2 Dec 2001: Darrell Green #28 of the Washington Redskins reacts during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Fed-Ex Field in Landover, Maryland. The Cowboys defeated the Redskins with a final score of 20-14. Digital Image. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Squire/ALLSPORT /
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John Riggins, Washington Redskins
20 Nov 1983: Running back John Riggins of the Washington Redskins in action against the Los Angeles Rams during a game at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. The Redskins defeated the Rams 42-20. /

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.

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