The 50 greatest Washington Commanders players of all time

The Washington Commanders began life as the Boston Braves in 1932. The NFL was barely a decade old when George Preston Marshall and a couple of partners began operations. There were 10 teams in the league that year.

Half of them are vestiges of a distant past. The other half are still sending teams onto the gridiron every year. Washington is the fifth oldest franchise, behind the Bears, Cardinals, Packers, and Giants.

Approximately 1,500 players have suited up for Washington over the past 92 seasons. Darrell Green played most games at 295. When he took the field against Dallas in the final game of 2023, Jace Whitaker became the latest player to wear a Commanders uniform. They have won five championships and retired four jerseys. Sixteen of its players have been enshrined in Canton. That number goes a lot higher if you include players who made brief career stopovers in D.C.

Marshall brought the team to Washington for the 1937 season, where they have remained. There have been highs - in the 1940s and 1980s, in particular. There have been lows.

Marshall’s refusal to integrate his roster as all other franchises had done by the late 1950s left the club with a major talent void. Dan Snyder’s meddlesome, incompetent ownership (which is putting it charitably) has left the franchise in disarray. New owner Josh Harris hopes to reverse the recent history of woe.

That’s for the present and the future. Most of what we write will look forward. But today we are taking a look back. A long and comprehensive look back, to choose the 50 greatest players in Washington franchise history.

Criteria for ranking

Leading up to this ranking, we published a series of positional rankings. Those pieces, which were written by different people on the Riggo’s Rag team, considered a variety of factors.

Individual stats and achievements such as Pro Bowl selections and league records were at the top of the list. But we also considered longevity, We took into account what impact the player had on the franchise. Did he help lead the team to championships? Did he have any iconic plays that live in the hearts of fans?

Granted, this is an inexact science. It’s difficult enough to compare a couple of receivers who played in different eras and might have radically different stat lines as a result. But how would you compare those receivers to offensive linemen who have few stats to even consider? And how do you rank players from the earliest days, when there is a dearth of stats and of filmed footage to watch?

I can go back to the late 1960s. I’ve been going to games since then. And I have relatives who can go back even further. I also have read a lot of the accounts of games from those earliest years. Nothing beats first-hand observation, but we make do with what we have. In other words, though I will try to avoid a recency bias, I may not be able to in all cases.

And, for sharp readers, you may notice some discrepancies between this list and our positional rankings. That’s easy to explain if I didn’t write a particular positional ranking article. I may simply see it differently than the original writer. But I noticed as I sat down to this that in a few rare cases, I was shifting rankings on lists I had written.

That’s harder to explain, but it has something to do with the fact that considering the best offensive linemen (a positional ranking that I did not write) might be slightly different from considering the best Washington player who happened to play offensive line. It’s a fine point, I admit, but it may come up once or twice.

Anyway, enough of the disclaimers. On to the list.

The 50 greatest players in Washington Commanders franchise history

50. Mike Bass - CB

Mike Bass was the 314th player selected in the 1967 draft. After a couple of seasons on the Detroit Lions taxi squad - essentially an earlier version of the practice squad - he came to Washington in 1969. When veteran coach George Allen took control of the team in 1971, the cornerback was one of the only young players he trusted to start for him on defense.

Bass rewarded that trust by starting every game over a seven-year stint in Washington. His speed and length made him a lockdown corner before the phrase even existed. He was chosen second-team All-Pro after the 1974 season, and probably deserved similar honors in 1971 when he snagged a career-high eight interceptions.

He is most famous in franchise lore for his play in Super Bowl VII against the undefeated Miami team. The Dolphins led 14-0 in the fourth quarter and kicker Garo Yepremian was on the field to try a 42-yard field goal. Bill Brundige blocked the attempt and the kicker awkwardly attempted to throw the ball downfield. It bounced straight up and came down in the arms of Bass, who raced 49 yards to the end zone.

The play accounted for Washington’s only points in the 14-7 loss.

49. Mike Nelms - S/KR

Washington prided itself on its special teams beginning in the George Allen era. They were among the first teams to have a dedicated special teams coach. Those 1970s teams were filled with wild and exciting special teamers like punt blocker extraordinaire Bill Malinchak, wedge-busting maniac Rusty Tillman, and lightning-fast kickoff returner Herb Mul-Key.

Mike Nelms carried on that tradition in the early 1980s. Though nominally a safety, the player was on the team because he was the most devastating punt returner in the league.

Unlike speedy return men like Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, who dazzled defenders with his quick moves, Nelms had nothing of the such. He caught the ball and ran forward. At times, it looked like he sought out contact with defenses. He would never run around an opponent if he could run through him.

Until his final season, Nelms never called a fair catch. He was credited with a couple, but that was only because he was interfered with during the play. During his final season, some seem to recall him doing it, but I can’t verify that. It’s kind of the stuff of legends.

At the very least, Nelms fielded over 200 punts during his NFL career and at most, called for a fair catch two or three times. The fans adored his toughness. The rest of the league admired him enough to make him an All-Pro in four of his five seasons.

48. Pat Fischer - CB

Pat Fischer holds a special place in the hearts of older Washington fans. He played opposite Mike Bass for most of George Allen’s tenure as head coach.

Bass was on the right and Fischer on the left. But he was much older, having played seven seasons in St. Louis before coming to town. Once he arrived, he was a fixture, starting every game for seven consecutive seasons.

Fischer was listed at 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, but he was as tough and scrappy as they come. Fischer perfected invisible holds where he would slow an opposing receiver down without being caught by the referee. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 1969 and had an equally outstanding year in 1971.

The defensive back was a great tackler who used his small size to take out opposing ball carriers' legs. He was also famous for his battles against the Eagles' towering receiver Harold Carmichael.

Carmichael, who stood 6-foot-7, was one of the league’s top receivers during the 1970s, but Fischer always gave him a battle. In 1978, the year after he retired, the formidable pass-catcher acknowledged that Fischer was among the toughest cornerbacks he ever faced.

47. Sean Taylor - S

It is virtually impossible to rank Sean Taylor on this kind of list. His talent could have made him one of the greatest players in franchise history. We will never know because he was murdered in the middle of his fourth year in the league. He remains a somber reminder that our invincible sports heroes are nothing more than men and women with the talent and drive to succeed at the highest echelons of competition.

Taylor hit the league hard in his rookie season. Literally. His speed and strength made him a feared presence at the back end of the defense. He played a little bit out of control in his first two years. By the dawn of his third season, the ferocious safety had matured into one the best defensive players in the league.

He could do it all. Run support. Blitzing. Interceptions. But he was at his best patrolling the deep middle, making sure no opposing offenses could take deep shots. Taylor either broke up the pass or broke the intended receiver with a jarring hit.

Taylor made his first Pro Bowl in that third season, and then made it again, posthumously, after the 2007 campaign. He was also chosen second-team All-Pro despite only playing in nine of 16 games. His tragic death inspired his teammates to mount an unlikely late-season charge into the playoffs. And his No. 21 jersey is one of just one of four officially retired numbers in franchise history.

46. Sam Huff - LB

Sam Huff is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was among the game’s greatest defensive players as the NFL grew into the dominant sports league in the USA. He became a beloved figure in Washington franchise history due to his long run as a radio broadcaster. So why isn’t he higher on this list?

Huff’s glory years as a player came with the New York Giants between 1956 and 1963. That’s when he was a perennial All-Pro and Pro Bowler. That’s when CBS aired a half-hour documentary called The Violent World of Sam Huff which helped football surge past baseball in the public consciousness.

By the time he came to Washington, Huff was 30 years old and beginning to slow down.

However, he still performed at a high level. He made the Pro Bowl in his first season with his new club. Huff could still make plenty of plays. Even more importantly, he brought a winning mentality to a team that had been mired in losing.

Huff helped change the culture in Washington. The most famous story sums up his complex role perfectly.

In 1966, Huff called a timeout at the end of a game against the hapless Giants and sent the kicker on for a field goal. Huff did this. Not the coach.

He wanted revenge on Allie Sherman, the coach who had traded him three years before. The meaningless field goal made the final made the final score 72-41. Washington won, and Huff taught his teammates a lesson about payback. But his defense had still surrendered 41 points to a 1-8-1 team.

45. Ken Harvey - OLB

Ken Harvey was one of the bright spots on a team that struggled in the aftermath of Joe Gibbs’ first retirement. He came to Washington after six seasons in Phoenix and immediately had one of the best seasons a defender had ever managed in D.C.

An impressive 13.5 sacks. Four forced fumbles, Almost 100 tackles. He did it all. Harvey was rewarded with second-team All-Pro honors and his first trip to the Pro Bowl.

He would go back to the Pro Bowl the next three seasons and receive one more All-Pro nod, making him one of the franchise’s most decorated defensive players despite his relatively short stint with the club. Harvey still ranks fifth on the club’s all-time sack list, despite playing at least 50 fewer games than the four men ranked ahead of him.

Had Harvey played longer, there’s no telling what he might have achieved. During his final injury-free season in 1997, the 32-year-old had four sacks in one game against the Giants. He retired a year later, but maintained involvement with the franchise, serving as the president of the Alumni Association.

44. Chris Cooley - TE

Chris Cooley was among the most beloved Washington players through the troubled years of Dan Snyder’s ownership. He played with abandon, running all over the field, and making big plays at big moments.

Cooley took over as the team’s starting tight end in his second season. Over six years - excluding one season which was cut short by injury - he averaged better than 70 catches per season, leading the club in catches for three straight campaigns.

He cemented his place with fans early on in a 2005 late-season game against the Cowboys. He hauled in three first-half touchdown passes from Mark Brunell en route to a 35-7 shellacking of the arch-rivals. It was in the middle of a five-game win streak that put Washington into the playoffs - and helped keep Dallas out.

Cooley's rough-and-tumble style of play left him banged up quite a bit and he retired after turning 30 years old. Three of his final four seasons were negligible. But his five fully healthy seasons as Washington’s starting tight end amount to the best short stretch anyone at the spot has managed in franchise history.

43. Hugh Taylor - End

DeSean Jackson is one of the greatest deep threats in NFL history. Amongst players with at least 1,000 receiving yards, he ranks second in franchise history with a remarkable 19.0 yards-per-catch. The only man ahead of him is Hugh “Bones” Taylor.

Taylor joined the club toward the end of legendary quarterback Sammy Baugh’s career. Washington was still a decent team, but a long slow downward trajectory was beginning. That may have kept him from getting the recognition his on-field play deserved.

The player was a constant threat downfield. He led the league in yards-per-catch in 1950 when he caught 39 balls at 21.4 yards-per. He surpassed that figure a few seasons later. In an era when teams did not throw with the efficiency that we see today, Taylor caught at least 35 balls in five of his eight seasons. In addition to a career average of 19.2 per catch.

Taylor ranks in the top 10 on the franchise’s total receiving yards list, the only player before 1960 in that group. Terry McLaurin is the only receiver in franchise history to have more yards in fewer games. And he made those catches count. His 58 career touchdowns are tied with Gary Clark for fourth place in team history.

42. Clinton Portis - RB

In 2003, Trung Candidate led Washington in rushing with just 600 yards. Joe Gibbs took over as head coach after the season and set about correcting that.

He dealt away disgruntled cornerback Champ Bailey for a dynamic young running back who had just finished his second season in Denver. Clinton Portis arrived with great fanfare, and over the next five seasons, he produced four of the most productive rushing seasons in franchise history.

Portis only made the Pro Bowl once while in D.C., but he probably should have had at least one more selection. His 1,516 yards in 2005 were the most in team history upon his retirement, and still ranks second on the franchise’s all-time list. After an injury limited him to about half a season in 2006, he returned for two more fine years in 2007 and 2008.

You could easily make the case that a player with Portis’ resume deserves to be higher on this list. The only reason he isn’t is that at least some of that remarkable production was system-based. Look at the year his replacement, Ladell Betts, had in 2006 for evidence.

Portis, though always a tough runner, stopped being a dangerous runner after 2005. He had lost a step and was no longer the breakaway threat he had been. That said, he did other things that endeared him to the fanbase.

He was an exuberant character off the field. More importantly, he was a ferocious competitor, regardless of his injuries. I have never seen a star running back who reveled in picking up a blitzing linebacker the way Portis did. Even when he began trending down toward the end, he was a complete player.

41. Terry McLaurin - WR

Terry McLaurin is the only active player on this list. Given the team’s dismal recent history, that is not surprising.

Through some tough seasons, with a rotating collection of mediocre quarterbacks and less-than-inspired offensive schemes, McLaurin has remained the one bright spot. He never complains. He simply produces.

McLaurin has been a model of consistency. He has started every game for the last three seasons. After his rookie year, he has hauled in between 77 and 87 catches in four consecutive campaigns. He has gone over 1,000 receiving yards in each of those.

It is easy to overvalue current passing and receiving numbers because the NFL has rewritten the rules to encourage more passing. Even allowing for that, McLaurin's consistency makes him one of the best in franchise history.

My favorite McLaurin moment - the play that sums up his value to the Washington Commanders - doesn’t even involve a catch. On Thanksgiving Day in 2020, he chased down Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith on what looked like to be a certain touchdown following an interception. McLaurin tackled Smith before he reached the end zone, and they went on to break open a close game.

That hustle play was one of the reasons the Commanders went to the playoffs that year - the last time they have done so.

40. Joe Theismann - QB

Joe Theismann played his entire 12-year NFL career in Washington. Owing to some odd quirks, he was only the starting quarterback for eight of those years, and two others were cut short by injury and a labor dispute. So even though he was around forever, he didn’t have all that much time to leave his mark.

George Allen only begrudgingly turned to him after veterans Billy Kilmer and Sunny Jurgensen grew too old to be viable. Theismann showed flashes of talent in the late 1970s, but it wasn’t until Joe Gibbs arrived that he began to flourish.

For several years in the early 1980s, Theismann piloted one of the best offenses in the league. They could run or pass with equal precision, and when a play broke down, the athletic signal-caller had a remarkable ability to escape the rush and make something out of nothing. It all culminated when he quarterbacked Washington to its first Super Bowl championship after the 1982 season.

Theismann’s next year was even better. He quarterbacked a juggernaut and won NFL MVP. But Washington fell apart in the Super Bowl that season, which signaled the beginning of the end.

He had spent several years in Canada before coming to the NFL, so he was already 35 years old at the dawn of the 1984 season. Theismann played fairly well but did not seem as dynamic. If you were a fan back then, you remember how it all ended at the feet of Lawrence Taylor in 1985. It was a sad way for a great Washington career to end.

39. Jeff Bostic - C

Jeff Bostic was the one snapping the ball to Joe Theismann in the glory days of the early 1980s. He also snapped the ball to Doug Williams and Mark Rypien in Washington’s other two Super Bowl wins. The center spent his entire 14-year career in D.C., starting 149 regular season contests, and an additional 18 playoff games.

Bostic came to the club as an undrafted free agent in 1980. He was initially slotted to be the long snapper. George Starke was already on the roster. Russ Grimm, Mark May, and Joe Jacoby would be arriving soon. They were the original Hogs - the offensive line that gave Washington its identity in the 1980s. Bostic took over as the starting center in his second season and remained there well into the next decade.

He was a leader on the team, a good talker, and an even tougher player. And one other seemingly small thing made him special. Bostic had come to the team as a long snapper, and even after he took over as the team’s regular center, he continued to snap on punts and field goals.

On Mark Moseley's famous 42-yarder in the snow against the Giants in 1982 - with the playoffs at stake - it was not some long snapper specialist, but Bostic who fired a perfect snap back to Theismann, to set up the kick. When old-timers talk about the way it used to be, that’s just one very small example.

38. Don Warren - TE

Donnie Warren may have been the greatest blocking tight end of all time. He was one of the original Hogs - the legendary group made up almost entirely of offensive linemen. Over the years, “honorary” members were included. There was nothing “honorary” about his status.

Warren came to Washington in the fourth round of the 1979 draft. Due to the trades that George Allen had made earlier in the decade, the club only had five picks. He was the highest.

Highly productive linebackers Rich Milot and Monte Coleman would come in later rounds. Though he had at least 26 catches and 300 yards in each of his first four seasons, by the time Joe Gibbs had settled on his offense, Warren’s pass-catching dwindled. Over his final nine seasons, he would never catch more than 20 balls or gain more than 200 yards in a season. But he remained a fixture.

When Washington ran its vaunted country trey, Warren was just as essential as Pro Football Hall of Famer Russ Grimm and should-be Hall of Famer Joe Jacoby in plowing down opposing defenders. He could line up in the backfield or on the line. He could go in motion. He could even make a big catch at a key moment, though he would rarely gain any yards after securing the receptions. It didn’t matter because he usually had just enough for the first down.

Warren evolved into a lineman in a tight end’s body who could move like the latter and block like the former. To the general public, he was one of the forgotten men on some great teams. Fans never forget.

37. Monte Coleman - LB

Monte Coleman was chosen in the 11th round of the 1979 draft. He was the 289th player selected. When he finished his career in 1994, he was a three-time Super Bowl champion who had 215 NFL games on his resume - all of them for Washington.

Excluding long-time Raiders tackle Bruce Davis, Coleman played more games in the NFL than every other player chosen in the 1979 11th round - combined. Even Davis came up more than 50 games short of his mark.

Coleman didn’t start a lot of games for Washington. But he finished them. On defense, his length and speed made him a top-flight cover linebacker. He was fast enough to stay with running backs and strong enough to handle tight ends. His position coach Larry Peccatiello called him the best cover linebacker he'd ever seen.

The second-level presence could also rush the passer and operate as a force on special teams. Essentially, Coleman did whatever needed to be done on defense. He ranks seventh all-time in franchise history in fumble recoveries, sixth in sacks, and second only to Darrell Green in tackles. Not bad for an 11th-round draft pick.

36. Wilber Marshall - LB

Wilber Marshall is the flip side of Monte Coleman. Whereas Coleman was a steady presence over a long period, the mercurial Marshall dominated for most of his five years in Washington. He arrived as a major free agent acquisition after starring on the spectacular Chicago Bears “46” defense that won the Super Bowl in the 1985 season.

It took coaches a little while to figure out how to best utilize his all-over-field skills. He dropped into coverage a little more than fans expected early on. He would eventually be turned loose to chase down opposing quarterbacks. By the time he reached his final two years in Washington, Marshall was doing it all.

In 1992, he was selected as a first-team All-Pro, and finished third in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting, behind Cortez Kennedy and Junior Seau.

During his five seasons in Washington, Marshall averaged five sacks and 125 tackles per season. He also recorded 12 interceptions and forced 13 fumbles. He started seven playoff games in just five seasons and had four sacks during Washington’s final march to the championship in the 1991 playoffs.

35. Mark May - OL

Mark May was selected in the first round of the 1981 NFL Draft. Two rounds later, general manager Bobby Beathard took his college teammate Russ Grimm. After the draft, Beathard signed Joe Jacoby. Fans didn’t realize it at the time, but the Hogs were being born.

Given his draft status, May was seen as the best of the lot. It did not develop that way but he nonetheless was a crucial part of the Hogs' success. He could play either tackle or guard equally well. Though he usually lined up on the right, he could shift left when needed.

May was an eloquent speaker, with a deep resonant voice that made him a successful commentator for many years after his retirement. But don’t let that sophisticated voice fool you. He was as tough and feisty as they come.

He and Jeff Bostic often would recount the story of how they laughed at Cowboys’ Hall of Fame defensive tackle Randy White as they ran nine consecutive plays right over him. They would take turns telling White what play was coming before blowing him off the line. Another teammate, Ken Huff, recalls May yelling at him for chatting with some Cowboys players before the game.

May only made one Pro Bowl, but that is mostly because he was overshadowed by the likes of Grimm and Jacoby. He played the game hard, and throughout Washington’s golden era, he played it very well.

34. Diron Talbert - DT

When George Allen came to Washington as head coach in 1971, he brought a whole lot of his former Los Angeles Rams along with him. None was more important than Diron Talbert. Unlike most of the Ramskins, he was only 27 years old - just entering his prime.

Between 1971 and 1977, when Washington was a perennial playoff team, Talbert missed just one start. He went three consecutive seasons recording double-digit sacks, and his 65.5 career sacks rank fourth in franchise history, and first for a defensive tackle.

Talbert was a great player. But what made him especially beloved to Washington fans was his unabashed hatred of the Cowboys.

Talbert, who grew up in Texas, and whose brother had once played for Cowboys' coach Tom Landry, never missed an opportunity to pour gasoline on the rivalry, and gloat after victories. His rivalry with Roger Staubach, which existed both on and off the field, was legendary.

33. Mark Moseley - K

There was nothing in Mark Moseley’s brief resume that suggested he would become the greatest kicker in franchise history when he arrived for the 1974 season. He replaced long-time fixture Curt Knight after a couple of seasons with the Eagles and Oilers. His first season in Washington could have been his last. He was mediocre. But George Allen stuck with him, and he grew into one of the league’s most reliable in time.

He was the last of the notable straight-on-toe kickers, and by current league standards, his range was limited. But when the game was on the line, Moseley was money.

Moseley made kicks in the ice and snow. He made kicks with trips to the playoffs on the line. During the magical 1982, the consistent performer was so integral to the team’s success that he was named NFL MVP - the only time that award has gone to a kicker.

He kicked in nine playoff games for Washington, including the team’s first Super Bowl win. Moseley retired as the team’s all-time leading scorer, and no one has come close to threatening his mark of 1,206 career points. It’s unlikely anyone ever will.

32. Brian Mitchell - RB/KR

It can be difficult to judge Brian Mitchell’s value to Washington football. Technically, he started fewer games than the barely-here guard Andrew Norwell. Mitchell had been a college quarterback and was supposedly drafted as a running back in 1990. But he would soon make his mark on special teams.

Mitchell was among the league's premier punt returners during the 1990s. He was a three-time All-Pro selection in that capacity. But he was far more than just a return man. He was the heart and soul of the entire special teams unit.

He returned kickoffs. He blocked for the punter. He covered kicks. He played with an intensity that defined the quality of a special teams player. When he did get a chance to run the ball, Mitchell showed that he could have been a quality back had the opportunity presented itself.

Over his 10 seasons in Washington, he gained more than 1,700 yards, at an outstanding five yards-per-carry. Mitchell also caught more than 200 passes for over 2,000 receiving yards.

Mitchell played in 159 games for Washington, and if you throw in a few seasons at the end for the Eagles and Giants, he finished his career ranked second to the legendary Jerry Rice in total yards in league history. For Washington, he is first in total punt returns and first in punt return average. His seven returns-for-touchdown are more than double anyone else in franchise history.

If the Pro Football Hall of Fame treated special teams players the way they treat offensive and defensive players, Mitchell would already be in Canton.

31. Santana Moss - WR

When Washington swapped receivers with the Jets - Laveranues Coles for Santana Moss - before the 2005 season, it left a lot of fans questioning the rationale. Coles had been a very productive receiver in his short time in Washington, clearly posting better numbers than Moss had in New York. But Joe Gibbs wanted a deep threat, and the speedy wideout could certainly get downfield. He also returned punts.

He didn’t end up returning many punts for Washington, but he did blossom into one of the best receivers in team history. His first year for his new team was the best of his career, catching 84 balls for almost 1,500 yards and nine touchdowns. Moss immediately announced his presence with a spectacular fourth quarter against the Cowboys on a Monday night game early in the 2005 season.

Washington’s offense was anemic, and they trailed 13-0 with about four minutes to go. That’s when Moss introduced himself to fans. He caught touchdown passes of 39 and 70 yards from Mark Brunell to seal an unlikely 14-13 win.

Moss would have five more excellent seasons in Washington before moving into a reduced role as an occasional slot receiver over his final few years. His 581 catches rank third in franchise history. He is fourth in receiving yards and seventh in touchdown catches.

30. Paul Krause - S

Paul Krause was chosen in the second round of the 1964 NFL Draft. In the first round that year, Washington had taken Charley Taylor. He won the Rookie of the Year award. Krause finished second.

Krause’s 12 interceptions during his rookie season is the third-most ever recorded by a first-year player. Washington’s Dick Sandifer is second on that list with 13. For his efforts, he was named to the Pro Bowl and a first-team All-Pro. He repeated those honors in his sophomore season. For his career in D.C., he averaged more than an interception every other game – 28 in all over four seasons and 54 games.

He was a classic deep safety, tall and rangy, patrolling the deep middle and making opposing quarterbacks think twice about testing the defense with deep balls. But coach Otto Graham considered him a weak tackler and so dealt the emerging star to Minnesota after the 1967 season.

The trade enraged defensive captain Sam Huff, who famously said he would make all the tackles just as long as Krause could play behind him preventing the bomb. Washington got little in return.

Krause went on to play 12 more years for the Vikings, snagging 53 more interceptions, and winding up in the Hall of Fame. He was Champ Bailey a few decades before his time in Washington.

29. Jerry Smith - TE

Washington only had a handful of picks in the early rounds of the 1965 draft. But they struck gold in the ninth round. Jerry Smith, a fast skinny tight end who had only played two seasons of college ball at Arizona State, had a knack for getting open in the middle of the field. And he had an amazing ability to get into the end zone.

The position was relatively new when Smith began playing for Washington, and he quickly became one of the most dangerous receiving tight ends in the league. His 60 touchdowns stood as a positional record for many years after he retired in 1977. Smith made two Pro Bowls and was named both first and second-team All-Pro within his first five years in the league.

He should have had that honor at least one or two more times. But Smith was often overshadowed by players on his team like Charley Taylor and Bobby Mitchell.

When Goerge Allen took over in the early 1970s, the offense leaned much more heavily on the run game. Smith's production tailed off from that point, though he was still able to make big plays into his early 30s. In 1974, coming off some nagging injuries and now past 30 years old, he had one of his better seasons, catching 44 balls for more than 500 yards and three touchdowns.

Smith would have scored Washington’s first-ever Super Bowl touchdown if Billy Kilmer’s pass in Super Bowl VII hadn’t hit the goal post crossbar. Goal posts were positioned on the goal line in 1972 and not in their current location at the back of the end zone.

28. Jim Lachey - OT

Washington has had some of the greatest left tackles the game has ever seen. For three years, from 1989-1991, Jim Lachey was arguably the best of them all.

Washington acquired Lachey on the opening day of the 1988 season. They dealt disgruntled quarterback Jay Schroeder to the Raiders for the 24-year-old Pro Bowler. That campaign was a disappointment for all concerned, but the team began responding the following year, aided in no small measure by his All-Pro performance at left tackle. He would continue that dominant play for the next two seasons, culminating in Washington’s final Super Bowl championship at the end of the 1991 season.

Joe Jacoby and Jeff Bostic remained from the Hogs, but younger players like Lachey, Mark Schlereth, and Raleigh McKenzie were beginning to transition into key roles. Had the edge protector been able to stay healthy, the new Hogs might have carried on the tradition of dominant lines. But he began dealing with knee injuries which limited him to just 26 games over his final four seasons in the league.

27. Champ Bailey - CB

Champ Bailey only played five seasons for Washington. He made the Pro Bowl in all but one of those and is arguably the second-best cornerback in franchise history. The shutdown presence arrived as Darrell Green was nearing the end of his extraordinary career and briefly appeared to be an excellent successor as the team’s top shutdown cornerback.

In his first season, Bailey’s one vote for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year prevented Tennessee’s Jevon Kearse from winning the award unanimously. In his second season, he was voted second-team All-Pro. Over his five seasons, he started every game - 80 in all - and accounted for 18 interceptions and five fumble recoveries.

His interception total no doubt would have been higher. But early on, opposing teams simply stopped throwing at his side of the field. Bailey also averaged more than 65 tackles per season over that time.

When it came time to renew his contract, Bailey wanted to be paid like the best cornerback in the league. New coach Joe Gibbs wanted a running back. He used him as the trade bait that brought Clinton Portis to Washington. He went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Broncos, being selected first or second-team All-Pro in five of his 10 seasons, and going to eight more Pro Bowls.

26. Dexter Manley - DE

Dexter Manley is Washington’s greatest all-time pass rusher. He is first on the franchise's sack list, though that is not always an accurate gauge. The NFL didn’t make sacks an official stat until his second season. If you only go by official league records, he is second to Ryan Kerrigan.

But the six sacks he recorded in his first year are well documented, which moves just ahead of Kerrigan. And except for shorter-tenured edge rushers like Ken Harvey and Brian Orakpo, no one in franchise history approaches Manley’s number - 97 sacks in 125 games - better than two sacks every three games.

Manley came in the outstanding 1981 draft class which would boast seven selections who would play in Washington’s first Super Bowl victory the following year. The fifth-rounder made an instant impression as a terror on kick coverage. He was bigger and faster than almost anyone else playing special teams at the time. Soon, that elite athleticism earned him a starting spot along the defensive line.

He was outspoken and soon became a fan favorite. The other three members of that sensational front four - two of whom we will be getting to later on this list - allowed Manley to focus on what he did best. This was chasing down opposing quarterbacks.

Like Diron Talbert before him, Manley was a native Texan who seemed to save his best efforts for the Cowboys. That was never more evident than in the NFC Championship game in January 1983.

Manley, who had predicted victory before the game, knocked out quarterback Danny White in the first half. Then, with Dallas trying to mount a fourth-quarter comeback, deflected backup Gary Hogeboom’s pass into the arms of teammate Darryl Grant which sent him into the end zone and the team onto its second Super Bowl.

25. Chris Samuels - OT

In the history of outstanding left tackles who have played for Washington, it is easy to overlook Chris Samuels. He was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, chosen right after the team took linebacker Lavar Arrington with the second pick. The blindside protector moved immediately into the starting lineup and started 141 games for the team over the next decade. He started 124 out of a possible 128 contests between 2000 and 2007.

Paired with bookend right tackle Jon Jansen, Samuels provided stability as the franchise moved from coach to coach and system to system. When franchise legend Joe Bugel - coach of the original Hogs - returned to the team along with Joe Gibbs a few years into his career, he compared him favorably to greats from Washington’s past, especially Jim Lachey.

Samuels was selected to the Pro Bowl in his second and third seasons, and then again each year between 2005 and 2008. He emerged as one of the most respected team leaders during some turbulent years.

24. Wayne Millner - DE

In 1937, the franchise’s first season in D.C., Wayne Millner caught nine passes for 179 receiving yards in the championship game against the Chicago Bears. He scored on a 55-yard screen pass and a 78-yard seam route. Washington won its first championship.

Millner joined the club as an eighth-round draft pick in 1936 when they were still in Boston. A year later, they added Sammy Baugh to the squad and he would begin breaking every passing record in the league.

His favorite big-play target was Millner. He was also noted for his blocking and his defensive play as well. As an end on defense, he was a fearsome tackler.

Millner entered the US Navy in 1942 and served for three years during World War II. He was 28 years old at the time, just entering his prime. Had he played uninterrupted for those next three seasons, he no doubt would have posted far more impressive career numbers.

He returned for a final season in 1945, helping Washinton return to the championship game - one of the more frustrating games in franchise history. But that’s a story for another time. Millner was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968.

23. Trent Williams - OT

Trent Williams is a highly divisive figure in recent Washington football history. Many fans consider him a turncoat who forced his way out of town, causing the team to settle for pennies on the dollar in return. Others are more sympathetic, seeing him as just one more in a long line of the best talent that was done in by horrendous mismanagement.

I’ll leave that discussion alone. For the nine seasons that he was here, Williams was the best player on the team. After the left tackle retires, he will become the 13th Pro Football Hall of Fame player to have spent the majority of his career in Washington.

Williams took over from Chris Samuels at left tackle and was a force from his rookie season. He started 119 games and made the Pro Bowl every season from his third year on - seven in a row while in D.C. He combined the raw power of Joe Jacoby with the athleticism of Samuels. He was probably the best athlete on the team in each of his nine seasons.

Back in 2014, CBS News writer Kevin Ross referred to Williams as “Godzilla” on the field, noting that 73 percent of the team’s elite rushing attack went behind him. In the same article, he ran through a laundry list of the league’s best pass rushers, none of whom recorded a sack when playing against him.

Williams sat out the 2019 season in a bitter dispute over how the team managed his head injury. His refusal to play forced Washington to trade him for third and fifth-round draft picks. Returning to football in 2020, at the age of 32, he is recognized as the best left tackle in the game, earning first-team All-Pro status and helping San Francisco to repeat deep runs in the playoffs.

In case you’re wondering, Washington added Benjamin St-Juste and Keith Ismael with the picks obtained in the Williams deal.

22. Brig Owens - S

The careers of Trent Williams and Brig Owens are about as different as different can be.

Owens was never considered among the best players in the league. He never earned any league-wide accolades despite starting at safety for nine seasons. But he was among the most respected players both in his locker room and across the entire league.

He was a very good strong safety. Owens was not an especially big or fast player, but he hit hard and he used his exceptional football IQ to always be in the right place at the right time.

Early on, he played alongside Paul Krause. In the second half of his career, he played with Ken Houston. That’s two Hall of Fame free safeties who were allowed to genuinely play freely because of how steady Owens was.

George Allen, who valued veteran defensive leadership above all else, made Owens his defensive team captain. He continued that leadership after his playing days were over. He went to law school at night while playing in the NFL, and took major roles in the NFL Players Union upon retirement.

Owens’ roommate and best friend on the team was tight end Jerry Smith, who lived in fear of his homosexuality becoming public and died of AIDS-related illness in 1986. The safety visited him nearly every day in the hospital.

21. Ryan Kerrigan - DE/OLB

What Trent Williams was to the offense in the 2010s, Ryan Kerrigan was to the defense. He was the best player on some bad teams. Through multiple defensive coordinators and schemes that asked him to take on different responsibilities, the pass-rusher continued to produce at a consistently high level.

Coming out of Purdue as a highly decorated defensive end, Kerrigan was shifted to 3-4 outside linebacker in his second season. It took him a little while to get comfortable in his new role, which required occasionally dropping into coverage. Once he did, he was one of the best edge defenders in the league.

Kerrigan averaged more than 10 sacks per season during his first eight years in the league, including back-to-back 13-sack campaigns in 2017-2018, when he received the last of his four Pro Bowl nods. He also averaged 13.5 tackles-for-loss over that time.

Upon retiring, Kerrigan returned to Washington as a defensive coach. This season, he will serve as an assistant linebackers coach with special emphasis on developing a new generation of pass rushers.

20. London Fletcher - LB

London Fletcher played the last seven seasons of his 16-year NFL career in Washington. He started every single game during that tenure - 112 games in all - and never recorded fewer than 111 tackles. That came in his final season when he was 38 years old.

Tossing out that season, Fletcher averaged 140 tackles over six consecutive seasons. His 166 tackles led the league in 2011.

Fletcher did more than just tackle. He snared 12 interceptions, forced nine fumbles, and had 11.5 sacks during his time in D.C. Those numbers may not be very impressive, but when you consider that his primary responsibility was to stand in the middle of the field and tackle any ball carrier that came near, it demonstrates just how versatile a player he was.

He was also one of the most respected team leaders during the turbulent Dan Snyder era. He was a perennial team captain for Washington and had a remarkable ability to remain upbeat during some difficult seasons.

For his career, Fletcher is second only to Ray Lewis in total tackles. He should probably be in the Hall of Fame, but some argue he merely accumulated such gaudy numbers by playing as long as he did. As if playing at a very high level for an extended period is not a tremendous achievement in itself.

Fletcher was recognized as an elite player during his time in Washington. He made four straight Pro Bowls and was selected as second-team All-Pro twice when he was 36 and 37 years old.

19. Gary Clark - WR

Gary Clark was one of the least likely Washington superstars. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound wide receiver came out of Division 1-AA James Madison and played in the fledgling USFL one season before player personnel wizard Bobby Beathard chose him in the second round of the special one-time USFL dispersal draft in 1984.

That draft brought future Hall of Famers Reggie White, Steve Young, and Gary Zimmerman to the NFL, but they were all selected at the very top of the first round. Clark was the only non-kick returner chosen after the first round to ever make a Pro Bowl. He made four of them as a wide receiver. Washington’s third-round pick in that draft, Clarence Verdin, also made the Pro Bowl as a kick returner.

Clark paired with Art Monk and Ricky Sanders to give Joe Gibbs’ Washington teams a lethal receiving corps. Monk was the reliable possession receiver. Sanders was a deep threat. And Clark could do it all. His spin move was feared by cornerbacks across the league. He could turn a quick seven-yard out into a 30-yard gain in the blink of an eye.

For a smaller player, Clark was as tough as they come. Each week, he would take massive hits over the middle and bounce right back to his feet, endearing him to fans. His 549 catches rank him fourth in franchise history, and his average of 4.5 catches per game is highest among players with at least 100 games. Pierre Garcon and Terry McLaurin are ahead of him with under 100 games.

He averaged 15.9 yards per catch and scored 58 touchdowns, with another 56 catches and six touchdowns coming in the playoffs.

18. Dave Butz - DT

Dave Butz was among the most iconic players in franchise history. The mammoth defensive tackle anchored Washington’s defenses for 14 seasons, including the first two Super Bowl wins. He is one of just four players with more than 200 games in franchise history.

George Allen snatched Butz away from the St. Louis Cardinals after his second season in the league and inserted him into the middle of his veteran defense. He backed up Bill Brundige for one season before taking over the left defensive tackle spot in 1976. He would hold onto that spot for 13 straight seasons.

In 1978, when Allen’s defensive starters average age was 33, Butz was a kid at 28. Ten years later, when the average age of the defensive starters had dropped to 28, he was the grand old man at 38 years old. It didn’t seem to matter. Butz simply stopped runs up the middle and collapsed the pocket on passing down year after year.

Tackle stats were not maintained during most of Butz’s career. He finished with 59 sacks, fifth in franchise history and second to Diron Talbert amongst defensive tackles. He started in Washington’s first two Super Bowl victories. His battered helmet was an iconic symbol of the team and the sport in an era concerning head injuries and CTE influenced the league to de-emphasize such images.

17. Cliff Battles - RB

Cliff Battles was an inaugural member of the Boston Braves when they joined the league in 1932. He led the league in rushing that year. Six years later, during the franchise’s first season in Washington, he repeated that feat as an integral part of their first championship team. He played in the famous backfield alongside Riley Smith, Don Irwin, and the legendary Sammy Baugh.

Battles accounted for more than 4,000 combined yards and 31 touchdowns during his six-year career. He was a bruising runner with the speed to break long runs when he got the chance. Along with Baugh’s passing. his spectacular runs helped introduce the franchise to its rabid Washington fans in 1937. In one game against New York, he broke off two touchdown runs of more than 70 yards.

That would be his final season of professional football. Battles was just 27 years old and arguably the best running back in the league, but the notoriously miserly owner George Preston Marshall refused his request for a raise and he retired from the game.

He got more money to coach at Columbia University. Battles served in the Marines during World War II and went on to a successful business career. In 1968, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

16. Gene Brito - DE

Gene Brito was the best defensive player on some pretty bad Washington teams throughout the 1950s. He played in a total of 84 games and made the Pro Bowl in each of his last five seasons with the organization. He missed the 1954 season due to a contract dispute which saw several players jump to a rival league.

Brito began as a two-way player, playing on offense in his first several seasons. As rosters expanded and players became more specialized, he blossomed once he began playing strictly on the defensive side of the ball. His outstanding speed allowed him to run down opposing backs and quarterbacks.

Brito’s return to the team in 1955 helped trigger a resurgence amid a long downward spiral. Their 8-4 record that year was an oasis. They hadn’t been that good for a decade and would not get back to that for more than a decade going forward.

He was beloved by teammates and fans alike. Those fans carried him Brito off the field after his final game in a Washington uniform at the end of the 1958 season.

15. Len Hauss - C

When Lenny Hauss retired after the 1977 season, he had played more games for the Washington football franchise than any other player - 196 in all. He started all but two of them. From the third game of his rookie season, the center started every single game his team played for the next 14 campaigns.

He joined the team the same year Sonny Jurgensen arrived to take over as quarterback and they were an unbreakable pair. When the signal-caller retired, it was Hauss snapping the ball to Billy Kilmer.

Before he hung up his cleats, Hauss was snapping to Joe Theismann. That’s three of the franchise's five greatest quarterbacks, all getting the ball from the prolific interior lineman.

14. Charles Mann - DE

Charles Mann completed the greatest defensive line in Washington franchise history.

When he arrived as a third-round pick in the 1983 draft, they already had the interior locked down with immoveable tackles Dave Butz and Darryl Grant and had a ferocious pass-rushing end in Dexter Manley. Mann put them over the top because he could do whatever was needed at any moment.

Mann was an exceptional athlete - 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, and blessed with great agility and speed. He also was a cerebral player who was rarely out of position. He could rush the passer on a par with Manley, and he could play the run as well as the tackles.

According to PFF’s Approximate Value formula, Mann is the 10 greatest player in franchise history. Five of those ahead of him are in the Hall of Fame and the other four all have fans who think they deserve similar recognition.

Mann was a standout on Washington’s last two Super Bowl championship teams and recorded 10 additional sacks in 17 playoff games for the team. His final season in the league, as a backup in San Francisco, also resulted in a ring.

13. Turk Edwards - OT

Albert Glen Edwards - known as “Turk” - was an original Boston Brave. The mammoth lineman from Washington State was among the first players owner George Preston Marshall recruited for his new team. At 6-foot-2 and 255 pounds, he was a giant in the early years of the league. He overpowered opponents both on offense and defense.

Though he was only officially chosen as an All-Pro in three of his seasons, he received various league-wide awards between 1932 and 1939 and was chosen as a member of the All-Decade team for the 1930s. Edwards was Washington’s top lineman on both offense and defense when they won their first league championship in 1937.

Edwards did more than simply bowl over defenders. He kicked off. He recovered fumbles and blocked kicks at key moments. He rarely came off the field in the early days. After his career was cut short by a fluke non-contact knee injury early in 1940, he remained with the club for eight more years, eventually becoming head coach from 1946-1948.

Edwards was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969.

12. Joe Jacoby - OT

Given the radically different eras in which they played, it is virtually impossible to compare Turk Edwards and Joe Jacoby. But it is clear they were two of the most dominant linemen of their era, and their blocking paved the way to championships in Washington.

Jacoby may have been the most naturally powerful lineman in Washington franchise history. However, the beginning of his career did not indicate the player he would become.

Despite a strong college career at Louisville, Jacoby was not chosen in the 1981 draft. General manager Bobby Beathard signed him as a free agent, and when coach Joe Gibbs first met the towering player, the coach mistook him for a defensive lineman.

At 6-foot-7 and around 300 pounds, he was a physical clone of Washington defensive tackle Dave Butz. Once that mix-up was corrected, line coach Joe Bugel inserted him as the team’s left tackle and he remained entrenched there for eight years, before shifting to the right side for the last five seasons of his career.

Jacoby’s battles with NFC rival Lawrence Taylor, perhaps the most lethal pass rusher of all time, were the stuff of legends.

11. Larry Brown - RB

Larry Brown wasn’t even a starter on a bad college football team. He platooned at Kansas lining up as a blocking back more often than not. But legendary coach Vince Lombardi saw greatness hiding in him.

He was selected in the eighth round of the 1969 draft and before training camp was over, Brown had replaced Ray McDonald, the 250-pound back with sprinter's speed who had been the No. 1 overall pick in 1967, as the starting running back.

Brown averaged 1,000 yards per season over his first five years. He also averaged better than 30 catches per year over that span. He scored 43 touchdowns.

By the time George Allen arrived in 1971, Brown was the centerpiece of the Washington offense, and the head coach rode him to the team’s first Super Bowl in 1972. That year, Brown ran for over 1,200 yards in just 12 games. He would have been the league-leading rusher, but Allen sat him out the final two games to prepare for the playoffs, allowing O.J. Simpson to overtake him.

Brown still won pretty much every award there was to win that season, including being named the MVP of the entire league.

He had a fearless running style that was characterized by the adage “run to daylight.” Seeing him running wild with a screen pass routinely got the fans in RFK Stadium to their feet. He wasn’t the fastest or the biggest, but he was fast enough and big enough - and had the biggest heart in the entire NFL.

The reckless abandon with which Brown played, and the workhorse nature of his play in the early 1970s, wore him down by 1974. He stayed on as a backup for a few more seasons but retired at the age of 29, after playing eight seasons and 102 games.

He retired as the franchise’s all-time leading rusher in 1976, with 2,200 yards more than the second-place back. Today, he's still in third place on that list.

10. Chris Hanburger - LB

Chris Hanburger was the 245th player selected in the 1965 NFL draft. Fourteen years later, he retired having played in 187 games, all for Washington. He started in 175 of those and ended his career with 19 interceptions, 17 fumbles recoveries, and 45.5 sacks (unofficially).

Hanburger was an undersized linebacker who used his rare combination of speed, smarts, and general toughness to grow into one of the most feared second-level presences in the league. He was famous for his clothesline tackles, where he would chop down backs and receivers with a vicious blow across the collarbone. It earned him the nickname “the Hangman.”

He was a vital part of the defenses that made Washington a contender throughout much of the 1970s. During their run to the Super in 1972, Hanburger finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Joe Greene and Miami’s Nick Buoniconti. He was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2011.

9. Bobby Mitchell - WR

In a very real way, the rebirth began with Bobby Mitchell. The franchise had been drifting between mediocre and downright bad for almost two decades by the early 1960s. At that point, they were the laughingstock of the league.

Much of the problem was self-inflicted. Owner George Preston Marshall refused to integrate his roster long after every other team in the league had done so. When he was finally coerced into signing black players by an embarrassed league office, Mitchell was the first step.

Mitchell had spent his first four seasons in Cleveland and was seen as the likely successor to the legendary Jim Brown in the backfield. When he was traded to Washington, coach Bill McPeak shifted him to the flanker position - what we now call the Z receiver.

Along with young, big-armed quarterback Norm Snead, Mitchell began pumping life into Washington’s moribund offense. In his very first year in town, he led the league in receiving and finished third in the MVP balloting. The next year, he repeated his statistical dominance and then was almost as good in his third season.

Over those three years, during the era of 14-game seasons, Mitchell averaged 67 catches per year at an astonishing 18.5 yards per catch and scored 28 touchdowns. He was also one of the most feared kick returners in the league in those years.

Mitchell was 30 years old by the start of the 1965 season when Washington brought in a few other offensive weapons that began to eat into his production. But he remained a force until his final season in 1967.

To see him take a screen and then turn on his running back instincts to carve his way through the defense was a thing of beauty. Mitchell had a long, distinguished career in administration for the team after retiring, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983. The franchise retired his jersey number in 2020 - the second number to be so honored.

8. Russ Grimm - OL

In the 1981 draft, Bobby Beathard took a star offensive lineman from the University of Pittsburgh in the first round. Mark May, as we discussed earlier in this countdown, went on to have an excellent career in Washington. However, it was his teammate, another offensive lineman from the Panthers who arrived in the third round, that went to the Hall of Fame.

Russ Grimm is the greatest guard in franchise history. Dick Stanfel, another Hall of Famer, was only in town for a few years. Ray Schoenke was a very consistent player for a very long time but was never among the league’s elites. Brandon Scherff was a five-time Pro Bowler in Washington, but still never reached the level of dominance.

Grimm teamed with Joe Jacoby to form one of the greatest left sides of an offensive line in NFL history. The core offensive play that led to three Super Bowls in the 1980s - the counter trey - was predicated on the ability of both players and especially Grimm to get across the field and blast open holes. His combination of agility, power, smarts, and overall toughness made him the quintessential interior lineman.

Though he remained a very good player in the second half of his career, injuries did take their toll. But in his first six seasons, Grimm was as good a lineman as there was.

This coincided directly with Washington’s ascendency to the top of the league. He was first-team All-Pro in three consecutive years from 1983-1985 and second-team in 1986. He should have had the same honor in 1982, but he was too new to the league to get the recognition.

Grimm was a member of all three Washington Super Bowl teams. That first championship came in his second season. The final one came in his last.

7. Art Monk - WR

Art Monk’s career numbers dwarf every other receiver in team history. He has more than 200 more catches than second place. He has almost 3,000 more yards. And yet, over a 14-year run in Washington, he only made the Pro Bowl three times.

People overlooked Monk his entire career, and since I will have one receiver ranked ahead of him, perhaps I am guilty of doing that as well. But understand this - just because there was arguably one wideout even greater in a franchise that has been around for more than 90 years - it in no way diminishes how outstanding a player he was.

He was a model of consistency over a very long period. An injury shortened his 1982 season and unfortunately kept him out of Washington’s first Super Bowl victory, but Monk still managed to play in 178 regular season games and an additional 15 playoff contests while in D.C.

Analysts who tried to claim that he was merely a possession receiver should look at those playoff games. In what amounts to a full season’s worth - every one of them played against elite competition and with the pressure turned up - Monk caught 69 passes for over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns.

That was in 15 playoff games. Pretty good numbers for a possession receiver.

Monk endeared himself to fans with his professional demeanor. He was never one to boast or show off. He simply went out game after game and produced at the highest of levels. By the time he retired in 1995, no player in NFL history had caught more passes.

6. Ken Houston - S

A little personal note. When I put together an All-Time NFL team, position-by-position, I only had one man who played a significant amount of time in Washington on the team. Kenny Houston is one of my two all-time starting safeties.

Houston came to Washington after six seasons as a perennial Pro Bowler with the Houston Oilers. If anything, he got even better playing for George Allen. He continued his string of Pro Bowls, making it every year but his last in D.C. He added first team All-Pro in 1975, and then again in 1978.

He could do everything you would want from a safety. Houston was a fast rangy ball hawk who grabbed 24 interceptions. He had been famous for pick-sixes with the Oilers, where he had nine in just six years. He didn’t replicate that in Washington but was still dangerous with the ball in his hands. He was strong enough to handle the best tight ends in the league. And he was as good a tackler as the NFL has ever seen.

Houston instantly wrote his name in franchise lore with his famous goal-line tackle of the Cowboys’ Walt Garrison, preserving a Monday night win over the hated rivals. It is one of the most iconic plays in team history. And it was only the beginning.

He played at that level for the rest of the decade. Houston was a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 1986.

5. Charley Taylor - WR

Charley Taylor was a first-round draft pick out of Arizona State in 1964. His rookie season, in which he won Rookie of the Year, saw him rush for 755 yards and score five touchdowns on the ground.

Taylor, along with Art Monk, one of the two greatest receivers in franchise history, began his career as a running back. That same year, he caught 53 passes for over 800 yards. He averaged better than 15 yards per catch and scored five more touchdowns.

His rushing production fell off in his second year but his receiving numbers were still good. That put a thought into new coach Otto Graham’s head, and when the offensive-minded former quarterback took over the team in 1966, he discussed a position change with his young running back.

Taylor was not happy about it at first, But he responded with a sensational year in 1966, leading the league with 72 catches, gaining more than 1,000 yards, and finding the end zone 12 times via the air and three times on the ground. He was a good running back. At receiver, he was elite.

Taylor was built to be a standout receiver. At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, he would be a prototype in today’s game. He had excellent speed and his running back instincts meant he was extremely dangerous in the open field.

For a while in the mid-1960s, Washington had two converted running backs -Taylor and Bobby Mitchell - spreading terror through opposing defenses. After his mercurial start, he developed into one of the most consistent receivers in the league.

He battled nagging injuries throughout much of his prime, but he always put up numbers. Then, in the second half of his career, when most receivers lose a step, Taylor ran off four straight seasons - when he was in his 30s - in which he started every game, caught between 49 and 59 passes, averaged between 13.6 and 14.0 yards-per-catch, and scored between five and seven touchdowns.

If those numbers don’t look very impressive, keep in mind that this came in an era when running was preferred over passing. And no one preferred running more than Washington coach George Allen.

Taylor’s 45-yard touchdown catch over Dallas’ Mark Washington in the 1972 NFC Championship game is among the most iconic plays in team history. It more or less secured the team's first trip to the Super Bowl.

For his career, Taylor caught 649 passes for over 9,000 yards, while running for almost 1,500 additional yards. His 79 career receiving touchdowns are 14 clear of the second-place figure.

4. Sonny Jurgensen - QB

Washington had been searching for a franchise quarterback to replace the legendary Sammy Baugh for well over a decade. That coincided with the team's slide into irrelevance. In 1964, they finally found their man.

Sonny Jurgensen was already a veteran by the time he came to D.C. During his seven seasons in Philadelphia, he had put up big numbers. He led the league in touchdowns in 1961. But he also led the league in interceptions in 1961 and ’62.

Most importantly, the Eagles did not win, and they thought their talented but inconsistent signal-caller had reached his peak. They dealt him to Washington for a younger option in Norm Snead.

Playing alongside pass catchers Charley Taylor, Bobby Mitchell, and Jerry Smith, Jurgensen exploded. Over the next seven seasons, in which he started all but three games, he cut way down on his interceptions while still averaging 23 touchdown passes per year. This was in an era where that number would routinely place a passer in the top five in the league.

Jurgensen made the Pro Bowl in four of those seven years and was usually in the conversation about league MVP. Most importantly, he restored both fun and hope to a franchise in desperate need of both. He took over a laughingstock and managed to finish his career with a winning record as a starting quarterback. Fans adored his style, his attitude, and his talent.

And what talent it was. Jurgensen did not have the strongest arm in the league, but with his unique three-quarter windmill release, he never failed to get the ball where he was aiming. He had the best touch in the league. Indeed, in the years I have been watching football, I would place him alongside Dan Marino and Aaron Rodgers as the greatest pure passers to ever suit up.

He is second to Joe Theismann in passing yards, and second to Baugh in passing touchdowns. In the hearts of fans from the 1960s and ‘70s, Jurgensen is second to none.

3. John Riggins - RB

John Riggins was an iconoclastic young running back for the New York Jets in the early 1970s. Everyone knew he had extraordinary talent. He was a big bruising runner with near-sprinter speed. But he clashed with the more conservative management.

By the time he finally blossomed with New York, rushing for over 1,000 yards and making the Pro Bowl, he was entering free agency. George Allen shelled out a lot of money to lure him to Washington.

Then, in one of the most inexplicable moves in franchise history, Allen turned him into a blocking fullback. Halfback Mike Thomas had a fine year in 1976, but no one thought to take advantage of what Riggins could do. When Jack Pardee became head coach, he and new offensive coordinator Joe Walton began rectifying that situation.

Riggins produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. But even though the team was still competitive, it was old, and everyone knew a rebuild was coming. He was 30 years old and had already logged over 1,500 carries in the NFL. He wanted more money, and when he didn’t get it, he sat out the 1980 season, dooming both the team’s chances and Pardee’s tenure as coach.

New coach Joe Gibbs made it a priority to get Riggins back. With his famous announcement “I’m bored, I’m broke, and I’m back,” the runner did return. And what a return it was.

Gibbs revamped his offense. He played to his strengths. The Hogs blocking up front, and Riggins running behind them. What he accomplished over the next five seasons is unlikely ever to be matched by a running back in his 30s.

Injuries and the strike-shortened 1982 season limited him to just 13 games per year, but he still averaged over 900 yards per season over those final five campaigns. He scored 62 touchdowns, leading the league in 1983 and 1984 when he was 34-35 years old.

His spectacular 43-yard touchdown run in Super Bowl XVII may be the most famous play in franchise history. Riggins was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

2. Sammy Baugh - QB

I went back and forth on the top two selections for this list. To put Sammy Baugh second on any list requires explaining. There’s a case to be made for him being the greatest, most versatile football player of all time - not simply with Washington, but in the entire history of the league.

Baugh virtually invented the modern quarterback. When he entered the league, he technically lined up as a tailback in a single wing, with Riley Smith playing quarterback. But Baugh threw the ball from his position. When the league transitioned out of the single wing to the T formation in the 1940s, he began playing the more traditional quarterback position.

He was the first quarterback to successfully incorporate numerous throws into the offensive scheme. Others might fling the ball downfield occasionally, but Baugh attacked the defense with throws of all types and distances. He was truly ahead of his time in the variation he introduced into the passing game.

Seven decades after he retired, Baugh still holds the franchise record for most career touchdown passes.

And then consider that in addition to being the greatest quarterback in franchise history, he also ranks second on the franchise’s all-time list in punting average, and third in total interceptions. You begin to get a sense of just how dominant a player Baugh truly was.

Baugh arrived in 1937, the same year the franchise shifted from Boston to Washington, and he led the team to the league title in his first season. He threw touchdown passes of 35, 55, and 78 yards in the championship game.

He took the team back to four more championship games through 1945, winning one of them in 1942. In all, Baugh played 167 games for Washington over 16 years and did more than anyone else to lock professional football into the very fabric of the city in its early years.

1. Darrell Green - CB

No one played more games for the Washington football franchise than Darrell Green. The man in second place, Monte Coleman, played 80 fewer games. That means the cornerback played about five seasons' worth of contests above anyone who ever wore the uniform.

He is the franchise leader in interceptions by a wide margin. Same for overall tackles. He scored twice as many defensive touchdowns as anyone in team history. Green had six additional picks and two more touchdowns in playoff games and was a crucial part of Washington’s last two Super Bowl victories.

In terms of longevity and production, no one touches Green.

But his contributions go beyond mere numbers. Green single-handedly accounted for two of the top 10 plays in franchise history. As a little-known rookie cornerback in 1983, he ran down Cowboys’ great Tony Dorsett in front of a national Monday night audience and a legend was born.

He would spend much of his career chasing down some of the best backs and receivers in the league because no one was faster than Green. Had he not been so valuable as a defender, Joe Gibbs might have allowed him to be the greatest kick-returner the league had ever seen. As it was, he settled for fielding punts only on special occasions, as he did in the divisional playoffs against the Bears at the end of the 1987 season.

Green hurdled a defender on the right sideline, pulling a rib muscle as he did, then sprinted the remainder of the 52-yard return with one hand clutching the ball, the other hand clutching his pulled ribs. It put Washington in the lead for good and paved the way for their second Super Bowl win.

Legendary coach and announcer John Madden, who called Green one of the most amazing football players he ever saw, used to choose his All-Madden teams at the end of each season. He once chose a defense consisting of ten defensive linemen and Darrell Green, because he said the defensive back could cover everybody all by himself.

As great as he was on the field, Green matched or surpassed that off it. His charitable works were well documented, and anyone who met him could not help but be charmed by his smile, laugh, and relentlessly upbeat attitude.

Both on and off the field, Green was the consummate professional, and he was beloved by fans. Greater than Sammy Baugh? That’s apples and oranges. But he has a body of work with the franchise that speaks for itself.

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