Commanders deep dive: Washington's fickle history of first-round quarterbacks
By Jonathan Eig
Jack Scarbath - 1953
Sammy Baugh finally retired after the 1952 season, and the now-Washington Commanders used the No. 3 pick in the 1953 draft to select local product Jack Scarbath from the University of Maryland. He looked the part, standing 6-foot-2, but he was outplayed by the tenth-round pick from 1952 - 5-foot-7 Eddie LeBaron.
With LeBaron entrenched as the starter, Scarbath left for a year in Canada after serving as backup for a couple of seasons. He played one final year with the Pittsburgh Steelers before retiring.
During his two seasons in Washington, Scarbath completed fewer than 38 percent of his passes. He also threw 25 interceptions against 16 touchdowns.
Ralph Guglielmi - 1955
Ralph Guglielmi was drafted out of Notre Dame to complete with LeBaron and fellow quarterback Al Dorow after Gilmer left Washington. His career was delayed by a two-year stint in the Air Force. By the time he returned, he was joining the worst franchise in the NFL.
Bad management decisions turned the team into perennial cellar dwellers. Guglielmi eventually took over as the starter when LeBaron was traded before the 1960 season, and he flashed potential as a downfield passer. But the signal-caller simply could not stay healthy.
Repeated injuries led to sporadic playing time during his four seasons in Washington. Guglielmi only managed to win five of his 21 starts. He bounced around the league for a few more seasons before retiring after the 1963 campaign.
Don Allard - 1959
At least Guglielmi played for the team that drafted him. That was not true of the next two quarterbacks selected by the now-Washington Commanders in the first round.
By the late 1950s, Washington was a laughing stock. Owner George Preston Marshall was a well-known skinflint who often lost players because he refused to meet reasonable salary demands. He also refused to integrate his roster until forced to do so by the federal government in the early 1960s.
Consequently, if a player had other options, he might very well take them. That’s what Don Allard did. The Boston College quarterback chose to play in the Canadian League and the upstart American Football League rather than suiting up for Washington. He was out of both leagues by 1963.