After seeing the signing of former WR Ike Hilliard as the receivers coach, I started wondering what other coaches' playing careers were like. So I decided to spend a few minutes researching each. We'll begin with Mike Shanahan, who I could only find record of playing on wikipedia.
Mike Shanahan
Executive Vice President/Head Coach
Mike Shanahan had quite a short playing career. After high school, he played QB at Eastern Illinois University. During a practice in the 1970's, a hard hit ruptured one of his kidneys, which caused his heart to stop for 30 seconds and nearly.. technically... killed him. Thus ending his playing career.
Kyle Shanahan, Ike Hilliard, and others follow after the jump...
For today’s’ ‘Flashback Friday’ we go back to one of the happiest days of my life, December 22, 1996. I attended this particular game (thanks to former Redskin Perry Brooks, RIP) and was on the field for the last 2 minutes of the game…more on that later.
This was the last NFL game the Redskins would ever play at RFK and the last regular season game of the 1996 season. The Redskins were set to move into their new digs before the 1997 season. The new stadium would be named Jack Kent Cooke Stadium and was located in Raljon, MD (remember?). A crowd of 56,464 had gathered to say farewell to the lovable old stadium in DC and it was all the more pleasurable to be playing the hated Cowboys. The Redskins faithful were able to shake the stadium a few more times with "We Want Dallas" chants.
Unfortunately the game meant nothing other than the fact the Redskins were playing the Cowboys. The Cowboys had already clinched the playoffs and started backups at all of their main positions. The Redskins, after a 7-1 start, had lost 6 out of 7 games and had been eliminated for the playoffs. Little of that mattered to the fans in attendance, the fans wanted to send RFK out in style…and luckily the Redskins players had the same plan.
The Redskins rolled to a 16-3 halftime lead behind 3 Scott Blanton field goals and 1 yard rushing TD by Terry Allen. At halftime the Redskins introduced dozens of former players to the crowd. The players gathered at midfield before circling the stadium 1 by 1 on golf carts bearing their names…all except the Hogs. The Hogs rode together in the back of a trailer sitting on bales of hay.
Remember the last time the Redskins faced the Bills at a neutral site? Although it was 20 years ago I still remember it well. Back on January 26, 1992 the Redskins made a mess of the Bills all over the Metrodome’s Astroturf and at the end of the day they were Super Bowl Champions for the 3rd time in 10 seasons. I was a spoiled fan back then. I thought the Super Bowl Championships would keep coming every 3 or 4 years…
The 91’ Skins were one of the best teams I’ve ever seen. They lost 2 games by a total 5 points and one of those losses was on the last game of the regular season when they didn’t start key players. They won 7 games by 20 points or more and their average margin of victory was 16 points. They scored 30+ points per game and were #1 in the league in offense, #2 in defense. Do you know how hard it is to be the #2 defense in the league when you’re winning every game by 20 points? There’s so much garbage yards given up late in those games…the defense was amazing.
The year started off with Super Bowl predictions from several media outlets including Playboy magazine, which led to a famous interview of Joe Gibbs by Steve Buckhantz. Playboy was right, after mowing thru the regular season and beating the Falcons and Lions by a combined 48 points the Super Bowl was here.
It was December 21st, 1986 and in the bowels of Veteran Stadium Joe Gibbs was angry…Incredible Hulk angry. Redskins players had never seen this kind of rage coming out of Gibbs and I guess his tirade can only be described as "epic". But, in true Joe Gibbs fashion, even as his voiced raised louder and louder and the veins stuck out of his neck he managed to never say a single curse word.
What had Gibbs so worked up? The Redskins trailed the Eagles 14-0 at halftime on the last game of the year. The Redskins had dropped their previous 2 games and even though they had a playoff spot locked up with an 11-4 record, they had lost their chance to win the division and were definitely backing into the playoffs.
The score remained Eagles 14 Redskins 0 until the 4th quarter when Gibb’s words finally sunk in with the Redskins offense. Jay Schroeder would throw 2 TD passes to his tight ends to tie the score at 14. The first TD went to Clint Didier for 26 yards and the 2nd went to Don Warren for 2. As the defense continued to shut down Randall Cunningham and the Eagles the Skins got the ball back with minutes to play. A long pass play from Schroeder to Ricky Sanders got the Redskins in position for the win and George Rogers capped it off with a 5 yard TD run. Game. Set. Match. Redskins 21 Eagles 14.
Video of the game and more after the jump.
The Washington Redskins have faced the Dallas Cowboys 100 times in what I consider to be the greatest rivalry in all of sports. It’s amazing to believe that the Redskins have come out on the losing end on 60 of those occasions. 3 games stick out to me during my 30 years of rooting for Redskins…this is one of them.
It was December 18, 2005 and the 7-6 Redskins were hosting the 8-5 Cowboys with serious playoff implications on the line. Just 2 weeks earlier the playoffs seemed like a pipe dream for the Redskins. The Redskins were 5-6 after an overtime loss to the Chargers in which they blew a 17-7 4th quarter lead. But, Joe Gibbs had rallied the Skins to two straight road wins and Skins fans felt the momentum growing…"WE WANT DALLAS."
Truth be told, Bill Parcels got the best of Joe Gibbs on most occauusions during their NFC East battles over the years…but on this day the Cowboys were completely out-coached. The game was over before it ever began. Gregg Williams found exactly what he wanted in the Dallas offense, an immobile QB with a long delivery who could always be found in the pocket. On the first play from scrimmage Phillip Daniels would deflect a Drew Bledsoe pass that would be intercepted by Cornelius Griffin giving the Redskins excellent field position. The early introduction of Daniels to Bledsoe would prove to be a preview of things to come. Daniels would add 4 sacks and a fumble recovery during the course of the game.
It was December 16, 1984 and RFK Stadium was rocking. The St Louis Cardinals and Washington Redskins were facing off on the last regular season game of the year…a game that was for all the marbles. The winner would be crowned NFC East Champions while the loser faced being eliminated from the playoffs all together.
The Redskins entered the game having won 5 out of the last 6 games to position themselves for the NFC East crown. The Redskins were also coming off a huge 30-28 victory at Dallas a week earlier that had further muddled the NFC East picture. Washington stood at 10-5 while the Cowboys and Cardinals were 9-6 heading into the last week of the season. Thus the win or possibly go home scenarios. There was additional drama as well…Art Monk came into the contest needing 7 receptions to break the NFL season record for receptions of 101.
Game recap and video after the jump.
Each Friday Hogs Haven will travel back in time to recap a previous game against this weeks current Redskins opponent.
On September 19, 1999 the Redskins and Giants faced off in an early season NFC East battle on a beautiful fall afternoon that was perfect football weather. Unfortunately the game had to be played in one of the armpits of NFL stadiums, The Meadowlands. Of course the other armpit of the NFL back then was Veterans Stadium…what disgustingly vial places. Ok, I’m getting off track here, back to the game.
The Redskins were coming off an opening day heart-breaking loss to the Cowboys during which the Skins blew a 21 point lead. But, the Redskins showed no ill effects from the Cowboy game. In fact, the Redskins came out looking like the 2011 Packers did last night…the Skins were firing on all cylinders. The Redskins led 21-0 after the first quarter, 33-14 at halftime and 43-13 after the third quarter. The Redskins truly took the Giants to the woodshed for an ass-beating on this day. Final score: Redskins 50 Giants 21.
