Washington Redskins
Current season
Established 1932 Play in FedEx Field Landover, Maryland Headquartered in Redskins Park Ashburn, Virginia
Washington Redskins logo Logo
League/conference affiliations
National Football League (1932–present) Eastern Division (1933–1949) American Conference (1950–1952) Eastern Conference (1953–1969) Capitol Division (1967–1969) National Football Conference (1970–present) NFC East (1970–present)
Current uniform
275px
Team colors	Burgundy, Gold, White
Fight song	Hail to the Redskins
Personnel
Owner(s)	Dan Snyder and Dwight Schar
General manager	Bruce Allen
Head coach	Mike Shanahan
Team history
Boston Braves (1932) Boston Redskins (1933–1936) Washington Redskins (1937–present)
Team nicknames
The Skins, The Burgundy and Gold
Championships
League championships (5) NFL Championships (2) 1937, 1942 Super Bowl Championships (3) 1982 (XVII), 1987 (XXII), 1991 (XXVI)
Conference championships (5) NFC: 1972, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1991
Division championships (15) NFL East: 1936, 1937, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945 NFC East: 1972, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1991, 1999
Playoff appearances (22)
NFL: 1936, 1937, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2005, 2007
Home fields
Braves Field (1932) Fenway Park (1933–1936) Griffith Stadium (1937–1960) RFK Stadium (1961–1996) a.k.a. D.C. Stadium (1961–1968) FedExField (1997–present) a.k.a. Jack Kent Cooke Stadium (1997–1999)

The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and a member of the East Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn, Virginia. Prince George's County and D.C. officials,^[1] however, have been trying to lure the Redskins back to their respective area's for training camp at either RFK Stadium or Bowie State University. The Redskins have played more than 1,000 games since 1932. The Redskins have won five NFL Championships (two pre-merger, and three Super Bowls). The franchise has captured 10 NFL divisional titles and six NFL conference championships.^[2]

The Redskins won the 1937 and 1942 Championship games, as well as Super Bowls XVII, XXII, and XXVI. They also played in, and lost, the 1936, 1940, 1943, and 1945 Championship games, as well as Super Bowls VII and XVIII. They have made 22 postseason appearances, and have an overall postseason record of 23 wins and 17 losses. Only four teams have appeared in more Super Bowls than the Redskins: the Pittsburgh Steelers (8), Dallas Cowboys (8), New England Patriots (7), and Denver Broncos (6). The Redskins' five appearances are tied with the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, New York Giants, and Miami Dolphins. Only five teams have more Super Bowl wins than the Redskins: the Pittsburgh Steelers (6), Dallas Cowboys (5), San Francisco 49ers (5), Green Bay Packers (4), and New York Giants (4). The Redskins' three wins are tied with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, and New England Patriots.^[3]

All of the Redskins' league titles were attained during two 10-year spans. From 1936 to 1945, the Redskins went to the NFL Championship six times, winning two of them.^[4] The second period lasted between 1982 and 1991 where the Redskins appeared in the postseason seven times, captured four Conference titles, and won three Super Bowls out of four appearances.^[4] The Redskins have also experienced failure in their history. The most notable period of failure was from 1946 to 1970, during which the Redskins did not have a single postseason appearance.^[2] During this period, the Redskins went without a single winning season between 1956 and 1968.^[2] In 1961, the franchise posted their worst regular season record with a 1–12–1 showing.^[2] Since 1992, the Redskins have made only three postseason appearances and four seasons with a winning record.

According to Forbes Magazine, the Redskins are the second most valuable franchise in the NFL, behind the Dallas Cowboys, and were valued at approximately $1.55 billion as of 2009.^[5] Being the second most valuable franchise, the Redskins remain the highest grossing team in the NFL with $345 million in revenue during the 2009 season.^[5] They have also broken the NFL's mark for single-season attendance nine years in a row.^[6]

The Redskins were the first team in the NFL with an official marching band and also the first team to have a fight song, "Hail to the Redskins"^[7]

Franchise history[link]

The team originated as the Boston Braves, based in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1932. At the time the team played in Braves Field, the home field of the Boston Braves baseball team. The following year the club moved to Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, whereupon owners changed the team's name to the Boston Redskins. The Redskins relocated to Washington, D.C. in 1937. In their early years in Washington, the Redskins shared Griffith Stadium with the Washington Senators baseball team.^[8] The Redskins played and won their first game in Washington D.C. on September 16, 1937, a victory against the Giants, 13–3.^[9] On December 5, 1937, they earned their first division title in Washington against the Giants, 49–14, for the Eastern Championship.^[9] The team then proceeded to win their first league championship, the 1937 NFL Championship Game, on December 12, 1937, against the Chicago Bears, their first year in D.C.^[9] The Redskins then met the Bears again in the 1940 NFL Championship Game on December 8, 1940.^[10] The result, 73–0 in favor of the Bears, is still the worst one-sided loss in NFL history.^[10] The other big loss for the Redskins that season occurred during a coin-tossing ceremony prior to a game against the Giants. After calling the coin toss and shaking hands with the opposing team captain, Turk Edwards attempted to pivot around to head back to his sideline. However, his cleats caught in the grass and his knee gave way, injuring him and bringing his season and career to an unusual end.^[11]

In what became an early rivalry in the NFL, the Redskins and Bears met two more times in the NFL Championship. The third time was during the 1942 NFL Championship Game on December 13, 1942, where the Redskins won their second championship, 14–6.^[10] The final time the two met was the 1943 NFL Championship Game on December 26, 1943, during which the Bears won, 41–21.^[10] The most notable accomplishment achieved during the Redskins' 1943 season was Sammy Baugh leading the NFL in passing, punting, and interceptions.^[12]

The Redskins played in the NFL Championship one more time before a quarter-century drought that did not end until the 1972 season. With former Olympic gold medalist Dudley DeGroot as their new head coach, the Redskins went 8–2 during the 1945 season. One of the most impressive performances came from Sammy Baugh, who had a completion percentage of .703.^[13] They ended the season by losing to the Cleveland Rams in the 1945 NFL Championship Game on December 16, 1945, 15–14.^[10] The one-point margin of victory came under scrutiny because of a safety that occurred early in the game. In the first quarter, the Redskins had the ball at their own 5 yard line. Dropping back into the end zone, quarterback Sammy Baugh threw to an open receiver, but the ball hit the goal post (which at the time was on the goal line instead of at the back of the end zone) and bounced back to the ground in the end zone. Under the rules at the time, this was ruled as a safety and thus gave the Rams a 2–0 lead. It was that safety that proved to be the margin of victory. Owner Marshall was so mad at the outcome that he became a major force in passing the following major rule change after the season: A forward pass that strikes the goal posts is automatically ruled incomplete. This later became known as the "Baugh/Marshall Rule".^[14]

Front-office disarray and integration (1946–1970)[link]

The team's early success endeared it to the fans of Washington, D.C. However, after 1945, the Redskins began a slow decline that they did not end until a playoff appearance in the 1971 season.^[15] The Redskins had four different head coaches from 1946 to 1951, including former players Turk Edwards and Dick Todd as well as John Whelchel and Herman Ball, and none were successful. But this did not stop George Preston Marshall from trying to make the Redskins the most successful franchise in the league. His first major alteration happened on June 14, 1950, when it was announced that American Oil Company planned to televise all Redskins games, making Washington the first NFL team to have an entire season of televised games.^[16][17] His next major change came in February 1952, when he hired former Green Bay Packers coach Earl "Curly" Lambeau.^[17] But, after two seasons, Marshall fired Lambeau following the Redskins loss in their exhibition opener to the Los Angeles Rams and hired Joe Kuharich.^[17] In 1955, Kuharich led the Redskins to their first winning season in ten years and was named both Sporting News Coach of the Year and UPI NFL Coach of the Year.^[18]

In 1961, the Redskins moved into their new stadium called D.C. Stadium (changed to Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in 1969). The first game in new D.C. Stadium occurred on October 1, 1961, in front of 37,767 fans. However, the Redskins failed to hold a 21–7 lead and lost to the New York Giants 24–21.^[19] That same year, Bill McPeak became the head coach and had a record of 21–46–3 over five seasons. During his tenure, he helped draft future stars: wide receiver Charley Taylor, tight end Jerry Smith, safety Paul Krause, center Len Hauss, and linebacker Chris Hanburger.^[20] He also helped pull off two important trades, gaining quarterback Sonny Jurgensen from the Philadelphia Eagles and linebacker Sam Huff from the New York Giants.^[21]

One reason for the team's struggles was disarray in the front office. Sagal, team owner and president, began a mental decline in 1962, and the team's other stockholders found it difficult to make decisions without their boss. Marshall died on August 9, 1969,^[19] and Edward Bennett Williams, a minority stockholder who was a Washington resident and one of America's most esteemed attorneys, was chosen to run the franchise while the majority stockholder, Jack Kent Cooke, lived in Los Angeles and ran his basketball team, the Los Angeles Lakers.^[22] In 1966 Otto Graham was hired as the new head coach. Graham coached the Redskins between 1966 and 1968, but whatever magic he had as an NFL player disappeared on the sidelines as the team recorded a mark of 17–22–3 during that time period. After resigning the Redskins' post in favor of the legendary Vince Lombardi, Graham returned as athletic director of the Coast Guard Academy before retiring at the end of 1984.

In 1969, the Redskins hired Vince Lombardi — who gained fame coaching with the Green Bay Packers — to be their new head coach.^[23] Lombardi led the team to a 7–5–2 record,^[15] their best since 1955, but died of cancer on the eve of the 1970 season.^[23] Assistant coach Bill Austin was chosen to replace Lombardi during 1970 and produced a record of 6–8.^[15]

Integration controversy[link]

During most of this unsuccessful period, Marshall continually refused to integrate the team, despite pressure from The Washington Post and the federal government of the United States.^[24] On March 24, 1961, Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall warned Marshall to hire black players or face federal retribution. For the first time in history, the federal government had attempted to desegregate a professional sports team.^[25] The Redskins were under the threat of civil rights legal action by the Kennedy administration, which would have prevented a segregated team from playing at the new D.C. Stadium, as it was owned by the U.S. Department of the Interior and thus federal government property.

In 1962, they became the final professional American football franchise to integrate. First, the Redskins drafted Ernie Davis, the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy.^[25] With their second pick in the draft, the Redskins chose another black halfback, Joe Hernandez from Arizona. They also took black fullback Ron Hatcher in the eighth round, a player from Michigan State who became the first black American football player to sign a contract with the Redskins.^[25] But, in mid-December, Marshall announced that on the day of the NFL draft he had traded the rights to Davis to the Cleveland Browns, who wanted Davis to join the league's leading rusher, Jim Brown, in their backfield. Davis was traded to the Browns for running back Bobby Mitchell (who became a wide receiver in Washington) and 1962 first-round draft choice Leroy Jackson.^[25][26] The move was made under unfortunate circumstances – as it turned out that Davis had leukemia, and died without ever playing a down in professional football.^[25] The Redskins ended the 1962 season with their best record in five years: 5–7–2. Mitchell led the league with eleven touchdowns, and caught 72 passes and was selected to the Pro Bowl. In time, Mitchell would be joined by black stars like receiver Charley Taylor, running back Larry Brown, defensive back Brig Owens, and guard John Nisby from the Pittsburgh Steelers.^[25]

George Allen's revival (1971–1980)[link]

Richard Nixon meeting with the Washington Redskins football team, November 23, 1971

After the death of Lombardi and Austin's unsuccessful 1970 season, Williams signed former Los Angeles Rams head coach George Allen as head coach on January 6, 1971.^[27] Partial to seasoned veterans instead of highly-touted young players, Allen's teams became known as the Over-the-Hill Gang.^[28] That season, the Redskins made the playoffs for the first time since 1945 with a 9–4–1 mark.^[15] However, they lost in the Divisional Playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers, 24–20.^[27] The following season, the Redskins then hosted their first post-season game in Washington since 1942, where they beat the Green Bay Packers 16–3 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.^[10] The Redskins reached the NFC Championship Game, defeating Dallas 26–3, only to lose to the undefeated Miami Dolphins 14–7 in Super Bowl VII.^[27]

The Redskins again made the playoffs in 1973, 1974 and 1976, only to lose all three times in the first round.^[27] After his Redskins failed to make the playoffs in 1977 despite posting a 9–5 record,^[15] Allen was fired and was replaced by new head coach Jack Pardee, a star linebacker under Allen in Los Angeles and Washington.^[15] In his first year, his team started 6–0 but then lost 8 of the last 10 games. Then in the offseason, Redskins majority owner Jack Kent Cooke moved from Los Angeles to Virginia and took over the team's day-by-day operations from Edward Bennett Williams.^[22]

The Redskins chose well during the 1979 NFL Draft, where they drafted future stars Don Warren and Monte Coleman. They opened the 1979 season 6–2 and were 10–5 heading into the season finale at Texas Stadium, against whom a win would assure a playoff spot and a possible NFC East title. Washington led 34–28 with time running out, but quarterback Roger Staubach then led the Cowboys in a fourth-quarter comeback with two touchdown passes. The 35–34 loss knocked the 10–6 Redskins out of playoff contention.^[15] Pardee's quick success with the team did not go unnoticed, however, and he was named Associated Press Coach of the Year and UPI NFC Coach of the Year. Pardee's tenure did not last long though, for he was fired after posting a 6–10 record in 1980.^[15] He did, however, draft Art Monk in the first-round.

Gibbs' era (1981–1992)[link]

On January 13, 1981, owner Jack Kent Cooke signed the offensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers, Joe Gibbs, as their head coach.^[29] Also during the off-season, the Redskins acquired Mark May, Russ Grimm, and Dexter Manley in the 1981 NFL Draft, all of whom became significant contributors to the team for the next few years. After starting the 1981 season 0–5, the Redskins won eight out of their next 11 games and finished the season 8–8.^[29]

Starting on September 21, 1982,^[29] the NFL faced a 57-day long players' strike, which reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule to a nine-game schedule. Because of the shortened season, the NFL adopted a special 16-team playoff tournament, in which eight teams from each conference were seeded 1–8 based on their regular season records. After the strike was settled, the Redskins dominated, winning six out of the seven remaining games to make the playoffs for the first time since 1976.^[15]

On January 15, 1983, during the second round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Vikings, John Riggins rushed for a Redskins playoff record 185 yards, leading Washington to a 21–7 win and a place in the NFC Championship Game against Dallas, whom they beat 31 to 17.^[29] The Redskins' first Super Bowl win, and their first NFL Championship in 40 years, was in Super Bowl XVII, where the Redskins defeated the Miami Dolphins 27–17 on January 30, 1983.^[10] Riggins provided the game's signature play when, on 4th and inches, with the Redskins down 17–13, the coaches called "70 Chip" a play designed for short yardage.^[30] Riggins instead gained 43 yards (39 m) by running through would-be tackler Don McNeal and getting the go-ahead touchdown. The Redskins ended up winning by a 27–17 score.

The 1983 season marked the rookie debut of Darrell Green, selected in the 1983 NFL Draft along with Charles Mann, who played for twenty more seasons. On October 1, 1983, the Redskins lost to the Green Bay Packers 48–47 in the highest scoring Monday night football game in history, in which both teams combine for more than 1,000 yards (910 m) of total offense.^[29] Then during the regular-season finale on December 17, 1983, Moseley set an NFL scoring record with 161 points while Riggins' total of 144 points was second. This marked the first time since 1951 that the top two scorers in a season played on the same team.^[29] They dominated the NFL with a 14-win season which included scoring a then NFL record 541 points,^[31] many of which came from Riggins, who scored 24 touchdowns. In the postseason, the Redskins beat the Los Angeles Rams 51–7.^[10] The next week, Washington beat the San Francisco 49ers 24–21.^[10] It was their final win of the season because two weeks later, the Raiders beat the Redskins 38–9 in Super Bowl XVIII.^[10]

The Redskins finished the 1984 season with an 11–5 record,^[15] and won the NFC East for the third consecutive season.^[29] However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Chicago Bears, 23–19.^[10] On November 18, 1985, while playing against the Giants, Theismann broke his leg during a sack by Lawrence Taylor. The compound fracture forced him to retire after a 12-year career, during which he became the Redskins' all-time leader in pass attempts and completions.^[29]

The 1986 offseason's major highlight occurred during the 1986 NFL Draft, when the Redskins picked up future Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien in the sixth round. In 1986, the road to the playoffs was even harder, with the Redskins making the postseason as a wild-card team despite having a regular season record of 12–4.^[15] They won the Wild Card playoff against the Rams, and then again in the Divisional playoffs against the Bears. This game was Gibbs 70th career, which made him the winningest head coach in Redskins history.^[29] The season ended next week, however, when the Redskins lost to the Giants 17–0 in the NFC Championship game.^[10][29]

The 1987 season began with a 24-day players' strike, reducing the 16-game season to 15. The games for weeks 4–6 were won with all replacement players. The Redskins have the distinction of being the only team with no players crossing the picket line.^[32] Those three victories are often credited with getting the team into the playoffs and the basis for the 2000 movie The Replacements. The Redskins won their second championship in Super Bowl XXII on January 31, 1988, in San Diego, California. The Redskins routed the Denver Broncos 42–10^[10] after starting the game in a 10–0 deficit, the largest come-from-behind victory in Super Bowl history, which was tied by the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV, who trailed the Indianapolis Colts 10–0 after the 1st quarter, and won 31–17. This game is more famous for the stellar performance by quarterback Doug Williams who passed for four touchdowns in the second quarter en route to becoming the first black quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory.^[33] Rookie running back Timmy Smith had a great performance as well, running for a Super Bowl record 204 yards (187 m).^[33]

The Redskins returned to the playoffs in 1990 as a wild card team, but lost in the Divisional playoffs to the 49ers, 28–10.^[10]

The 1991 season started with a franchise-record with 11 straight victories.^[34] Also during the season, "The Hogs" allowed a league low and franchise record nine sacks – the third lowest total in NFL history.^[34] After posting a 14–2 record, the Redskins made and dominated the playoffs, beating the Falcons and Lions by a combined score of 64–17.^[10] On January 26, 1992, the Redskins won Super Bowl XXVI by defeating the Buffalo Bills 37–24.^[10] After the Super Bowl, the Redskins set another franchise record by sending eight players to the Pro Bowl.^[34]

The Redskins success in 1992 culminated in a trip to the playoffs as a wild card team, but they lost in the Divisional playoffs to the 49ers, 20–13.^[10] The most impressive feat during the season occurred on October 12, 1992, when Art Monk became the NFL's all-time leading pass receiver against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football by catching his 820th career reception.^[34] The era ended on March 5, 1993, when Joe Gibbs retired after twelve years of coaching with the Redskins.^[34] In what proved to be a temporary retirement, Gibbs pursued an interest in NASCAR by founding Joe Gibbs Racing.^[35]