Old Redskins questions I've always wondered about.......

[MartinC]

IIRC, he was high round draft material to begin with and then was one of the best WR in the USFL, Yes, he was expected to perform at a high-level right away (not at the level he did but at a solid number 2 for Monk).

My memory of that is that Kelvin Bryant was the big signing out of the USFL all the media were talking up as a huge coup. Bryant turned into a good 3rd down back but not the every down between the tackles runner he was touted as. Clark was thought of as good #3 and possible #2 type receiver as I recall but he was a very pleasant surprise.

Quick bit of googling - we drafted Clark in the 2nd round of the USFL supplemental draft in 1984. Our 1st round pick? Kicker Tony Zendejas ........

We had drafted Kelvin Bryant in the 7th round of the 1983 draft even though he had signed with the USFL and so held his NFL rights when the USFL folded.

[Chump Bailey]

Another part of this is that Schroeder and Williams didn't get along. The year before, when the Giants shut out the Skins in the NFC Championship Game, Schroeder was hurt during the game and, when Williams went onto the field to replace him, Schroeder yelled at him and humiliated him on the field in front of the team so he could finish the game. After the Super Bowl win, in a pre-season game against the Steelers, Williams played well while Schroeder was terrible, prompting fans in the stadium to chant, "We Want Doug!" Schroeder then publicly accused the offense of playing harder for Doug than him. It was at that point Beathard traded Schroeder to Oakland for Jim Lachey. Turned out to be a GREAT move for us and a not-so-good for the Raiders.

I never realized how pathetic Schroeder was.

[Darth Tater]

My memory of that is that Kelvin Bryant was the big signing out of the USFL all the media were talking up as a huge coup. Bryant turned into a good 3rd down back but not the every down between the tackles runner he was touted as. Clark was thought of as good #3 and possible #2 type receiver as I recall but he was a very pleasant surprise.

Kelvin Bryant didn't generate much excitement where I lived (since this was pre-internet though, we can only go by how people local to you felt). Don't know about how you thought but I know all my friends thought Clark was a definite #2 and possibly a number 1 (course some of that is because I lived in the DMV so knew people that knew JMU since, unlike today, you don't even have to be much of a geek to know the smaller schools). Also have numerous new paper articles at that time that were excited because the team had finally found a new Charlie Brown. In 1986, KB was seen as best as the return of Joe Washington since we already thought we had a better Riggo in George Rogers (didn't know George Rogers had a problem with the sniffles).

[HOF44]

On the issue of the USFL, how seriously did the local fanbase/media take the Washington Federals franchise? Were they seen as a threat to the Redskins, or was it more like a novelty that everyone thought would go away after a year or two?

Not seriously at all. But they did have part of the Pony Express!! Go Craig James!

[MartinC]

Kelvin Bryant didn't generate much excitement where I lived (since this was pre-internet though, we can only go by how people local to you felt). Don't know about how you thought but I know all my friends thought Clark was a definite #2 and possibly a number 1 (course some of that is because I lived in the DMV so knew people that knew JMU since, unlike today, you don't even have to be much of a geek to know the smaller schools). Also have numerous new paper articles at that time that were excited because the team had finally found a new Charlie Brown. In 1986, KB was seen as best as the return of Joe Washington since we already thought we had a better Riggo in George Rogers (didn't know George Rogers had a problem with the sniffles).

Its interesting that in those pre internet days you kind of got news and information where you could get it - and it tended to be more local. Bear in mind I was in the UK - although I spent some time in the US in 85 and 86. Bryant was a star in the USFL - he was in their All Star team and had big stats and 1,000 yard plus seasons every year. He was on my radar screen because of that and also I recall watching a preseaon or early season broadcast when one of the announcers was saying he thought Bryant would have more impact on the NFL than Herschel Walker who was the big splash/steal the Cowboys had made from the USFL.

Gary Clark was more of an unkown to me - came from a small school but was clearly someone with talent. I did not know what to expect from him but don't recall the Post (which was my main source of Redskins news back then) being all that high on him or at least not hyping him

Anyone remember how we came to get Ricky Sanders here - he was drafted in that same supplemental draft by the Patriots in the 1st round according to the table I just looked at but wound up signing with us??

[shakazullo]

(1) After Super Bowl XXII, and coming into the 1988 season, was Doug Williams publicly annointed the starting quarterback over Jay Schroeder? I seem to remember Schroeder being on the team up to at least training camp. What was the story?

Jay Shroeder was traded to the Raiders for Jim Lachey in one of the best robberies in Redskins history. We got a premiere left tackle for a QB who had talent but never had his head together. It was largely due to the locker room turning on Jay. Doug was beloved, and Jay was hated. Doug flip flopped with Mark Rypien in 1988, struggling with injuries. He hurt his back in the offseason in 1989 and had to retire.

(3) When George Rogers was brought in before the 1985 season, how did Riggins react, knowing that Rogers was going to be his replacement?

Riggins was on his last legs in 1984. He spent a lot of time in the training room and hospitals in traction and then getting out and playing on Sunday and going right back to the hospital on Monday. If there was a Salary Cap in 1985 he would have been cut. The re-signed him and everyone in the world knew that he was there for a paycheck and a thank you.

(4) When Dexter Manley was banned from the league, what was the general fan/local media reaction? When he returned to the league, why didn't the Redskins take him back? Too much history?

Dexter had been suspended prior to the banishment. There were many other things the Redskins never widely reported. Like Dexter passing out on a sidewalk in Georgetown. His play decreased. He was one sniff from lifetime ban. Once he was reinstated, the Redskins had no interest in him. He didn't do anything in Arizona or Tampa after he was reinstated, so the Redskins knew exactly what they were doing.

(5) When Theismann broke his leg in 1985, did the fanbase /local media/team expect that he would eventually return, or was the injury immediately deemed to be career ending?

Prior to his injury, Joe was fading. He was being booed by the home town crowd. He wouldn't have been back even if he was healthy. The injury actually immortalized his career for us. If he had not been hurt, he would have been benched, and cut after the season and would have gone the Art Monk route, and played a year or two in another jersey and it would have just been sad. Was the best thing that ever happened to Joe.

[2cents]

On the issue of the USFL, how seriously did the local fanbase/media take the Washington Federals franchise? Were they seen as a threat to the Redskins, or was it more like a novelty that everyone thought would go away after a year or two?

They were a total joke. I think they only won one or two games in their whole history. IIRC they lost every game their first season. And they weren't even close.

[balki1867]

Whatever happened to Timmy Smith after his breakout performance?

Interesting story about this one.

I read Mark May's book a few years back and his story about that Super Bowl week was that every veteran on the team knew that Timmy would get almost all the carries during the game. The thing is that they thought he was too much of a headcase to actually tell him that, so the official story (even to Timmy) was that George Rogers was getting the nod with Smith getting limited carries. Lo and behold Timmy had the game of his life.

He played one more (unspectacular) season for the Redskins and then one game for the Cowboys in 1990, before leaving football and falling on some hard times (including 2.5 years in prison).

http://www.pro-football-reference.co...S/SmitTi00.htm

[Darth Tater]

Its interesting that in those pre internet days you kind of got news and information where you could get it - and it tended to be more local. Bear in mind I was in the UK - although I spent some time in the US in 85 and 86. Bryant was a star in the USFL - he was in their All Star team and had big stats and 1,000 yard plus seasons every year. He was on my radar screen because of that and also I recall watching a preseaon or early season broadcast when one of the announcers was saying he thought Bryant would have more impact on the NFL than Herschel Walker who was the big splash/steal the Cowboys had made from the USFL.

Gary Clark was more of an unkown to me - came from a small school but was clearly someone with talent. I did not know what to expect from him but don't recall the Post (which was my main source of Redskins news back then) being all that high on him or at least not hyping him

Anyone remember how we came to get Ricky Sanders here - he was drafted in that same supplemental draft by the Patriots in the 1st round according to the table I just looked at but wound up signing with us??

KB was not on really on my radar screen because we had drafted him (ie, at that time, he was our "property" if he wanted to play in the NFL) and we already had Rogers. If we had not picked up Rogers (or Rogers had not been decent in 1985), I think we would have been excited but most of the talking heads I remember thought KB would be pretty much what he was (I do remember some media guys being excited about him in 1988). Interesting that you don't recall the WP hyping Clark. The idea of identifying Clark as the new Charlie Brown was from the WP. Of course a big part of that was that we had just drafted one of the biggest busts in Redskins history and needed someone to be what we thought he would be.

[grhqofb5]

[QUOTE=MartinC;8979605Anyone remember how we came to get Ricky Sanders here - he was drafted in that same supplemental draft by the Patriots in the 1st round according to the table I just looked at but wound up signing with us??[/QUOTE]

Not sure, but would like to know. Seemed by just emerge out of no where against the vikings late in the 1987 season.

[fifthorkid88]

Theismann wanted to come back and play for the Skins after the injury but the doctors and Gibbs felt it was too dangerous and didn't want him to play for his health...Per Theismann's request Jack Kent Cooke waived him and he went to Philly. Cooke and Gibbs actually wrote a pretty touching letter to Theismann (sentimental Skins fan here) when they released him, thanking him and such. I have a copy of it filed away somewhere, try to find it

Theismann never went to Philly......

[grhqofb5]

Of course a big part of that was that we had just drafted one of the biggest busts in Redskins history and needed someone to be what we thought he would be.

Who was the bust, Bob Slater (looks like he never played a single game)?

[UK SKINS FAN '74]

Anyone remember how we came to get Ricky Sanders here - he was drafted in that same supplemental draft by the Patriots in the 1st round according to the table I just looked at but wound up signing with us??

Prior to the 1984 NFL season, a USFL Supplemental Draft was held. Sanders was selected 16th overall in the first round by the New England Patriots. The Redskins were so intrigued by his performance in the USFL that they deemed him worthy of a 3rd round pick in the 1987 NFL Draft. The Redskins acquired the 23-year old's NFL rights from New England and signed him on August 11th, 1986.

http://www.thehogs.net/History/legen...y-sanders.html

[Darth Tater]

Who was the bust, Bob Slater (looks like he never played a single game)?

Walter Murray.

Oops, I was confusing the problems in 1984 of not having a second wide out and the talking heads saying the teams in the new pass happy NFL needed 3 quality WRs. Charlie Brown only played 9 games that year and Calvin Muhammed was showing indications that the Raiders had ripped us.

[BleedBNG]

Theismann never went to Philly......

Yep, he went to Lloyd's of London instead:
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/198...theismann-tyer

Art Monk closed out his career as an