I respect the Gibbs era but I’d be lying if I said I remember any more than bits and pieces from it.
The Gibbs era was more of an all-encompassing thing than a series of memorable moments. We were just really good for a really long time. Two of the "most memorable plays" mentioned here were huge runs our D gave up on drives that probably ended up with TDs for the other team. Great Darrell Green moments, but not exactly our best overall.
There were caveats, too. Two of our titles came in controversial strike seasons IIRC, we were one of the big-spending teams during that pre-cap time, there were some big losses, big injuries, and failed experiments. Not being able to get our hands on a true #1 QB during that era probably cost us a couple titles, but that was a byproduct of success, I guess (not drafting high and being before the free agency boom).
None of that tarnishes it for me though. I loved the Redskins.
This isn't some casual f***ing around party foul. He's in deep shit.
They really need to do more to help these guys manage their money. The league and players association should get together and set up mandatory programs. It's insane that this guy is less than 2 years removed from a $12 million career and is already up to this kind of shit. And I don't wanna hear the "But after taxes and agent fees it's really only X million" bullshit.
Someone should be in these guys' faces in an official capacity saying, "By NFL standards you are an unremarkable DB. Your career will not last forever and you will not make big money. You need to save every dollar you can," while showing them the statistics about how 80% of them end up broke a short time after their careers end.
This shit is tragic and happens way way way too often.
I was 10 .. wasnt a big Skins fan and actually a Broncos fan if anything. Elway was a stud and I liked their colors. My pop wasnt a football fan but he'd watch the Super bowls, do a little food thing etc.
I was 8 when they won their first one. I remember how pervasive it was in the community. EVERYONE was up for that game. It was everywhere. In our elementary school class they did this huge thing on the big bulletin board where everyone go to "be" one of the players and had to pick a number from a hat. I got 77, so I was gonna be Daryl Grant who'd just come up huge in the NFC title game. I was jazzed.
Then I found out I was a f***ing Dolphin. A.J. motherf***in Duhe. Heartbroken, I tell ya. Goddamn loser could have iced the game for the Dolphins but Theismann knocked the ball away from him. (Duhe was actually pretty great.)
I just thought about Green returning the punt for a TD against the bears, hurdling some dude, and clutching his ribs the last 10 or so yards.
That guy never got enough praise. So mild-mannered. If he'd been a shit-talker like Deion the whole world would remember him (same for Art Monk being similarly soft-spoken).
There was a thing on NFL network a few years back where they had a handful of HoF DBs having a roundtable discussion. Deion and Darrell were both there, but Darrell barely said anything. Deion couldn't shut up. Someone brought up being "The NFL's Fastest Man" and Deion went on and on about how much faster he was than Darrell, and Darrell was really good-natured about it but finally said, "Hey, you wanna go outside and race right now?"
Deion didn't want any part of that "Darrell runs a 4.4 40 at 50 years old" stuff. BIg laughs all around.