What did Skins owner Jack Kent Cooke say about George Allen? “ I gave him an unlimited budget and he exceeded it.” Great footage of this talented stable of RB’s. Eddie Brown used to get a few carries also and was a great KR for a couple of seasons. Don’t recall if it was in 1976 though. Only one football to go around. Excellent look back Mark!
Larry Brown was one tough motherf*cker. He could really play. Some guy named Vince Lombardi decided to sign Brown. Lombardi noticed that Brown could not hear well in one ear and had a hearing aid intallled in his helmet. The FB on these Redskin teams was Charley Harraway and he was a pretty darn good player too.
One of the things that I like is seeing linemen pull out there and actually hit someone. Now it’s like guys get out there and are just an obstruction for the defenders to run around (Quentin Nelson being an exception, of course).
I appreciate that, Joey. It's fun putting these videos together. I have some interesting topics to cover in future videos that I'm really excited about. I hope that you enjoy them, too.
I'd also totally forgotten that Terry Metcalf played a year with the Redskins. They really picked up several good backs from relative obscurity. Kelvin Bryant was another. Great college career at UNC and then in the USFL before being picked up by the Redskins, along with another USFL star, Gary Clark!
@markgardner9460 And of course Herschel Walker. Dallas shrewdly used a draft pick on him out of college so they'd be sure to get him when the USFL folded, which was pretty predictable
@@mhlaw229Minnesota got Anthony Carter from Miami in a trade for Robin Sendelin and a second round draft choice; a rare instance where the Vikes got over! Of course with the Dolphins having the Marks Brothers ( Clayton and Duper) made Carter expendable of course the Walker trade was a disaster for the Vikes!
Goods vid, Mark. Thanks. My dad loved the unkempt old-man sloppiness of those late '70's Skin's teams. Kilmer was a wreck to look at, but, he was all in on every snap. Diron Talbert and a ton of overweight older vets on defense (Pat Fisher was old, not fat). George Allen was a true maniac as well! 😂
They had 2 beer-bellied QB's on the team from '70-'74. I'm not sure if Kilmer or Jurgensen had the bigger one, but it didn't matter because they were gutsy as could be - they'd hang in there until the last second before throwing the ball. It always seemed like Dave Butz's jersey was hanging out (probably from being held so much). Thanks!!
Another great video. I didn't realize the Redskins had so many good running backs during that time frame. Interesting to see Riggins catching passes from Namath. It made me think back. I don't recall the Redskins QBs throwing him a single pass during all his time there
Great post!! I wondered how it was that Calvin Hill, a star Dallas RB, ended up at arch-rival Washington and you answered it with the WFL in between!! He had some tough injuries including a torn ACL that was misdiagnosed as a bruised knee. WTF. I didn't realize he is the father of NBA star Grant Hill.
@markgardner9460 unfortunately here in New England, the second game on that Saturday was the controversial "roughing the passer" call in the Patriots-Raiders playoff game. It would have been the Patriots -Steelers in AFC championship game at Three Rivers as Pittsburgh destroyed Bert Jones and the Colts in that playoff game.
George Allen valued vets over rooks and young players, thus the sobriquet "Over the Hill Gang"...I always enjoyed Larry Brown 100% "football player". Metcalf, Thomas fun to watch good clutch backs. Calvin Hill, what balance, a guy who seemed to dance to his own tune, kinda like Riggins. Riggo was a favorite of mine, he with the Mohawked mane when w/The Jets. Riggo actually gained more yards in his 30s than 20s. Thanks brother, I appreciate the memories.
Washington was the Free Agent Capital of the League in those days. They loved grabbing veterans from other teams. They were the Shay Acres of the league. Hard to argue with what works though. They made the NFC East a crowded division in the 1970's. And it became even more crowded when Joe Gibbs took over, and with Tuna in NY. When Washington played Dallas, it was like a heavyweight championship fight. The Rivalry still has it's charm even today. But it was pretty intense when both were great teams.
I'm with you on that. Most of Pastorini's hits were double wammys due to the rock hard Astrodome artificial turf. In Brown's autobiography, he stated that the hardest hit he ever sustained was from Willie Lanier who stuck the crown of his helmet into Brown's stomach.
The handoff discipline in this era still astounds me. Is it really star power in the backfield if the guys are in the twilight of their careers? It doesn't look to me that Calvin Hill or Terry Metcalf really did much for the Redskins. Love the video, thanks.
Well, the players had the big names, even if some of them may not have had much left in the tank. It's kind of like the Cowboys now with Elliott and Cook. Fans and fantasy football players are drawn towards the big names, regardless of how they actually perform. At least that's my take. I'm glad that you like the video!
A bunch of complete studs! Every one of these guys brought something special to the game. Some (Terry Metcalf, Joe Washington, Wilbur Jackson) brought explosive speed and moves, some brought incredible toughness and drive (Larry Brown and Mike Thomas) and Riggens brought "The Diesel" to turn opponents into part of the turf as they ran through and over them. Riggens ran like Marv Hubbard (but with much more speed), he would have fit right in with The Raiders. By the time he joined up with "The Hogs", that 230 was more like 260, and he could still move it like no man his size. Two great Redskin eras and a plethora of headaches for enemy defenses for years.
Thanks for your comments. You're right about Riggo putting on the weight later in his career. He had a big gut, but he was even more difficult to tackle than ever.
Riggo was a tough as nails running back and extremely quotable! "Lighten up Sandy ,baby! To Judge Sandra Day O'Connor at a black tie event in DC,Riggens supposedly threw up in front of her and passed out drunk later." I'm bored, I'm broke and I'm back!😂" Football was never my life, it's hanging with the guys"
In '72, he finished with the 3rd most carries in the NFL. George Allen sat him for the last 2 games of the regular season in order to rest him for the playoffs. So, he averaged 24 carries per game!
@@markgardner9460 - Brown was a workhorse alright, what made it crazy was they knew he was gonna be getting the ball and they still had trouble stopping him that year. Wasnt till Miami that could stop him with that killer Defense of theirs, underrated but the best at that time i think.
@@hammer44headThe Dolphins held the Redskins to 228 yards longest gain was 15 yards!; WOW! Larry Brown had 5 carries 26 yards over 5 yards a carry in a limited sample size
@@markgardner9460 Yeah it was pretty boring for sure, steve posted above the total yardage for the Redskins was 228 which shocked me i thought it would have been just over a hundred barely. In my memory Skins couldnt do squat but it was a long time ago.
Yes he was. I think that he's Hall of Fame caliber and dedicated a video to him in that regard - it's in my Playlist under "Special Features" if you're interested.
They were a pretty conservative offense. Defenses tended to guess when they were going to run and schemed accordingly. Thus, their yards per carry was back of the pack.
@@markgardner9460He had an uncanny trait that many backs had (Marcus Allen the best) of receiving glancing hits not head ache shots. Conversely he would lay the wood to defenders.
@ I far prefer Gibbs as he was more multi dimensional, levelheaded, and someone who treated everyone well. Of course you’d want to beat him as an opponent, but universally respected (and looking great at 84). Allen… really easy to dislike as an opponent and treated Sonny very poorly
Larry Brown was great he just got pounded into the ground. Took a lot hits. Mike Thomas was very good for a short time. Calvin was past his prime with the Redskins. Riggo one of the greatest players of all time! Metcalf was another who’s best days behind him but Joe Washington was a great player . In the SB that they got destroyed by the Raiders, I always thought they should have gone more with Joe. Because the Raiders had Riggins number that day .
I have done that in another video that was solely dedicated to him that is located in my playlist. So I thought that I would add The Count of Monte Cristo photo instead.
I remember that well! I also remember a game, where John Riggins was wearing a derby on the sidelines and laughing while the Jets were getting killed. I believe that this was one of the reasons why they got rid of him. He never quite reached his potential with the Jets. Surprise, surprise, surprise.
Riggins said that the Jets would always primarily be a passing team with the Jets and he didn't care for that. So, he asked for the same salary that Namath had, they refused, he played out his option and became a free agent
the beat to death question of why not using riggins more. he was coming off his best season on a horrible team. how could redskin coaching not see his potential?
You might have already done this video, but maybe I can give you an idea. The best offensive and defensive linemen of the AFL if you can’t that’s okay.
I have to disagree that Riggins was not much of a blocker. George Allen pretty much turned him into a blocking back the years he coached him.and he threw the best block I have seen a running back throw against the Lions in 1979.
He coached him in '76 and '77 & he only played 19 games for him. Perhaps he was a better run blocker than pass blocker. From what I saw as a pass blocker, it had a lot to be desired.
Those moments when players like this over-lap are pretty special. Past, present, and a diesel-powered future.
Oh, the memories! I really enjoy these videos. Thanks.
Glad you like them!
What did Skins owner Jack Kent Cooke say about George Allen? “ I gave him an unlimited budget and he exceeded it.” Great footage of this talented stable of RB’s. Eddie Brown used to get a few carries also and was a great KR for a couple of seasons. Don’t recall if it was in 1976 though. Only one football to go around. Excellent look back Mark!
For '76, these 4 guys were the only rushers, but thanks for bringing up Eddie's name - hadn't came across it in years.
@@evanmeier3570 Funny quote I believe it was Edward Bennett Williams actually said that about Allen!
@@stevenzimmerman4057 you are correct. The 3 names always confuse me. lol.
@evanmeier3570 it was a great quote no matter who said it
Larry Brown was one tough motherf*cker. He could really play. Some guy named Vince Lombardi decided to sign Brown. Lombardi noticed that Brown could not hear well in one ear and had a hearing aid intallled in his helmet.
The FB on these Redskin teams was Charley Harraway and he was a pretty darn good player too.
You're right on all accounts. I looked up Harraway and saw that he was a NFL 18th round draft choice, so he did amazingly well for himself.
@@markgardner9460 Signs of a misspent youth....
One of the things that I like is seeing linemen pull out there and actually hit someone. Now it’s like guys get out there and are just an obstruction for the defenders to run around (Quentin Nelson being an exception, of course).
Larry Brown was always one of my favorite players
Mine too, especially after I read his autobiography "I'll Always Get Up"
@@richardwrask497 Mine too because he was so gritty and gave his all which hastened his decline but what heart he had!
Larry Brown took some big hits and still played hurt 😞
Great video again! Really appreciate your hard work 🙏! Joey in Cleveland
I appreciate that, Joey. It's fun putting these videos together. I have some interesting topics to cover in future videos that I'm really excited about. I hope that you enjoy them, too.
John Riggins: feet never more than a couple of inches off the ground when going through traffic. Perfect running style.
It was very difficult to knock him off his pegs that way
I always thought Joe Washington was a bit under-rated.
Joe was electrifying! He had terrific moves and amazing quickness - loved watching him play.
Joe was extremely fun to watch!
Agreed!
I'd also totally forgotten that Terry Metcalf played a year with the Redskins. They really picked up several good backs from relative obscurity. Kelvin Bryant was another. Great college career at UNC and then in the USFL before being picked up by the Redskins, along with another USFL star, Gary Clark!
Good call on Kelvin Bryant! I had forgotten about Clark playing in the USFL.
@markgardner9460 Yeah, remember Jim Kelly and Anthony Carter came in from the USFL too
@markgardner9460 And of course Herschel Walker. Dallas shrewdly used a draft pick on him out of college so they'd be sure to get him when the USFL folded, which was pretty predictable
@@mhlaw229Minnesota got Anthony Carter from Miami in a trade for Robin Sendelin and a second round draft choice; a rare instance where the Vikes got over! Of course with the Dolphins having the Marks Brothers ( Clayton and Duper) made Carter expendable of course the Walker trade was a disaster for the Vikes!
I fondly remember the game that Carter had in that mid-'80's playoff game against the 49ers
Goods vid, Mark. Thanks. My dad loved the unkempt old-man sloppiness of those late '70's Skin's teams. Kilmer was a wreck to look at, but, he was all in on every snap. Diron Talbert and a ton of overweight older vets on defense (Pat Fisher was old, not fat). George Allen was a true maniac as well! 😂
They had 2 beer-bellied QB's on the team from '70-'74. I'm not sure if Kilmer or Jurgensen had the bigger one, but it didn't matter because they were gutsy as could be - they'd hang in there until the last second before throwing the ball. It always seemed like Dave Butz's jersey was hanging out (probably from being held so much). Thanks!!
Another great video. I didn't realize the Redskins had so many good running backs during that time frame. Interesting to see Riggins catching passes from Namath. It made me think back. I don't recall the Redskins QBs throwing him a single pass during all his time there
He only had 34 receptions during the last 5 years of his stay in Washington.
@@markgardner9460 Really! I just don't recall him catching any passes. Good job buddy
Great post!! I wondered how it was that Calvin Hill, a star Dallas RB, ended up at arch-rival Washington and you answered it with the WFL in between!! He had some tough injuries including a torn ACL that was misdiagnosed as a bruised knee. WTF. I didn't realize he is the father of NBA star Grant Hill.
That medical diagnosis was typical of '70's team doctors - anything to keep the player on the field of play. Thank you for your comments!
And Roger Staubach suggested the name Grant. Pretty cool.
I did not know that
Redskins were good in 1976 but lost to Minnesota in the playoffs on a Saturday afternoon to open that year's NFL playoffs.
Thank you for noting that the game was played on a Saturday. I had forgotten that, even though I had watched the game on tv.
@markgardner9460 unfortunately here in New England, the second game on that Saturday was the controversial "roughing the passer" call in the Patriots-Raiders playoff game. It would have been the Patriots -Steelers in AFC championship game at Three Rivers as Pittsburgh destroyed Bert Jones and the Colts in that playoff game.
That was a joke of a call on Sugar Bear Hamilton! That Pitt/Balt game was played AT Baltimore, too. The Steelers just destroyed the Colts.
George Allen valued vets over rooks and young players, thus the sobriquet "Over the Hill Gang"...I always enjoyed Larry Brown 100% "football player". Metcalf, Thomas fun to watch good clutch backs. Calvin Hill, what balance, a guy who seemed to dance to his own tune, kinda like Riggins. Riggo was a favorite of mine, he with the Mohawked mane when w/The Jets. Riggo actually gained more yards in his 30s than 20s. Thanks brother, I appreciate the memories.
@@jammininthepast Great takes!
@stevenzimmerman4057 That is an honor coming from you my friend.
More yards in his 30's than 20's...amazing! That hadn't happened too many times I'm sure.
Washington was the Free Agent Capital of the League in those days. They loved grabbing veterans from other teams. They were the Shay Acres of the league. Hard to argue with what works though. They made the NFC East a crowded division in the 1970's. And it became even more crowded when Joe Gibbs took over, and with Tuna in NY. When Washington played Dallas, it was like a heavyweight championship fight. The Rivalry still has it's charm even today. But it was pretty intense when both were great teams.
George Allen's mantra was "The future is now!"
@@markgardner9460 his nickname was Ice cream!
I'd forgotten about that!
This observation is entirely anecdotal, but Larry Brown and Dan Pastorini took the hardest, most brutal hits during the 1970s.
I'm with you on that. Most of Pastorini's hits were double wammys due to the rock hard Astrodome artificial turf. In Brown's autobiography, he stated that the hardest hit he ever sustained was from Willie Lanier who stuck the crown of his helmet into Brown's stomach.
The Giants must have had a grudge against LB too. Some serious spearing and late hits, many of which happened after LB scored a TD.
@@smarks12 Archie Manning took some serious shots too!
The handoff discipline in this era still astounds me. Is it really star power in the backfield if the guys are in the twilight of their careers? It doesn't look to me that Calvin Hill or Terry Metcalf really did much for the Redskins. Love the video, thanks.
Well, the players had the big names, even if some of them may not have had much left in the tank. It's kind of like the Cowboys now with Elliott and Cook. Fans and fantasy football players are drawn towards the big names, regardless of how they actually perform. At least that's my take. I'm glad that you like the video!
Hi Mark - he took a beating… wait I put on my red Larry Brown jersey for this one
I still need to score that Brown jersey! It's been on my want list for awhile.
That 76 Viking D was a dominating group , unfortunately their offense couldn’t get it done against the Raiders in Super Bowl 11
They were run over - even moreso than against the Dolphins and Steelers in the Super Bowls against them.
@ Damn shame
@@markgardner9460 Seeing the Raiders carrying Madden off the field was not one of my favorite memories!
A bunch of complete studs! Every one of these guys brought something special to the game. Some (Terry Metcalf, Joe Washington, Wilbur Jackson) brought explosive speed and moves, some brought incredible toughness and drive (Larry Brown and Mike Thomas) and Riggens brought "The Diesel" to turn opponents into part of the turf as they ran through and over them. Riggens ran like Marv Hubbard (but with much more speed), he would have fit right in with The Raiders. By the time he joined up with "The Hogs", that 230 was more like 260, and he could still move it like no man his size. Two great Redskin eras and a plethora of headaches for enemy defenses for years.
Thanks for your comments. You're right about Riggo putting on the weight later in his career. He had a big gut, but he was even more difficult to tackle than ever.
Riggo was a tough as nails running back and extremely quotable! "Lighten up Sandy ,baby! To Judge Sandra Day O'Connor at a black tie event in DC,Riggens supposedly threw up in front of her and passed out drunk later." I'm bored, I'm broke and I'm back!😂" Football was never my life, it's hanging with the guys"
Larry Brown pound for pound might be the toughest RB ever! Totally fearless!
Jeff Siemon was a very good tackler and Riggo bounced off him like a speed bump! 4:12
If you didn't know you might have a hard time believing that Mike Thomas would be Redskins rushing leader!
Hill & Brown were pretty much used up at this point. Hill would make a comeback of sorts as a 3rd down receiving back with Cleveland
Glad he was not playing in our division against the Steelers!
Riggins?
Hard to believe Larry Brown had any legs left by 76, man i never seen someone so used like Larry was in 72.
In '72, he finished with the 3rd most carries in the NFL. George Allen sat him for the last 2 games of the regular season in order to rest him for the playoffs. So, he averaged 24 carries per game!
@@markgardner9460 - Brown was a workhorse alright, what made it crazy was they knew he was gonna be getting the ball and they still had trouble stopping him that year. Wasnt till Miami that could stop him with that killer Defense of theirs, underrated but the best at that time i think.
@@hammer44headThe Dolphins held the Redskins to 228 yards longest gain was 15 yards!; WOW! Larry Brown had 5 carries 26 yards over 5 yards a carry in a limited sample size
I watched that Super Bowl on tv and for the most part it was a snoozer.
@@markgardner9460 Yeah it was pretty boring for sure, steve posted above the total yardage for the Redskins was 228 which shocked me i thought it would have been just over a hundred barely. In my memory Skins couldnt do squat but it was a long time ago.
Larry Brown was a helluva back.
Yes he was. I think that he's Hall of Fame caliber and dedicated a video to him in that regard - it's in my Playlist under "Special Features" if you're interested.
And they combined to help lead the '76 team to rank 20th of 28 in yards per carry that season.
They were a pretty conservative offense. Defenses tended to guess when they were going to run and schemed accordingly. Thus, their yards per carry was back of the pack.
John Riggins was a man in an era of men 🤣
He was like tackling a runaway manhole cover
@ 🤣 Good one!
@@markgardner9460He had an uncanny trait that many backs had (Marcus Allen the best) of receiving glancing hits not head ache shots. Conversely he would lay the wood to defenders.
My team and I remember this version well. I don’t think Allen ever used Calvin Hill very well… great defensive coach not so much on offense.
I agree with you about George on both counts.
@ I far prefer Gibbs as he was more multi dimensional, levelheaded, and someone who treated everyone well. Of course you’d want to beat him as an opponent, but universally respected (and looking great at 84). Allen… really easy to dislike as an opponent and treated Sonny very poorly
Larry Brown was great he just got pounded into the ground. Took
a lot hits. Mike Thomas was very good for a short time. Calvin was past his prime with the Redskins. Riggo one of the greatest players of all time! Metcalf was another who’s best days behind him but Joe Washington was a great player . In the SB that they got destroyed by the Raiders, I always thought they should have gone more with Joe. Because the Raiders had Riggins number that day .
The Redskins only ran Washington 3X in that Super Bowl in which they were favored to win by 2 points, but lost 38 to 9.
You should have showed Riggins sporting the Mohawk with the Jets
I have done that in another video that was solely dedicated to him that is located in my playlist. So I thought that I would add The Count of Monte Cristo photo instead.
I remember that well! I also remember a game, where John Riggins was wearing a derby on the sidelines and laughing while the Jets were getting killed. I believe that this was one of the reasons why they got rid of him. He never quite reached his potential with the Jets. Surprise, surprise, surprise.
Riggins said that the Jets would always primarily be a passing team with the Jets and he didn't care for that. So, he asked for the same salary that Namath had, they refused, he played out his option and became a free agent
the beat to death question of why not using riggins more. he was coming off his best season on a horrible team. how could redskin coaching not see his potential?
Great question! Thomas ran the ball 92X more than Riggins in '76.
@@markgardner9460 i know thomas had a good season but he declined shortly after where the diesel was just getting started.
Thomas had over 700 carries in his first three years which was too many for a guy who wasn't that big physically. George Allen burned him out.
You might have already done this video, but maybe I can give you an idea. The best offensive and defensive linemen of the AFL if you can’t that’s okay.
I have not yet done that, so I'll add it to my ever-increasing list. Thank you!
@@TooRandomForYou That sounds like a great video!
🇺🇸👍
I have to disagree that Riggins was not much of a blocker. George Allen pretty much turned him into a blocking back the years he coached him.and he threw the best block I have seen a running back throw against the Lions in 1979.
He coached him in '76 and '77 & he only played 19 games for him. Perhaps he was a better run blocker than pass blocker. From what I saw as a pass blocker, it had a lot to be desired.