1969 Washington Redskins season

Offseason

During the week preceding Super Bowl III in January, rumors had circulated that Vince Lombardi had job offers from the Philadelphia Eagles, Boston Patriots, and Washington Redskins. The night before the Super Bowl, Lombardi met with Redskins president Edward Bennett Williams for dinner at Tony Sweet's restaurant. He agreed to coach the Redskins after Williams offered him complete authority over all personnel and football operations, the position of "Executive Vice President", and a 5% ownership stake. Following the death of founding owner George Preston Marshall in August, Williams became the majority owner.

NFL draft

Main article: 1969 NFL draft

Vince Lombardi

After stepping down as head coach of the Packers following the 1967 NFL season, a restless Lombardi returned to coaching in 1969 with the Washington Redskins, where he broke a string of 14 losing seasons. The 'Skins would finish with a record of 7–5–2, significant for a number of reasons. Lombardi discovered that rookie running back Larry Brown was deaf in one ear, something that had escaped his parents, schoolteachers, and previous coaches. Lombardi had observed Brown's habit of tilting his head in one direction when listening to signals being called, and walked behind him during drills and said "Larry." When Brown did not answer, the coach asked him to take a hearing exam. Brown was fitted with a hearing aid, and with this correction he would enjoy a successful NFL career.

Lombardi was the first coach to get quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, one of the league's premier passers but notoriously lax on fitness, into the best condition he could. Sam Huff came out of retirement exclusively to play for Lombardi. He even changed the team's uniform design to reflect that of the Packers, with gold and white trim along the jersey biceps, and later a gold helmet. The foundation Lombardi laid was the groundwork for Washington's early 1970s success under former Los Angeles Rams Coach George Allen. Lombardi had brought a winning attitude to the Nation's Capital, in the same year that the nearby University of Maryland had hired "Lefty" Driesell to coach basketball and the hapless Washington Senators named Ted Williams as manager. It marked a renaissance in sports interest in the Nation's capitol.

Lombardi lasted only one season with the Redskins; he was diagnosed with terminal cancer after the 1969 season and died shortly before the 1970 regular season was to start.

Roster

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× Taxi Squad only

Preseason

Regular season

Schedule

Season summary

Week 9 vs Cowboys

First quarter

• DAL – Mike Clark 36-yard field goal. Cowboys 3–0.

• WSH – Jerry Smith 27-yard pass from Sonny Jurgensen (Curt Knight kick). Redskins 7–3.

• DAL – Lance Rentzel 65-yard pass from Craig Morton (Mike Clark kick). Cowboys 10–7.

• DAL – Larry Cole 41-yard interception return (Mike Clark kick). Cowboys 17–7. Second quarter

• DAL – Calvin Hill 3-yard run (Mike Clark kick). Cowboys 24–7.

• WSH – Charley Taylor 68-yard pass from Sonny Jurgensen (Curt Knight kick). Cowboys 24–14.

• DAL – Mike Clark 14-yard field goal. Cowboys 27–14.

• WSH – Jerry Smith 11-yard pass from Sonny Jurgensen (Curt Knight kick). Cowboys 27–21. Third quarter

• DAL – Calvin Hill 7-yard run (Mike Clark kick). Cowboys 34–21.

• WSH – Jerry Smith 20-yard pass from Sonny Jurgensen (Curt Knight kick). Cowboys 34–28. Fourth quarter

• DAL – Dan Reeves 4-yard run (Mike Clark kick). Cowboys 41–28. ;Top passers

• DAL – Craig Morton – 8/17, 156 yards, TD, INT

• WSH – Sonny Jurgensen – 24/35, 338 yards, 4 TD, 4 INT ;Top rushers

• DAL – Calvin Hill – 27 rushes, 150 yards, 2 TD

• WSH – Larry Brown – 11 rushes, 38 yards ;Top receivers

• DAL – Lance Rentzel – 2 receptions, 84 yards, TD

• WSH – Charley Taylor – 6 receptions, 155 yards, TD

• President Richard Nixon was in attendance.

Week 12

• Larry Brown 19 Rush, 138 Yds

Standings

References

• Redskins on Pro Football Reference

References

1. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 452, Simon & Schuster, 1999, {{ISBN. 978-0-684-84418-3
2. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 453, Simon & Schuster, 1999, {{ISBN. 978-0-684-84418-3
3. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 457, Simon & Schuster, 1999, {{ISBN. 978-0-684-84418-3
4. [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196912070phi.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com]. Retrieved 2016-Dec-17.