1969 Washington Redskins season

The 1969 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 38th season in the National Football League. The team improved on their 5–9 record from 1968, by hiring legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi. Sam Huff (a future member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame) came out of retirement specifically to play for Lombardi and finished with a record of 7–5–2.

1969 Washington Redskins season
OwnerEdward Bennett Williams
Head coachVince Lombardi
General managerVince Lombardi
Home fieldRFK Stadium
Results
Record7–5–2
Division place2nd NFL Capitol
Playoff finishDid not qualify

Offseason

During Super Bowl III, rumors had circulated that Vince Lombardi had job offers from the Philadelphia Eagles, the Boston Patriots, and the Washington Redskins.[1] The night before the Super Bowl, Lombardi met with Redskins president Edward Bennett Williams for dinner at Tony Sweet's restaurant.[2] Lombardi 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 in the team.[3]

NFL Draft
Main article: 1969 NFL Draft
Round Pick Player Position School/Club Team
246Eugene EppsDefensive backTexas-El Paso
362Ed CrossRunning backPine Bluff
5114Bill KishmanDefensive backColorado State
6139Harold McLintonLinebackerSouthern
7166Jeff AndersonRunning backVirginia
7173John DidionCenterOregon State
8191Larry BrownRunning backKansas State
11269Eric NorriDefensive tackleNotre Dame
12295Bob ShannonDefensive backTennessee State
13322Michael ShookDefensive backNorth Texas
14347Rick BrandDefensive tackleVirginia
15374Paul RogersTackleVirginia
16399Mike WashingtonLinebackerSouthern
17426Rich DobbertDefensive endSpringfield (Massachusetts)

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 soft-bellied quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, one of the league's premier forward passers, to get into the best condition he could. He coaxed former All-Pro linebacker Sam Huff out of retirement. 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 L.A. 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
1969 Washington Redskins roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad



Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Game
recap
1 September 21 at New Orleans Saints W 26–20 1–0 Tulane Stadium 73,147 Recap
2 September 28 at Cleveland Browns L 23–27 1–1 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 82,581 Recap
3 October 5 at San Francisco 49ers T 17–17 1–1–1 Kezar Stadium 35,642 Recap
4 October 12 St. Louis Cardinals W 33–17 2–1–1 RFK Stadium 50,481 Recap
5 October 19 New York Giants W 20–14 3–1–1 RFK Stadium 50,352 Recap
6 October 26 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 14–7 4–1–1 Pitt Stadium 46,557 Recap
7 November 2 at Baltimore Colts L 17–41 4–2–1 Memorial Stadium 60,238 Recap
8 November 9 Philadelphia Eagles T 28–28 4–2–2 RFK Stadium 50,502 Recap
9 November 16 Dallas Cowboys L 28–41 4–3–2 RFK Stadium 50,474 Recap
10 November 23 Atlanta Falcons W 27–20 5–3–2 RFK Stadium 50,345 Recap
11 November 30 Los Angeles Rams L 13–24 5–4–2 DC Stadium 50,352 Recap
12 December 7 at Philadelphia Eagles W 34–29 6–4–2 Franklin Field 60,658 Recap
13 December 14 New Orleans Saints W 17–14 7–4–2 DC Stadium 50,354 Recap
14 December 21 at Dallas Cowboys L 10–20 7–5–2 Cotton Bowl 56,924 Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Week 12
1 234Total
• Redskins 7 6147 34
Eagles 7 9310 29
  • Date: December 7
  • Location: Franklin Field
  • Game attendance: 60,658
  • Game weather: Sleet; 32°F; wind 10

[4]

Standings
NFL Capitol
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Dallas Cowboys 11 2 1 .846 6–0 9–1 369 223 W3
Washington Redskins 7 5 2 .583 3–2–1 6–3–1 307 319 L1
New Orleans Saints 5 9 0 .357 1–5 4–6 311 393 W1
Philadelphia Eagles 4 9 1 .308 1–4–1 4–5–1 279 377 L4

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

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. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-17.
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