1969 Washington Redskins season
Encyclopedia
The 1969
Washington Redskins
began with the team trying to improve on their 5-9 record from 1968, and they did by hiring legendary Green Bay Packers
head coach Vince Lombardi, and Pro Football Hall of Fame
r Sam Huff
came out of retirement to play for Vince Lombardi.
, rumours had circulated that Vince Lombardi had job offers from the Philadelphia Eagles, the New England Patriots, and the Washington Redskins. The night before the Super Bowl, Lombardi met with Redskins pres Edward Bennett Williams for dinner at Tony Sweet’s restaurant. Lombardi agreed to coach the Redskins because he had the opportunity to become a shareholder with the Redskins.
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 America's most transient of cities.
1969 NFL season
The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
began with the team trying to improve on their 5-9 record from 1968, and they did by hiring legendary Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
head coach Vince Lombardi, and Pro Football Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
r Sam Huff
Sam Huff
Robert Lee "Sam" Huff is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982....
came out of retirement to play for Vince Lombardi.
Offseason
During Super Bowl IIISuper Bowl III
Super Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl". This game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history...
, rumours had circulated that Vince Lombardi had job offers from the Philadelphia Eagles, the New England Patriots, and the Washington Redskins. The night before the Super Bowl, Lombardi met with Redskins pres Edward Bennett Williams for dinner at Tony Sweet’s restaurant. Lombardi agreed to coach the Redskins because he had the opportunity to become a shareholder with the Redskins.
NFL Draft
| Round # | |Player | |College | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 191 | Larry Brown Larry Brown (running back) Lawrence "Larry" Brown, Jr. is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played running back for the Washington Redskins from 1969 to 1976.... |
RB Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
Kansas State Kansas State Wildcats football The Kansas State Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate football program of the Kansas State University Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference... |
Vince Lombardi
After stepping down as head coach of the PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
following the 1967 NFL season
1967 NFL season
The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. The league's teams were realigned into four divisions: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Central and...
, a restless Lombardi returned to coaching in 1969
1969 NFL season
The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, 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
Sonny Jurgensen
Christian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983....
, 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
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
Coach George Allen
George Allen (football)
George Herbert Allen was an American football coach in the National Football League and the United States Football League. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.-Early life:...
. Lombardi had brought a winning attitude to the Nation's Capital, in the same year that the nearby University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
had hired "Lefty" Driesell to coach basketball and the hapless Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
named Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
as manager. It marked a renaissance in sports interest in America's most transient of cities.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 21, 1969 | at New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
W 26-20 |
| 2 | September 28, 1969 | at Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 27-23 |
| 3 | October 5, 1969 | at San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
T 17-17 |
| 4 | October 12, 1969 | St. Louis Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 33-17 |
| 5 | October 19, 1969 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 20-14 |
| 6 | October 26, 1969 | at Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
W 14-7 |
| 7 | November 2, 1969 | at Baltimore Colts | L 41-17 |
| 8 | November 9, 1969 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
T 28-28 |
| 9 | November 16, 1969 | Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
L 41-28 |
| 10 | November 23, 1969 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 27-20 |
| 11 | November 30, 1969 | Los Angeles Rams | L 24-13 |
| 12 | December 7, 1969 | at Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 34-29 |
| 13 | December 14, 1969 | New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
W 17-14 |
| 14 | December 21, 1969 | at Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
L 20-10 |
Standings
| NFL Capital | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| Dallas Cowboys 1969 Dallas Cowboys season The 1969 Dallas Cowboys season was their tenth in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 12–2, winning only eleven games. They qualified for the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:... |
11 | 2 | 1 | .846 | 369 | 223 | W-3 |
| Washington Redskins | 7 | 5 | 2 | .583 | 307 | 319 | L-1 |
| New Orleans Saints 1969 New Orleans Saints season The 1969 New Orleans Saints season was the team's third as a member of the National Football League. They improved on their previous season's output of 4-9-1, winning five games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season. Tom Dempsey led the team in scoring with... |
5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 311 | 393 | W-1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles 1969 Philadelphia Eagles season The 1969 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 37th in the league. They improved on their previous output of 2–12, winning four games. Despite the improvement, the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season.-1969 NFL Draft:... |
4 | 9 | 1 | .308 | 279 | 377 | L-4 |