Tag: Charley Taylor

This stat shows just how unique Deebo Samuel is

49ers WR Deebo Samuel needs 46 rushing yards the rest of this season to do something only one other player in NFL history has done.

There aren’t many players currently in the NFL quite like 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel. In fact, there aren’t many players in NFL history quite like him.

Through 63 career games Samuel has posted 4,017 receiving yards and 954 rushing yards. That puts him on the edge of putting up a statistical output that’s only been matched by one player ever.

If Samuel on Monday night vs. the Ravens can rush for 46 yards and reach the 1,000-yard plateau, he’d become the second player in NFL history to post at least 4,000 receiving yards and 1,000 rushing yards in his first five seasons per the 49ers.

Charley Taylor, a Hall of Famer who spent his entire career in Washington, also hit those two marks with 4,150 receiving yards and 1,416 rushing yards in his first five years.

It doesn’t take long when watching the 49ers to realize that Samuel is just a little bit different. Stats like these though highlight just how rare it is for a player to produce like this. Samuel may not reach 46 rushing yards against the Ravens – he’s not hit that number all year and Baltimore has a very good defense – but he’s trending toward reaching it by the time his fifth season ends which would put him in rarified air alongside Taylor.

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50 years ago today, remembering a Washington NFC Championship

Remembering Washington’s 1972 win over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC championship.

50 years ago Saturday (December 31, 1972), I was in the upstairs living room of my neighbor’s home (the Broy family) watching on their color TV set the Washington Redskins win the NFC Championship Game over Dallas 26-3.

Oh, there was such an energy of anticipation leading up to that game. Dallas was the hated divisional rival. Hated because not only were they in the division, but frankly because they had won the NFC the previous two seasons (1970-71), and winning the Super Bowl over Miami to close out the 1971 season.

In the ’72 season, the Redskins had waltzed through the NFC 11-1 before resting some players the last two weeks to finish 11-3. They had already wrapped up the division title and home field, while Dallas would be the fourth team to qualify (wild card) with the three division winners Washington, Green Bay and San Francisco.

Week one of the playoffs saw Washington shut down Green Bay 16-3 at RFK, while Dallas had traveled to San Francisco, overcome a 28-13 deficit, winning 30-28, setting up the heated rivalry game for the NFC Championship at RFK.

In the AFC’s first week of the playoffs, the Steelers via the Immaculate Reception by Franco Harris had defeated the Raiders 13-7 and the Dolphins remained undefeated, with a 20-14 win over the Browns.

In Week two of the playoffs, the AFC Championship saw Miami defeat Pittsburgh in the early game 21-17 to win the AFC, so we all knew if Washington won this RFK game, they would have to face the undefeated 16-0 Dolphins in Super Bowl VII.

Many particulars of that NFC championship game have blurred over five decades. Yet a few memories have remained crystal clear. A first-half slant-pattern to Charley Taylor from Billy Kilmer to lead 10-3 at the half. There was also a feeling of nervousness that Washington still only led 10-3 after three quarters.

When suddenly, the game was blown wide open! Billy Kilmer’s 45-yard pass down the right sideline was chased down by Taylor for a 17-3 lead. It seemed like Washington scored each possession in the final quarter as Curt Knight then added three consecutive field goals until it was 26-3. Washington was routing Dallas and going to the Super Bowl!

RFK was going crazy! Washington fans stormed the field in the last seconds. Redskins head coach George Allen was being carried off of the field when suddenly a Redskins fan, wanting a souvenir of the NFC Championship euphoria, suddenly (and selfishly) reached up and yanked Allen’s cap right off of his head.

The band was playing “Hail to the Redskins;” I can still see the joy of the players and fans, those gold uniform pants, with the Burgundy jerseys and the unmistakable helmet logo, which had been suggested by a Native American chief himself. It was the first season Washington wore that helmet logo, and it would be theirs through the 2019 season.

50 years ago, a Happy New Years’ Eve for all the fans of the Burgundy and Gold, especially this nine-year-old boy watching from out in Berryville, VA on Baltimore TV 2, because, get this, the game was blacked out on the CBS 9 Washington affiliate! That’s another story for another day.

How could a diehard Washington fan ever forget a day like that?

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Daron Payne not in Washington’s future plans?

It’s been a frustrating offseason for Washington fans.

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It wouldn’t be Washington football if it didn’t involve uncertainty.

Don’t call me a hater.

Seriously, I have followed this team much closer than most fans since the 1969 season. I fell in love as a kid when the Redskins had Sonny Jurgensen throwing tight spirals to Charley Taylor and Jerry Smith while a young Larry Brown was becoming one of the fiercest runners to ever put on a helmet.

I watched all five Super Bowls in team history and cried as a 9-year-old when they lost Super Bowl VII. So don’t call me a hater.

But today’s latest development again left me frustrated. The front office/head coach Ron Rivera and his front office assistants will not extend defensive tackle Daron Payne.

This AFTER they let Tim Settle go to sign with Buffalo for a mere $9 million over two years and then released Matt Ioannidis. Wait, what?

Following the team for 50+ years, I certainly understand it is a business. Ok, so why release this information today? Why let each of your competitors know you now “have” to trade him? I wrote about this prior to the trade for Carson Wentz, regarding their desperation to obtain a quarterback.

Ok, they were determined to re-sign Jonathan Allen, and I approved of the move. So, why haven’t they been trying to trade Daron Payne earlier in this 2022 offseason, when many other teams were making trades?

If they had traded Payne earlier, could they have not kept both Ioannidis and Settle? They certainly could have.

Has there been much of a plan this offseason? Is it just me, or does it seem there are reactions rather than direction and vision? They cannot let Payne get to the 2022 season. Good grief, Kirk Cousins, Brandon Scherff AND Daron Payne? Is there a plan?

Perhaps they will trade him during this week’s NFL draft? What will they get for him? If they lose Payne, Ioannidis and Settle in a two-month span, their strongest roster spot (DT) will have been virtually annihilated.

Forgive me, but sometimes I feel as soon as Washington strengthens one weakness (QB), it manages to create two more weaknesses, which is what they have done this offseason: strengthen QB, weaken their draft possibilities and gut their defensive tackle depth.

 

53 years ago today: Washington head coach Vince Lombardi

On this day, 53 years ago, Vince Lombardi made history.

It was 53 years ago today in Washington football history Vince Lombardi appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated March 3, 1969.

Lombardi appearing in coat and tie, the cover read, “Vince Lombardi Puts a Legend on the Line.”

Lombardi in Green Bay had turned things around instantly with a 7-5, 1959 team, the first winning Packers team since Curly Lambeau’s 1947 (6-5-1) team. All Lombardi accomplished in his nine seasons with Green Bay was a winning season each year, an 89-29-4 regular-season record, 3 NFL Championships, and the first two Super Bowl Championships.

Retiring on top, following 1967 season, Lombardi was an executive with the Packers in 1968 and miserable.

Hired by the Redskins in 1969, Lombardi at his first press conference proclaimed, “Gentlemen, it is not true that I can walk across the Potomac River—not even when it is frozen.”

Washington had been 5-9 in 1968, and had last enjoyed a winning season in 1955 (8-4), long before any of the Redskins Lombardi inherited. There were however three future Hall of Famers: Sonny Jurgensen, Charley Taylor and Chris Hanburger.

Sam Huff returned for the 1969 season, having come out of retirement to play one season under Lombardi. Lombardi promised in that first press conference, “We’re going to have a winner the first year!”

Indeed Lombardi was a winner, leading Washington to a 7-5-2 record in his only season in Washington. He was diagnosed with colon cancer June, 1970, and died September 3, 1970, only age 57.

A few more excerpts quoting Lombardi in the SI issue:

“I’m not a legend, because I don’t want to be a legend. One main reason I came back to coaching is that I didn’t want to be regarded as a legend…I’m too young to be a legend.”

“Now a good coach is a good coach. Right? If you take all 26 coaches in pro football and look at their football knowledge, you’d find almost no difference. So if the knowledge isn’t different, what’s different? The coach’s personality. See?” He paused, then laughed—arararararargh!—and said, “Now how am I supposed to explain my own personality? What am I supposed to say? That I’m a great leader? A mental powerhouse? That I’ve got charisma?”

“You cannot be successful in football—or in any organization—unless you have people who bend to your personality. They must bend or already be molded to your personality.”

“I believe a man should be on time—not a minute late, not 10 seconds late—but on time for things. I believe that a man who’s late for meetings or for the bus won’t run his pass routes right. He’ll be sloppy.”

“I just heard the other day about a kid I used to coach in high school. I heard he’s in trouble. I heard he’s drinking, doing a lot of heavy drinking… Lombardi rubbed the three-diamond setting in his huge Super Bowl ring and he said, “It’s corny and it’ll sound awful in writing, but you just feel bad when you know you couldn’t get through to a kid like that.”

 

Commanders, Pro Football Hall of Fame, others remember Charley Taylor

The Washington Commanders, Pro Football Hall of Fame, others remember Charley Taylor.

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Saturday was a tough day for longtime fans of the Washington Commanders as Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Charley Taylor died at age 80.

A 13-year NFL veteran — all with Washington — Taylor was arguably the NFL’s top wide receiver during his playing days (1964-75, 1977), retiring as the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions (649). While Taylor’s record has since been surpassed many times over, his numbers were incredible considering the era in which he played. NFL offenses didn’t employ the “run and shoot” and “Air Raid” in Taylor’s era.

After his outstanding career ended, Taylor went into coaching, joining Joe Gibbs’ first coaching staff in Washington. Taylor would remain on Washington’s coaching staff throughout Gibbs’ 12 seasons as head coach and Richie Petitbon’s lone season as head coach in 1993.

Taylor remained a part of the Washington community after leaving the organization officially after the 1993 season.

Charley Taylor wasn’t just one of the greatest Washington players ever; he was an NFL legend and also, more importantly, a terrific human being.

After his death Saturday, the Commanders, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and others remembered Taylor.

 

Washington great Charley Taylor dies

Washington great and Pro Football Hall of Famer Charley Taylor dies at age 80.

Pro Hall of Famer and Washington Redskins great Charley Taylor has died at the age of 80 (1941-2022).

Taylor spent his entire 14-year career with Washington (1964-1977), drafted in the first round (3rd overall) of the 1964 NFL draft from Arizona State.

Taylor finished his career as the all-time NFL leader in receptions (649), was first-team All-Pro in 1967, an eight-time Pro Bowler, voted to the All-1960’s team, and enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the 1984 class.

He concluded his career amassing 9,110 receiving yards and 79 touchdowns with Washington. Though Taylor never played in a 16-game regular season, he still remains second in franchise history in receptions (649) and receiving yards (9,110) and has the most receiving touchdowns (79) in Washington history. Taylor also rushed 442 times for 1,488 yards and 11 touchdowns overall.

Wearing No. 42 his entire Redskins career, Taylor was drafted as a running back and excelled out of the backfield as a receiver his first few years in Washington. During his rookie 1964 season, Taylor accumulated 1,569 yards from scrimmage (755 rushing, 814 receiving) becoming the first player in NFL history to gain 700 yards both rushing and receiving and was voted the Associated Press NFL Rookie of the Year.

The former Arizona State Sun Devil led the NFL in receptions in the 1966 and 1967 seasons. He was moved full-time to wide receiver beginning in the 1967 season.

Taylor would conclude his NFL career, serving on Joe Gibbs’ Washington Redskins coaching staff as wide receivers coach (1981-1993).

Pro Football Hall of Famer Charley Taylor dies at 80

Former Washington great Charley Taylor has died at 80

The Washington Football community suffered a loss on Saturday as former great wide receiver and Pro Football Hall of Famer Charley Taylor died at the age of 80.

Taylor had 10,803 combined net yards in his career, more than 9,100 on pass receptions. He made 649 catches and had 90 total touchdowns.

Per his Pro Football Hall of Fame bio:

Taylor’s pro football future was assured from his first day in camp in 1964 as a No. 1 draft choice (third overall) from Arizona State. The 6-3, 210-pounder won Rookie of the Year acclaim as a running back and became the first rookie in 20 years to finish in the NFL’s Top 10 in both rushing (sixth with 755 yards) and receiving (eight with 53 catches for 814 yards). His 53 receptions were a record for running backs at that time.

Although still rated as a premier ball carrier, Taylor was switched to split end in the seventh game of his third season in 1966. He wound up that year as the NFL receiving champion with 72 receptions.

With Washington, he earned first- or second-team All-NFL honors six times and was selected to play in eight Pro Bowls.

The Snyder family released a statement offering condolences.

“We are incredibly saddened to hear the news about the passing of the great Charley Taylor,” Washington owners Dan and Tanya Snyder said in a team statement. “Charley is a member of the Washington Ring of Fame and one of the most decorated players in franchise history. He retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions and holds our franchise record for total touchdowns. His achievements were recognized by the entire NFL community with his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984. He represented the organization with excellence and class over three decades as a player and coach. Charley was a great man and will be sorely missed by all. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Patricia and the entire Taylor family during this time.”