Tag: Doug Williams

Washington rules out a fan favorite for new name

Washington ruled out a fan favorite for its new name. “Wolves” or “Red Wolves” had been a favorite for some of the fanbase.

As announced earlier this morning, the Washington Football Team is now set to reveal their new name/identity on February 2.

This change will be both welcomed by many and resisted by many. That is only natural when you are dealing with people, a long-standing tradition and where there has been much emotional and financial investment.

In a video released by the organization, Doug Williams reflects, “We have been ‘Redskins’ all of our lives, but whatever the change is, I am hugging it.”

Desiring a public acceptance, Washington GM Martin Mayhew expressed, “I hope it is something that embraces DC and the culture we have here.”

“We believe we found a name that our fans and our team across the DMV and beyond can really rally behind,” Washington team president Jason Wright declared, announcing the date.

Damon Jones, WFT Chief Legal Officer reflected on some of the complicated issues and that they were, “Looking at all the similar names and logos that might be out in the marketplace, and how to be sure that you create enough distance from rights that other folks have, (so) that you don’t get yourself into legal trouble.”

“In searching the intellectual property landscape, its extraordinarily complicated for something like this that is going to be this famous and this widely used” continued Jones.

Consequently, a fan favorite, “Red Wolves or Redwolves” was ruled out officially. No doubt this was done now, to eliminate a larger disappointment at the time of the actual announcement.

Seeing they were not going to go with “Redwolves” it is probably wise for Wright to have gone ahead and broken that news to the fans now.

Here is a brief mention and glimpse of the new uniform:

It now appears that the beloved HTTR may cease to exist.

Whatever the choice will be, a lesson that should have been learned is for Wright and Dan Snyder to avoid the politically correct, horrible over-reaction by the MLB Cleveland franchise who announced they were transitioning from the Cleveland “Indians” and becoming the Cleveland “Guardians.”

We earnestly hope Wright and Snyder won’t similarly blow this transition.

Washington to unveil new team name February 2

The date has arrived for Washington to unveil its new team name.

The time is finally here. After going over 18 months without a team nickname, the Washington Football Team has established Feb. 2 as the franchise’s date to unveil its new name.

Washington’s official Twitter account released the following video Tuesday morning, featuring legendary coach Joe Gibbs and former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Doug Williams. Also featured in the video is general manager Martin Mayhew.

Williams and Mayhew both played in Washington. Williams worked in the front office for several years and is now a senior adviser for the franchise.

While we can surmise what we think the new name will be, we know a pair of popular names are already eliminated.

Back in the summer, team president Jason Wright said “Warriors” would not be the new name. In his “President’s Brief” on Washington’s website, Wright said “Wolves” and “Redwolves” are also eliminated as possible names.

Wright gave the following reasoning:

Early on we understood Wolves — or some variation of it — was one of our fan favorites. As I’ve said all along, we take feedback from our fans seriously, and because of your interest in this name, we put Wolves on a list of options to explore fully. Once we began looking into Wolves, however, we became aware of a notable challenge: trademarks held by other teams would limit our ability to make the name our own. And without Wolves, variations like RedWolves wouldn’t have been viable either for these and other reasons.

That’s indeed interesting. You are eliminating team names because you are worried about potential legal ramifications? Washington has had 18 months to get this right. And, regardless of the choice, it’s not going to bring the fan base together but only continue to divide it.

 

 

HBCU Legacy Bowl to showcase top NFL draft talent from HBCU programs

The Black College Football Hall of Fame announced the HBCU Legacy Bowl, which will showcase the top NFL draft talent from HBCU programs

The Black College Football Hall of Fame announced Thursday the establishment of the HBCU Legacy Bowl, which will showcase the top NFL draft talent from HBCU programs.

The inaugural all-star game will take place in February of 2022 at Yulman Stadium at Tulane University, and will be televised on NFL Network.

Here’s more info from the official release:

“The HBCU Legacy Bowl means opportunity and exposure for HBCU players and coaches,” said Co-Founder and Inductee Doug Williams. “We’re excited to have this in New Orleans, especially during Black History Month.”

More than a football game, the week-long celebration of Black culture and history will provide invaluable exposure for HBCU football players and coaches. Approximately 100 of the top HBCU players will be invited to participate.

“HBCUs are a bridge to equality,” said Co-Founder and Inductee James “Shack” Harris. “We thank the NFL for their support and in sharing our commitment to lifting up others.”

The HBCU Legacy Bowl will be a fantastic way to get top talent from the HBCU programs an opportunity to show off their skills for NFL decision-makers leading up to the draft.

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On This Day: 33 years ago, QB Doug Williams made NFL history in Super Bowl XXII

January 31st, 1988 will live on as a historic day in Washington as the anniversary of Doug Williams’ groundbreaking performance in Super Bowl XXII.

On this day in 1988, Washington quarterback Doug Williams made history that would change the landscape of the NFL for the rest of eternity. With an otherwordly performance in Super Bowl XXII, Williams became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl in the NFL, defeating the Denver Broncos, 42-10.

It was a surprising outcome to some, considering that the Broncos were favored entering the game, but after falling behind 10-0 early on, Williams helped the team rattle off 42 unanswered points, scoring 35 points in the second quarter and running away with the sweet victory. It was the franchise’s second Super Bowl victory.

Williams put on an incredible performance, accounting for four of Washington’s five touchdowns in the game, all of which came in the first half. He finished throwing 18-for-29 with 340 yards, 4 TD, and 1 INT. RB Timmy Smith added 204 yards on the ground, with 2 TD, while WR Ricky Sanders had 9 catches for 193 yards and 2 TDs as well.

Today, Williams remains with the team, and he serves as the Senior Vice President of Player Development, helping to transition players into the league. No matter what he does with the team going forward, he will always be remembered fondly for his historic acts on this day, 33 years ago.

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A movie about Redskins legend Doug Williams’ life is in the making

It was announced on Thursday that a movie will be made about the life of Doug Williams, the first black QB to win a Super Bowl.

If you’re looking to learn more about Washington Redskins legend Doug Williams, you’ll have a good chance to coming up.

According to a report from Deadline, a new sports biopic movie is being made about Williams and his life, as he became the first African-American quarterback in the NFL to win a Super Bowl championship. He did so with the Redskins back in 1988. The movie will be a Will Packer production.

The timely biopic will chart Williams’ storied career and his extraordinary journey to the top of the NFL, where he was known as a great leader beloved by his teammates. It will also explore how Williams helped shatter the myth that African American passers the skill-set to win at the sport’s highest level.

“As NFL players today raise their voices around the fight for justice and equality, none stood taller than Doug Williams, who proved once and for all that the notion of an African American being ill equipped to play quarterback was nothing more than a fallacy,” said Will Packer. “Doug’s inspirational story will positively impact fans of all ages for years to come.”

There is not yet any word on when the movie will be released.

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Report: Dwayne Haskins, Doug Williams to meet with D.C. Mayor Bowser about BLM protest

Both Haskins and Williams will reportedly travel to D.C. this weekend to meet with Mayor Bowser and discuss the BLM protests.

According to The Athletic‘s Rhiannon Walker, Washington Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins, and SVP of Player Development Doug Williams, will head to Washington D.C. this weekend to speak with Mayor Muriel Bowser, who attended the protests for Black Lives Matter on Saturday.

Haskins has been very vocal on social media about the need for police reform, and the protests against police brutality that sparked after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis a couple of weeks ago. As for Williams, he is famously known as the first African-American quarterback to win a Super Bowl in the NFL, which he did with the Redskins in 1987.

Mayor Bowser has been active regarding protests in Washington D.C., though she has faced some criticism online for making hollow acts, such as painting ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the street in front of the White House, but making no movement towards defunding the police department. It is unclear what will be discussed with Haskins and Williams come to chat, but you can reasonably guess that this will be part of the conversation.

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4 Bucs QBs with the most interceptions in a single season

Take a look at the four highest interception seasons for Bucs QBs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers welcomed Tom Brady with open arms this offseason, hoping the six-time Super Bowl champion can bring his winning ways to a franchise in desperate need of a savior under center.

The Buccaneers had high hopes entering 2019, but the erratic play of Jameis Winston derailed any chance of making it back to the postseason. Winston became the eighth quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in a season, but he also became the first player ever to throw for at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in the same year.

But, it turns out Winston’s 30 interceptions aren’t even the highest single-season total in Bucs history.

With that, let’s take a look at the four Tampa Bay quarterbacks who hold the highest single-season interception mark in team history.

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A little Throwback Thursday featuring QB Doug Williams

Take a look at some old highlights of former Bucs QB Doug Williams, who wore No. 12 for Tampa Bay long before Tom Brady.

Tom Brady will be able to keep his TB12 nickname after Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin gave his No. 12 jersey to Brady and switched to No. 14

While Brady may be best known for wearing 12 in New England with the Patriots, he won’t be the first quarterback to don that number for the Buccaneers.

One of Brady’s No 12 predecessors was Super Bowl champion Doug Williams. Williams played for the Buccaneers for five years after being a first-round pick in the 1978 draft. After his stint in Tampa Bay, he went on to the Redskins and led the team to victory in Super Bowl XXII, earning Super Bowl MVP honors along the way.

In honor of Williams (and his days wearing No. 12 for the Bucs) here’s a little highlight reel for Throwback Thursday.

View this post on Instagram

TBT ft. Doug Williams 🔥

A post shared by Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@buccaneers) on

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A brief look at the Bucs’ jerseys over the years

Take a look now at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ jerseys through the years.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave their fans a treat today by unveiling their new uniforms for 2020. As most people can see, the jerseys are pretty much a callback to the uniforms they wore prior to the 2014 redesign, which didn’t go over as well as the team had hoped.

That means new Bucs quarterback Tom Brady won’t have to wear those alarm clock numbers now. Instead, the Bucs can kick off the Brady era in style. Plus, if a return to the playoffs is in their future, they want to look their best, especially if it’ll be their first postseason appearance in over a decade.

Some fans are certainly a little disappointed to see that the Bucs didn’t go even further back in their redesign by bringing back the creamsicle jerseys of yesteryear. Still, the new look is better than what they had.

Take a look now at the Bucs’ jerseys through the years.

Not to be that guy, but that first picture is incorrect in terms of the year. The Bucs’ inaugural season was 1976, but the quarterback in the picture above is none other than Doug Williams, who was drafted by the Bucs in the 1978 draft.

So, who was Tampa Bay’s quarterback in 1976? Just some guy named Steve Spurrier.

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