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Commanders Wire continues a countdown to the Commanders season opener for 2023 in 70 days. Who was Washington’s best player wearing number 70?
Have you noticed that not many good players have worn No. 70 for Washington? There might be a very good explanation for this, actually. It’s not all that complicated.
The data reveals the organization has often chosen to not distribute jersey No. 70 very often. They have only done so a few times since 1969. Leonard Marshall came from the Giants having worn No. 70 to play his last season in Washington (1994).
Will Wynn (1977) and Troy Drake (1998) both played one season for Washington wearing No. 70. Then there is Kip Vickers, who finished with one season in Washington (2002) wearing No.70. Thus, Vickers is the only player in the Daniel Snyder era to wear No. 70.
Sam Huff came to Washington following eight seasons with the NY Giants. He was a Pro Bowler for four consecutive seasons (1958-61) and 1st team All-Pro (1958-59) as a Giant. In an interview with Time Magazine in 1959, Huff said, “We try to hurt everybody…We hit each other as hard as we can. This is a man’s game.”
Traded to Washington, he was a Pro-Bowler his initial season (1964) at age 30. Huff led the Washington defense for three more seasons (1965-67) retiring after the 1967 season.
One year out of football (1968), Vince Lombardi decided to come out of retirement and came to Washington to coach in 1969. Huff wanted back in and told Lombardi he could still play and wanted to play for Lombardi.
At age 35, Huff came out of retirement, indeed, did play one final season at middle linebacker in Burgundy and Gold, and Washington under Lombardi enjoyed their first winning season since 1955, as the Redskins finished 7-5-2.
During that 1969 season, Huff intercepted three passes, including returning one for a touchdown against the division-rival Eagles. In his five Washington seasons, Huff collected 12 interceptions and 14.5 sacks manning the middle of the 4-3 defense.
Happy 87th Sam Huff.
Sam scores his last touchdown #WashingtonFootball #TogetherBlue pic.twitter.com/Eeq99OZdCo— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) October 4, 2021
Huff concluded his NFL career as a five-time Pro Bowler, two-time 1st team All-Pro, and NFL Champion once, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the class of 1982. He, of course, is a member of Washington’s Ring of Fame.
The former West Virginia Mountaineer was a member of the Redskins radio broadcast team from 1975-2012. Huff died on November 13, 2021.