Tag: Super Bowl VII

Many Super Bowl records are still held by Washington

Several Washington players still hold Super Bowl records.

Former Washington running back John Riggins still holds a Super Bowl record as we approach Super Bowl LVII (57), the 40th anniversary of Washington’s first Super Bowl victory.

Actually, I found that though Washington last appeared in a Super Bowl 31 years ago (SB XXVI win over Buffalo), there are still several Super Bowl records held by the Burgundy and Gold.

Ricky Sanders is one of seven players to score two touchdowns in one quarter of a Super Bowl game. Sanders caught two passes from Doug Williams as Washington scored 35 points in the quarter, defeating Denver 42-10.

Sanders was also the only player to score two SB touchdowns both over 50 yards in a game, until Jacoby Jones of the Baltimore Ravens tied him.

Doug Williams was the first quarterback to throw four touchdown passes in one half of a Super Bowl (SB XXII). Steve Young (SB XXIX) later tied Williams.

Doug Williams still possesses the record of four touchdown passes in a single quarter of a Super Bowl (SB XXII, 2nd quarter).

Doug Williams passed for the most yards in a Super Bowl quarter (second), passing for 228 yards in SB XXII.

John Riggins, 40 years later, still holds the record for most carries in a Super Bowl when he rushed 38 times for 166 yards in SB XVII and was MVP.

Timmy Smith rushed for the most yards in a Super Bowl when he ran for 204 yards in SB XXII against Denver.

John Riggins also holds the record for most combined attempts with 39 (38 rushes, 1 reception) in a Super Bowl game.

The punishing Washington defense caused Jim Kelly to fumble three times in the Redskins SB XXVI win over the Bills.

Washington cornerback Mike Bass is one of six players to have returned a fumble for a touchdown in a Super Bowl. His touchdown return occurred in SB VII, a 14-7 loss to Miami.

The Washington defense was so dominant in SB XVII that Mike Nelms holds a record of six returned punts against Miami.

Washington set two more records in SB XXII when they scored the most points in a half (35) and also the most points in a quarter (35), all in the second quarter.

Washington still holds the record for the largest halftime scoring margin of 25 points when they led Denver 35-10 at the half of SB XXII.

*Commanders Wire will conclude Washington Super Bowl records with part two tomorrow.

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Washington’s Frank Herzog from news to sports Reporter

In the second part of our interview with Frank Herzog, he discusses how he went from working in the news to getting into sports.

Washington’s WTOP radio had no idea whom they had hired when Frank Herzog came aboard in 1968.

Initially a copy boy making a mere $2 an hour, then a production assistant editing audio for the WTOP radio newscasts, Frank desired to do some actual reporting.

This is the second installment in our Commanders Wire feature on Washington broadcast legend Frank Herzog. Here is part one.

Working the weekends at WTOP, doing some radio reporting he suddenly found himself making his first TV appearance reporting at the penitentiary in Jessup, Maryland in what Frank believes was 1971 or ’72.

WTOP TV9 was broadcasting a 15-minute Redskins highlights segment on Sunday nights and a producer approached Frank one of his weekends at WTOP radio, asking Frank if he would like to voice over the highlights. Herzog hesitated because he was in radio, not television. “Don’t worry about it; I will cue you for each play,” was the reply to Herzog. “He put together the highlight package, wrote the script, sat out of view of the camera, and would signal me each new play to read the script, and that’s how I started in sports.”

“The ratings went crazy, through the charts,” expressed Herzog. Warner Wolf the weekday WTOP 9 sports anchor hearing of this, then wanted the segment himself.” Herzog quickly learned the big guns would receive the first choice in what work they performed.

Herzog was being noticed as doing a good job in news reporting when he was approached in December 1972 by a WTOP producer, Fred Farrar. A fellow reporter had called in sick. WTOP needed a reporter and fast!

Farrar was “asking” Herzog to go to RFK to report the playoff game against the Packers. Herzog insisted, “Freddy, I know some football, but not that well, to cover an NFL playoff game.”

“Frank, just do your news reporting, who, what, when, where and why. I will lead you through it to the press box and then you do some interviews and you will be fine.”

It was Herzog’s first NFL work. It went so well for Herzog that he was assigned to the game the next Sunday as well. Keep in mind, this was not the preseason or regular season. The defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys were coming to RFK to face the Redskins in the 1972 NFC Championship game, for a ticket to Super Bowl VII.

Again it went well and Herzog’s work as a reporter did not go unnoticed. Monday he sat in on a WTOP meeting. “I was sitting there thinking, ‘I have reported two NFL games. Are you kidding me? Are they talking about sending me to the Super Bowl?’ ”

“Freddy and I were sent to LA for a week, covering all the hoopla for Super Bowl VII. But of course Washington lost to Miami. But that is when I began as a sports reporter. I had been in the right place at the right time.”

A year later when the play-by-play announcer did not want to do a Bullets broadcast (on what Herzog thinks was Christmas Eve), he approached Herzog inquiring if he might like to do the Bullets game himself. Herzog agreed to, and it was his first time at play-by-play announcing an NBA game.

In 1975 he was approached by the WTOP director, informing Herzog, “We think you should go into play-by-play announcing.”

“You get me a team, and I’ll do it, replied Herzog.”

“Ok, we already got the Bullets PBP job for you.”

“I felt awful. Tony Roberts was the Bullets PBP announcer. So I responded, ‘But what about Tony?’ ”

It was explained to Herzog they were moving in a different direction. They thought with Herzog’s news and sports reporting experience he could handle it. But if he didn’t want the job, they would find someone else.

“So, I got the job.”

Frank Herzog had gone from copy boy to production assistant, to radio news reader, to news reporter, to sports reporter, a sports reporter covering Super Bowl VII, to PBP announcer for the NBA’s Washington Bullets in only seven years.

Next time: Frank Herzog the voice of Washington Champions

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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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Remembering 2 great Washington teams

The 2022 season is the 50-year anniversary of the 1972 team and 40-year anniversary of the 1982 team.

The season opener of 2022 Commanders’ season recalls great historical memories of a once great franchise.

50 years ago, the 1972 Washington Redskins became the first team in franchise history to play in a Super Bowl.

40 years ago, the 1982 Washington Redskins became the first team in franchise history to win a Super Bowl.

While we will continue to provide daily coverage of the present-day Washington Commanders during this 2022 NFL season, we at Commanders Wire have determined we must not forget the great years and accomplishments in Washington franchise history.

Consequently, during this season, we will provide a weekly look back at some of the great moments of these two great seasons in Washington NFL football history.

Did you know the George Allen teams (1971-77) had a winning record each season and were in the playoffs for five of those seven seasons? Keep in mind in those days, only the top four teams in the conference qualified for the playoffs.

The 1972 team despite losing quarterback Sonny Jurgensen (who was 4-0 as a starter) went on a 9-game winning streak, clinching the division after 12 games (11-1).

With the home-field advantage earned for the playoffs, Washington defeated NFC Central champ Green Bay 16-3 and then defending Super Bowl Champion Dallas 26-3 in the NFC Championship game. Two weeks later in the Los Angeles Coliseum, Washington lost to Miami 14-7 in Super Bowl VII. The Dolphins were undefeated (17-0) and remain the last NFL team to go through the regular season and playoffs undefeated.

Ten years later Joe Gibbs (like George Allen) was also in his second season as Washington head coach. In a strike-shortened season, the Redskins finished the regular season at 8-1, the top seed in the NFC.

The playoff birth was the first for Washington since the 1976 team coached by Allen. With home-field advantage, the Redskins blitzed the Lions 31-7 and the next week were in control, defeating the Vikings 21-7.

The NFC Championship game (as ten years earlier) would have Dallas come to RFK. Also as a decade earlier, it was Washington who again came out on top, defeating Dallas 31-17.

The next week at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, Gibbs’ team (11-1) faced Don Shula’s Dolphins (10-3) in Super Bowl XVII. Trailing 17-10 in the second quarter, the Redskins outscored the Dolphins 17-0 for the remainder of the battle for a 27-17 victory and the first Super Bowl Championship in franchise history.