1969 Washington Redskins season

1969 Washington Redskins season
Head coach	Vince Lombardi
Home field	RFK Stadium
Results
Record	7–5–2
Division place	2nd NFL Capitol
Playoff finish	did not qualify

The 1969 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 5–9 record from 1968, and they did so by hiring legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi. Pro Football Hall of Famer Sam Huff came out of retirement specifically to play for Lombardi.

Offseason

During Super Bowl III, rumours had circulated that Vince Lombardi had job offers from the Philadelphia Eagles, the Boston Patriots, and the Washington Redskins.^[1] The night before the Super Bowl, Lombardi met with Redskins president Edward Bennett Williams for dinner at Tony Sweet's restaurant.^[2] Lombardi agreed to coach the Redskins because he had the opportunity to become a shareholder with the team.^[3]

NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	School/Club Team
2	46	Eugene Epps	Defensive Back	Texas-El Paso
3	62	Ed Cross	Running Back	Pine Bluff
5	114	Bill Kishman	Defensive Back	Colorado State
6	139	Harold McLinton	Linebacker	Southern
7	166	Jeff Anderson	Running Back	Virginia
7	173	John Didion	Center	Oregon State
8	191	Larry Brown	Running Back	Kansas State
11	269	Eric Norri	Defensive Tackle	Notre Dame
12	295	Bob Shannon	Defensive Back	Tennessee State
13	322	Michael Shook	Defensive Back	North Texas
14	347	Rick Brand	Defensive Tackle	Virginia
15	374	Paul Rogers	Tackle	Virginia
16	399	Mike Washington	Linebacker	Southern
17	426	Rich Dobbert	Defensive End	Springfield (Massachusetts)

Vince Lombardi

After stepping down as head coach of the Packers 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 the Nation's capitol.

Lombardi lasted only one season with the Redskins; he was diagnosed with terminal cancer after the 1969 season and died shortly before the 1970 regular season was to start.

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 21, 1969	at New Orleans Saints	W 26–20	73,147
2	September 28, 1969	at Cleveland Browns	L 27–23	82,581
3	October 5, 1969	at San Francisco 49ers	T 17–17	35,642
4	October 12, 1969	St. Louis Cardinals	W 33–17	50,481
5	October 19, 1969	New York Giants	W 20–14	50,352
6	October 26, 1969	at Pittsburgh Steelers	W 14–7	46,557
7	November 2, 1969	at Baltimore Colts	L 41–17	60,238
8	November 9, 1969	Philadelphia Eagles	T 28–28	50,502
9	November 16, 1969	Dallas Cowboys	L 41–28	50,474
10	November 23, 1969	Atlanta Falcons	W 27–20	50,345
11	November 30, 1969	Los Angeles Rams	L 24–13	50,352
12	December 7, 1969	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 34–29	60,658
13	December 14, 1969	New Orleans Saints	W 17–14	50,354
14	December 21, 1969	at Dallas Cowboys	L 20–10	56,924

Standings

NFL Capitol
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Dallas Cowboys	11	2	1	.846	6–0	9–1	369	223	W3
Washington Redskins	7	5	2	.583	3–2–1	6–3–1	307	319	L1
New Orleans Saints	5	9	0	.357	1–5	4–6	311	393	W1
Philadelphia Eagles	4	9	1	.308	1–4–1	4–5–1	279	377	L4

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

References

1. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 452, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
2. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 453, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
3. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 457, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3

• Redskins on Pro Football Reference