Badass Redskins

The Washington Redskins have played more than 1,000 games in franchise history, and plenty of badasses have donned the uniform during the team's 80 years of existence.

The 2012 roster has outside linebacker (and insurance salesman) Brian Orakpo (#98). Orakpo, a first-round draft pick in 2009 out of the University of Texas, has averaged 9.5 sacks per season in his three years in the NFL. Another (often overlooked) badass in London Fletcher. At 5-foot-10, Fletcher (#59) is small for an NFL linebacker. His size may have been why he was not drafted out of college. Or it could be because he played for tiny Division III school John Carroll University. But Fletcher was one of two undrafted free agents to make the St. Louis Rams 1998 roster. In his 14 years in the NFL, Fletcher has never missed a game. From undrafted free agent to 14 straight years in the NFL is pretty badass!

In the 80 years of the Washington Redskins, there have been plenty of badass players, but a couple of jersey numbers are truly special: 74 (George Starke), 68 (Russ Grimm), 53 (Jeff Bostic), 73 (Mark May), 68 (Joe Jacoby). Those are the original Hogs, the offensive linemen for the 1982 Redskin team.

Those offensive linemen were badass, but it would be a travesty to talk about Washington Redskin badasses and not mention perhaps the most badass player in league history. "Slingin' Sammy Baugh earned his nickname not as the quarterback with Washington or during his football playing days at Texas Christian University. A sportswriter gave him the moniker when Baugh was the third baseman for TCU.

As a member of the Redskins, Baugh (#33) was one of the first quarterbacks to make the forward pass a fixture for offenses. Being a great quarterback is all well-and-good, but what made Baugh a badass of the highest caliber is during his time Baugh was also the best punter and defensive back. Baugh could be considered a badass for his 1943 season alone. That was the year he led the NFL in passing, punting and interceptions. He was Tom Brady, Shane Lechler and Ed Reed rolled into one.


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