washington redskins

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Washington Redskins star defender Sean Taylor died early Tuesday morning after being shot Monday at his home in Miami, the National Football League club announced Tuesday.

The 24-year-old safety died in a Florida hospital where he underwent nearly seven hours of emergency surgery Monday to repair a severed femoral artery, the team announced.

"This is the worst imaginable tragedy," Redskins owner Daniel Snyder said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Sean's family."

Police said Taylor was struck in the leg by a bullet that hit the femoral artery, causing a severe blood loss.

"He did not make it through the night," Taylor's lawyer Richard Sharpstein told the Washington Post, calling the death "a ridiculous unnecessary tragedy."

At Redskins Park, a small bouquet of white flowers had been placed at the main entrance and flags were lowered to half-staff. Fans also huddled near Taylor's parking spot.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league will honour Taylor's memory at all games this weekend.

Taylor's No. 21 will be painted in a grass parking area leading into Redskins Park in Ashburn, Virginia. The team also announced No. 21 will be painted in front of the Redskins' Hall of Fame store.

Taylor had faced off-field legal issues several times, including a 2004 drunken driving arrest and the dropping of felony assault charges from a 2005 off-season incident involving firearms.

Sharpstein told CNN that the shooting took place in Taylor's home. An intruder or intruders fired two shots and one hit Taylor. The bleeding "could not really be stopped, only curbed a bit," he said.

Neither Taylor's fiancee nor their 18-month-old daughter, both at home when the attack took place, was harmed physically in what is believed to be the second break-in there within eight days.

"This was a deliberate attack," Redskins vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato told the Post.

Taylor was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital after his fiancee made an emergency call.

"He never regained consciousness," Sharpstein told CNN. "He was unconscious when the fire rescue people arrived. It's a senseless tragic death."

Taylor and his fiancee had been in the bedroom when a disturbance was heard in the living room, Sharpstein said.

"(He) tried to get a small machete that he keeps under the bed to defend himself but the door was burst into," Sharpstein told CNN, adding that Taylor's fiancee hid under the covers until the assailants had fled.

The shooting stunned Taylor's Redskins' teammates, who had been optimistic after reports Taylor had made facial expressions Monday night, his first signs of conscious behaviour following concerns of brain damage.

"Seemed like a lot of hope after he responded to the doctor's command, but he lost of a lot of blood," Taylor family friend Donald Walker told the Post.

Eight days before the fatal shooting, an intruder pried open a window and went through drawers and a safe in the home and also left a knife on a bed, according to police.

That break-in prompted Taylor to ask for time away from team meetings to handle matters relating to the incident, which was granted by Redskins coach Joe Gibbs.

"For all of us here, we're obviously in shock," Gibbs had said Monday. "I know I can't put it in words."

Taylor was the fifth pick of the 2004 NFL Draft and had a strong 2007 season with 42 tackles and a team-high five interceptions until a November 11 knee injury forced him to the sidelines the past two games.

"How can you deal with it? It's hard," teammate Clinton Portis said. "All we can think about is if he had been with us on the flight to Tampa, if he was at the game with us, then he would not have been in that situation." Washington Redskins
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For other uses, see Redskins (disambiguation).
For current sports news on this topic, see
2007 Washington Redskins season
Washington Redskins Year founded: 1932

Helmet Logo

City Landover, Maryland
Other nicknames The Skins
Team colors Primary: Burgundy and Gold
Secondary: White

Head Coach Joe Gibbs
Owner Dan Snyder
Fight song Hail to the Redskins
League/Conference affiliations
National Football League (1932�present)

Eastern Division (1933-1949)
American Conference (1950-1952)
Eastern Conference (1953-1969)
Capitol Division (1967-1969)
National Football Conference (1970-present)
NFC East (1970-present)

Team history
Boston Braves (1932)
Boston Redskins (1933-1936)
Washington Redskins (1937�present)

Championships
League Championships (5)
NFL Championships (2)
1937, 1942
Super Bowl Championships (3)
1982 (XVII), 1987 (XXII), 1991 (XXVI)

Conference Championships (5)
NFC: 1972, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1991

Division Championships (12)
NFL East: 1936, 1937, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945
NFC East: 1972, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1991, 1999

Home fields
In Boston

Braves Field (1932)
Fenway Park (1933-1936)
In Washington DC

Griffith Stadium (1937-1960)
RFK Stadium (1961-1996)
a.k.a. D.C. Stadium (1961-1968)
FedExField (1997-present)
a.k.a. Jack Kent Cooke Stadium (1997-1999)

The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in the Washington, D.C. area. The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, which is in Prince George's County, Maryland. The team's headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn, Virginia, a community in Loudoun County, Virginia near Dulles International Airport. They are members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL).

According to Forbes Magazine, the Redskins are the second most valuable franchise in the NFL, valued at approximately $1.467 billion, having this year been surpassed by the Dallas Cowboys.[1] Last year they generated over $300 million in revenue and netted over $60 million. They have also broken the NFL's mark for single-season attendance six years in a row[2] due to having the NFL's largest stadium capacity.

Overall, the Redskins have played for eleven NFL Championships and have won five, including three of the five Super Bowls in which they have played. Four of the five Super Bowl appearances were under the leadership of Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs.

The Redskins are one of only two teams in the NFL with an official marching band. The other is the Baltimore Ravens. The Redskins were also one of the first teams to have a fight song, "Hail to the Redskins."

Contents
1 Franchise history
1.1 The Redskins in Boston
1.2 The Redskins in Washington, D.C.
1.3 Integration and front-office disarray
1.4 Revival
1.5 The Snyder era
1.6 2005
1.7 2006
2 Logo and uniforms
3 Season-by-season records
4 Players of note
4.1 Current roster
4.2 Pro Football Hall of Famers
4.2.1 Players
4.2.2 Management
4.3 Retired numbers
4.3.1 Unofficial retired numbers
4.4 Washington Hall of Stars
4.5 The 70 Greatest Redskins
4.6 Other notable alumni
4.7 All-time first-round draft picks
5 Coaches of note
5.1 Head coaches
5.2 Current staff
6 Single-season records
7 Redskins career records
8 NFL Records
9 Radio and television
10 See also
11 References
12 External links



[edit] Franchise history
For more details on this topic, see History of the Washington Redskins.

[edit] The Redskins in Boston
The Boston "Football" Braves, owned by George Preston Marshall, entered the National Football League in 1932 after the Newark Tornadoes franchise folded and played at Braves Field. They had tried to base the team in New York, but were blocked by the NFL's territorial rule. The Braves head coach was Lud Wray, and were led by Hall of Famers Cliff Battles (Running Back) and Turk Edwards (Offensive Tackle). Their first game was held on October 2, 1932 in which they lost to the Brooklyn Dodgers. The next week, the Braves would gain their first franchise victory, with a 14-6 win over the New York Giants. The Braves would complete their first season with a 4-4-2 record.

In 1933, the team moved into Fenway Park and changed their name to the Redskins. They also changed their head coach. The team was now led by Lone Star Dietz, as Lud Wray moved to Philadelphia to head up its new franchise, the Eagles. The Redskins finished the 1933 season with a 5-5-2 record. In 1934, the Redskins finished in 2nd place with a 6-6 record. In 1935, under head coach Eddie Casey, had a dismal season, scoring only 65 points and finishing with a 2-8-1 record. In 1936, under their fourth head coach, Ray Flaherty, the Redskins won their final three games, outscoring their opponents 74-6, and captured the Eastern Division Championship with a 7-5 record. However because of extremely poor attendance, highlighted by only 4,813 fans coming out to Fenway Park to see the Redskins trounce the Pittsburgh Pirates, 30-0, George Preston Marshall elected to give up home field advantage and played the NFL Championship game against the Green Bay Packers at the Polo Grounds. Battles was injured on the tenth play of the game and the Packers won the championship with a 21-6 victory. The Redskins moved to Washington the following season due to lack of fan support in Boston.


[edit] The Redskins in Washington, D.C.
In their early years in Washington, the Redskins shared Griffith Stadium with the Washington Senators baseball team. In 1937, they signed an innovative rookie quarterback from Texas Christian University, future Pro Football Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh. In an era where the forward pass was relatively rare, the Redskins used it as their primary method of gaining yards. "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh also played numerous other positions, including cornerback and punter.

With Baugh at the helm, the Redskins won the Eastern Division title and went back to the NFL Championship game in their first year in the Nation's Capitol.The 1937 NFL Championship game pitted them against the Chicago Bears. Sammy Baugh threw three touchdown passes and the Redskins prevailed, 28-21. The two teams would meet again in the 1940 Championship, and the Bears handed the Redskins the most lopsided defeat in NFL history, 73-0. The Redskins struck back in 1942, as George Preston Marshall used the 1940 humiliation as a rallying point and the Redskins upset the Bears to spoil their try for a perfect season, 14-6. The teams clashed again the following season and the Bears would even the series at 2-2, capturing the 1943 NFL title, 41-21. The Redskins challenged for the NFL title again in 1945, but fell a point short to the Cleveland Rams, 15-14.


[edit] Integration and front-office disarray
The team's early success endeared it to the fans of Washington, D.C. However, after 1945, the Redskins began a slow decline. This was in part because of Marshall's tendency to micromanage the team. From 1946 to 1968, the Redskins had only three winning seasons.

Marshall refused to integrate the team, despite pressure from the Washington Post and the Federal Government (a typical comment by Post writer Shirley Povich was "Cleveland Browns runner Jim Brown integrated the Redskins' end zone three times").

Finally, in 1962, Interior Secretary Stewart Udall gave the Redskins an ultimatum--unless they signed a black player, the government would evict them from the year-old District of Columbia Stadium. As a result, the Redskins became the final pro football franchise to integrate, in 1962, its second season in the stadium. First, the team drafted Ernie Davis, the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy. Then, before signing Davis, they traded his rights to the Browns for wide receiver Bobby Mitchell. Sadly, it turned out that Davis had leukemia and died without ever playing a down in professional football. Mitchell, however, was still in the first half of a career that would land him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Mitchell would be joined by black stars such as receiver Charley Taylor, running back Larry Brown (who had a hearing aid installed in his helmet due to near-total deafness), and defensive back Brig Owens. They would also pull off two of the best trades of the 1960s, gaining colorful quarterback Sonny Jurgensen from the Philadelphia Eagles and linebacker Sam Huff from the New York Giants. But even with these additions, the Redskins were still not performing up to expectations. Although the team became more popular than ever, particularly with the addition of Mitchell, they struggled through the 1960s.

One reason for the team's struggles was disarray in the front office. Marshall had been forced to reduce his duties due to a mental decline in 1962, and the team's other stockholders found it difficult to make decisions without their boss. Marshall died in 1969, and the remaining stockholders sold the team to Edward Bennett Williams, a Washington resident and one of America's most esteemed attorneys.

Also in 1969, D.C. Stadium was renamed Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, and the Redskins hired future Hall of Famer Vince Lombardi ― who gained fame coaching with the Green Bay Packers ― to be their new head coach. Lombardi led the team to a 7-5-2 record, their best since 1955, but died of cancer on the eve of the 1970 season.


[edit] Revival
Two years later, Williams signed former Los Angeles Rams head coach George Allen as head coach. Partial to seasoned veterans instead of highly touted young players, Allen's teams became known as the Over-the-Hill Gang. "The future is now" was his slogan, and his players soon proved him right.

Allen helped to foster the team's rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys, which has turned into one of the NFL's most renowned and contentious rivalries.[citation needed] The Redskins reached the NFC Conference Championship in the 1972 season, defeating Dallas 26-3, only to lose to the undefeated Miami Dolphins 14-7 in Super Bowl VII. In his 7 years as head coach, Allen's teams made the playoffs 5 times.

In 1981, new Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke signed the offensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers, Joe Gibbs, as their 20th head coach. He coached the team to four Super Bowls, winning three of them.

Quarterback Joe Theismann, running back John Riggins, and receiver Art Monk got most of the publicity, but the Redskins were one of the few teams ever to have a famous offensive line. Line coach Joe Bugel, who would later go on to be the head coach of the Phoenix Cardinals, nicknamed them "The Hogs," not because they were big and fat, but because they would "root around in the mud" on the field. Among the regular Hogs were center Jeff Bostic, guards Raleigh McKenzie and Russ Grimm, and tackles Joe Jacoby, George Starke, Mark May, and Jim Lachey. Tight ends Don Warren and Clint Didier, as well as Riggins, were known as "Honorary Hogs."

The Redskins' first Super Bowl win, their first NFL Championship in 40 years, was in Super Bowl XVII, where the Redskins beat the Miami Dolphins 27-17 on January 30, 1983, in Pasadena, California. Future Hall of Famer John Riggins provided the game's signature play when, on 4th and inches, with the Redskins down 17-13, the coaches called "70 Chip" a play designed for short yardage. Riggins instead gained 43 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. The image of Riggins running through would-be tackler Don McNeal has become one of the all-time Super Bowl highlights. One touchdown later, the Redskins won their first Super Bowl title by a 27-17 score.

The Redskins' 1983 season began with a loss to the Dallas Cowboys 31-30 on the Monday Night Football season opener, but they lost only one more game in the regular season (also a Monday Night game, vs. Green Bay, by a score of 48-47), as they dominated the National Football League with a 14-win season that included scoring a then NFL record of 541 points, many of which came as a result of John Riggins' 24 touchdowns. In the postseason, the Redskins defeated the Los Angeles Rams 51-7. The next week, they cruised to a 21-0 lead over the San Francisco 49ers after 3 quarters in the NFC Champonship Game, but the Redskins' weakness that season was their defense (they allowed 332 points that season). The 49ers fired off 3 touchdowns to tie the game. But Mark Moseley, who had missed 4 field goals, made the one that counted as the 'Skins beat the 49ers 24-21. It would be Washington's last win of the season because two weeks later, the Raiders beat the Redskins 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII.

The 1987 season began with a 24-day players' strike, reducing the 16-game season to 15. The games for weeks 4-6 were played with all replacement players. The Redskins have the distinction of being the only team with no players crossing the picket line. The Redskins won their second championship in Super Bowl XXII on January 31, 1988, in San Diego, California. The Redskins routed the Denver Broncos 42-10 after falling behind 10-0 early in the first quarter. This was the largest come-from-behind victory in Super Bowl history. This game is more famous for the stellar performance by quarterback Doug Williams, who passed for four touchdowns in the second quarter en route to becoming the first black quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. Rookie running back Timmy Smith had a great performance as well, running for a Super-Bowl record 203 yards.

The Redskins won their most recent Super Bowl on January 26, 1992, in Super Bowl XXVI in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Redskins, the most dominant team in the NFL in the 1991 season, defeated the Buffalo Bills 37-24. On March 5th, 1993, Joe Gibbs retired after 12 years of coaching with the Redskins. In what would prove to be a temporary retirement, Gibbs pursued an interest in NASCAR by founding Joe Gibbs Racing.


[edit] The Snyder era
In 1997, Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke died on the eve of the opening of the new stadium in suburban Landover, Maryland, that was to be named in his honor. In his will, Cooke left the Redskins to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, with instructions that the foundation sell the team. His son, John Kent Cooke, was unable to raise sufficient funds to purchase the business, and the team was later sold to Daniel Snyder.

In 1999, the Redskins made the playoffs for the first time since Joe Gibbs's retirement by winning the NFC East. They beat the Detroit Lions 27-13 in a home wild card game, but subsequently dropped their divisional playoff game in a 14-13 loss on the road to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.


FedExField.Snyder, who grew up as a Redskins fan and who made his fortune in marketing, has made many controversial moves since owning the team, including offering the name of the stadium up to corporate bidders. FedEx had the highest bid, and the stadium is now named FedEx Field. The most controversial habit Snyder has practiced is the continuous hiring and firing of head coaches, first firing incumbent coach Norv Turner, firing replacement Marty Schottenheimer after only one season, and in 2002, hiring University of Florida head coach Steve Spurrier to replace Schottenheimer. Spurrier resigned after the 2003 season with three years left on his contract.

For the 2004 season, Snyder successfully lured former coach Joe Gibbs away from NASCAR to return as head coach and team president. His employment came with a promise of decreased intervention in football operations from Snyder[citation needed]. Snyder also expanded FedEx Field to a league-high capacity of 91,665 seats. Gibbs's return to the franchise did not pay instant dividends as the Redskins finished the 2004 season with a record of 6 wins and 10 losses.

Despite an impressive defense, the team struggled offensively. Quarterback Mark Brunell―an off-season acquisition from the Jacksonville Jaguars―struggled in his first season, and was replaced midway through the season by backup Patrick Ramsey. On the other hand, some of Gibbs's other new signings, such as cornerback Shawn Springs and linebacker Marcus Washington, did very well. The Redskins also picked Sean Taylor from University of Miami during the draft in Gibbs's first season.

Partly because owner Dan Snyder has turned the Redskins into the greatest revenue producer in pro football, he has spent a lot of money on free agents. These moves did not work out well in the beginning (Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders), but the quality of free agents signed under Coach Gibbs has improved by signing or trading for stars such as Cornelius Griffin, Santana Moss, and Clinton Portis.


The Washington Redskins face the New York Giants
[edit] 2005
Wikinews has related news:
Redskins qualify for playoffs with win in PhiladelphiaDuring the 2005 offseason, the Redskins traded back WR Laveranues Coles to the New York Jets and acquired WR Santana Moss in return.

The Redskins used their first pick of the 2005 NFL Draft on Auburn University cornerback Carlos Rogers. The Redskins used their next first round draft pick (acquired from the Denver Broncos) on Auburn Quarterback Jason Campbell. The rest of their picks included UCLA fullback Manuel White, Jr., Louisville linebacker Robert McCune, Stanford linebacker Jared Newberry, and Citadel College fullback Nehemiah Broughton.

Hoping to improve on the previous season's dismal passing attack, Coach Gibbs added former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave as his quarterbacks coach. For the first time under Gibbs, the Redskins offense utilized the shotgun formation.

The team won its first three games, including a Monday Night Football victory over Dallas, but then fell into a slump, including three straight losses in November, which lessened the chances of the team making the playoffs. However, five consecutive victories at the end of the season allowed Washington to finish the season at 10-6, qualifying for the playoffs as a wild card team. They opened the playoffs on the road against the NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, January 7, 2006. They won the rematch by a final score of 17-10, after taking an early 14-0 lead, which they later seemed to have squandered until replay evidence showed that an apparent touchdown that would have tied the game was in fact an incomplete pass. In that game, the Redskins broke the record for fewest offensive yards (120) gained in a playoff victory, with one of their two touchdowns being from a defensive run after a fumble recovery. The following weekend, they played the Seattle Seahawks, who had received a first round bye. The Seahawks defeated the Redskins 20-10, ending the Redskins' hopes of reaching their first NFC Championship Game since 1991.

Three team records were broken during the 2005 season. Clinton Portis set the Redskins record for rushing yards in a season with 1,516 yards, breaking Stephen Davis's 2001 mark of 1,432 yards and Santana Moss's 1,483 receiving yards broke Bobby Mitchell's 1963 record of 1,436 yards. Chris Cooley's 71 receptions broke Jerry Smith's season record for a Redskins tight end.


[edit] 2006
Main article: 2006 Washington Redskins season

Jason Campbell became starting quarterback during the middle of the 2006 season.The inconsistency of the offense during the 2005 season resulted in Gibbs hiring offensive coordinator Al Saunders as the Associate Head Coach - Offense. Saunders came from a similar background as Gibbs through being mentored under Don Coryell and was thought to be able to make the offense become more efficient. Saunders would serve as the primary playcaller. Because of this, it was believed that Gibbs would have the role of Head Coach/CEO with the Redskins in 2006 and would largely deal with personnel matters, as well as having more time to focus on special teams and defense, while Saunders would supplement Gibbs with the offense. Gibbs also added former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jerry Gray to his staff as Secondary/Cornerbacks Coach. Gibbs did lose quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave to the Atlanta Falcons over the summer of 2006.

After winning only three of the first nine games of the Washington Redskin's 2006 season, Joe Shea, hired after Gibbs got felted, in an effort to save some portion of their season, benched starting quarter back Mark Brunell in favor of former first round draft pick Jason Campbell. After losing his first game as a starter to Tampa Bay, Campbell got his first NFL victory against the Carolina Panthers, bringing the Redskins out of a three-game losing streak. The Redskins finished 5-11 after a home loss to the New York Giants, 34-28. Washington finished last in the NFC East division, the only team in their division to fail to make the playoffs. This marked the second losing season in Joe Gibbs' second term as head coach of the franchise.

Analysts differ on exactly why the 2006 season was such a failure. Some point to free agent busts such as strong safety Adam Archuleta and wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. Others point to the disconnect between the offensive philosophies of Gibbs and Saunders: Gibbs preferring a power-running scheme while Saunders desired an aggressive pass-oriented style. Many looked to the breakdowns in defensive coordinator Gregg Williams's system, while some point to specific player breakdowns in the porous secondary such as the struggles of defensive backs Carlos Rogers, Sean Taylor, and Archuleta, allowing a league high 30 TD passes, and accumulating an NFL low 6 interceptions. The defense went from 7th overall in 2005 to 29th in 2006.


[edit] Logo and uniforms

Redskins logo 1965-1969
Redskins logo 1982
Redskins logo 1972-1981, 1983-presentThe Washington Redskins' primary colors are burgundy and gold. They are one of the three NFL teams that primarily wear their white jerseys at home (the others being the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins). The tradition of wearing white jerseys at home was started by Joe Gibbs when he took over as coach in 1981. Gibbs was an assistant for the San Diego Chargers in 1979 and 1980, and the Chargers wore white at home during the tenure of coach Don Coryell in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Their burgundy jersey (which is primarily used for when the opposing team decides to wear white at home, which comes mostly against the Dallas Cowboys and occasionally the Philadelphia Eagles) consists of burgundy jerseys and white pants. In 2001, however, the Redskins wore burgundy at home per a decision by Marty Schottenheimer, their coach for that year. The other combination of burgundy jerseys and gold pants was used mostly in the past and for the 2002 season, when the Redskins celebrated their 70th anniversary and wore these colors at home.

The Redskins' current uniform design was introduced by coach Jack Pardee in 1979. From 1972 through 1978, the Redskins wore gold pants with both the burgundy and white jerseys. Gold face masks were introduced in 1978 and remain to this day.

Their white jersey consists of three combinations. One is the white jerseys and burgundy pants, which is considered the "classic" look. The other (and lesser known) combination is the white jerseys and gold pants, which was used in the past when they weren't wearing their burgundy jersey. The last combination consists of both white jerseys and pants. That particular combination surfaced in the first game of the 2003 season on a nationally televised game against the New York Jets, which led to many sports fans and Redskin faithful alike to point out that they have never seen that particular combination. That year the Redskins wore it two more times. That look didn't appear again until midway through the 2005 season when the Redskins wore it in a road game against the St. Louis Rams. The Redskins won six games (including one in the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wearing that combination) and the local media jokingly pointed out that the reason why the Redskins were winning was because of the white on white combination. In the NFC Divisional Game against the eventual 2005 NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks, the Redskins wore the all-white jerseys, in hopes that they could keep their luck going; however, they lost 20-10. The Redskins have continued to wear the white jerseys and white pants into the 2006 preseason. In the 2006 season, the Redskins started wearing black cleats, something that hasn't been done for quite a while. It was a surprise because they wore white cleats during the preseason. They would have to wear that color for the rest of the season, because the NFL usually asks teams to choose either black or white cleats to be worn throughout the season.

From 1981 through 2000, the Redskins always wore white at home. This changed in 2001. The Redskins wore their burgundy uniforms for all their home games under new head coach Marty Schottenheimer. In 2002, the Redskins wore white for their home opener due to the heat and then switched to burgundy for the remainder of the season. In 2003, the Redskins wore white at home during preseason and September before switching to burgundy starting in October. In 2004, with the return of Joe Gibbs as head coach, the Redskins switched to wearing white for all their home games.

After the white-on-white period which lasted from the mid/late 2005 season into 2006, the classic uniform of white jerseys over burgundy pants reappeared on November 26, 2006, in a home game against the Carolina Panthers. The decision to return to the classic look may have symbolized a desire by the team to turn a new page on their 2006 season, which had been very lackluster previous to that game, the period of success with the white jerseys over white pants having come to an end the previous season. The move may have also been related to the fact that this home game was the second start and first home start of second-year quarterback Jason Campbell, and that the game and the previous week's game were, in the hopes and perceptions of many Redskins fans, the start of the "Jason Campbell era." The Redskins went on to win that game against Carolina, preserving slim hopes of the team's being able to make it to the 2006 playoffs, although they ultimately missed the playoffs.

Even though many NFL teams with dark pants have chosen to match those with their dark jerseys, through the 2006 season, the Redskins have yet to match the burgundy pants with burgundy jerseys.

In celebration of the franchise's 75th anniversary, the Redskins wore a special throwback uniform for the September 23, 2007 game against the New York Giants. Players wore a white jersey with burgundy and gold stripes on the sleeves and the 75th anniversary logo on the left chest. The pants were gold with white and burgundy stripes down the side. The helmet was yellow-colored with a maroon "R" logo. The helmet and uniform styles (besides the anniversary patch) were the same as the ones the franchise used during the 1970-71 seasons. The legendary Vince Lombardi, who coached the Redskins in 1969 before passing away, was the inspiration behind the helmet. Lombardi pushed for the logo, which sat inside a white circle with Indian feathers hanging down from the side, because of its similarity to the "G" on the helmets worn by his Green Bay Packers for many years.

Some activists consider the namesake and logo of the Washington Redskins racist towards Native Americans[3]. Lately there has been movements by certain groups to change the name[citation needed], but the attempts have been unsuccessful. Many make the case in defense that their (The Redskins) name is intended to honor the bravery and dignity of Native Americans and that, regardless of past usage, the word "redskins" today refers to the football team. The activists argue that no matter what the intent is, the term has always been a negative and racist word. [4]. Notwithstanding the complaints of the activists, a 2002 poll commissioned by Sports Illustrated found that 75% of those Native Americans surveyed had no objection to the Redskins name.



Taylor, who had been ejected from a playoff game for spitting on an opponent, pleaded no contest last year to two misdemeanor charges in connection with the 2005 incident and was in the final days of 18 months on probation.

He had originally faced three felony counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and two battery misdemeanors after a confrontation over an all-terrain vehicle. Police said gunshots had been fired into the vehicle.
WASHINGTON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - The National Football League's Sean Taylor, a star defensive player for the Washington Redskins, died on Tuesday after being shot at his home near Miami, local television stations reported.
Taylor, 24, who was the Redskins first pick in the 2004 draft, was shot in the leg, severing his femoral artery