As the documentary America’s Game vividly portrays, the 1982 Washington Redskins were not built from a traditional mold. They were a collection of what the narrator calls “53 misfits, outcasts, and rejects.”
53 Misfits, Outcasts, and Rejects
They had a quarterback, Joe Theismann, who had famously changed the pronunciation of his last name in college to rhyme with “Heisman” (a trophy he never won). They had a head coach, Joe Gibbs, who started his tenure 0-5 in 1981 and slept in his office to turn the ship around. And they had a roster full of players cut from other teams, clinging to their jobs. But together, they formed a brotherhood that nobody wanted to play.
A retrospective on the chaotic, strike-shortened season that forged a dynasty and delivered Washington its first Super Bowl title.
Order from Chaos: The 57-Day Strike
The 1982 season was defined by a 57-day players’ strike that reduced the schedule to just nine games. While other teams fractured under the uncertainty, Washington galvanized.
The documentary highlights a pivotal shift in leadership during this hiatus. Theismann, often viewed as “Hollywood” by his critics, became the glue. He organized player-only practices at local high schools, writing up scripts and keeping the team sharp. As tight end Rick Walker noted, Theismann’s initiative kept the “band of gypsies” together. When the strike ended in November, the Redskins weren’t rusty; they were a 3-0 team ready to sprint through the rest of the abbreviated season.
The Cast of Characters
The ’82 Redskins were a circus, and every unit had its own identity.
- The Hogs: The legend began here. Offensive line coach Joe Bugel looked at his group—including undrafted free agent Joe Jacoby and converted center Russ Grimm—and told them, “Come on, you Hogs, let’s get down here.” The name stuck. They even formed their own exclusive fraternity, the “5 O’Clock Club,” meeting in a tool shed after practice to drink beer and bond.
- The Smurfs & The Fun Bunch: With a receiving corps of smaller players like Virgil Seay and Alvin Garrett (dubbed “The Smurfs”), the team needed big celebrations. Along with Art Monk and Charlie Brown, they created “The Fun Bunch,” revolutionizing end-zone celebrations with their choreographed high-fives.
- The MVP Kicker: In a season of oddities, straight-on kicker Mark Moseley won the NFL MVP award. A man meticulous about his hair and appearance (“The blue-collar style with the kicker personality”), Moseley made a record-breaking 23 consecutive field goals in the snow and mud, often bailing out the offense in close games.
“Give Me The Ball”
Entering the playoffs, the Redskins were an 8-1 team, but doubts lingered. Before their first playoff game against Detroit, the eccentric John Riggins—who had spent the preseason holding out and famously marched to his own beat—walked into Joe Gibbs’ office with a simple demand: “Give me the ball.”
Gibbs obliged. “The Diesel” went on a rampage, rushing for 119 yards against the Lions and 185 yards against the Vikings. In the NFC Championship game against the hated Dallas Cowboys, the Hogs took over. In one of the most legendary sequences in team history, guard Russ Grimm reportedly refused a play call to run outside to kill the clock. He told the huddle, “No, 50 Gut.” He wanted to run right at Dallas star Randy White. They ran the same play repeatedly, bludgeoning the Cowboys and knocking their quarterback, Danny White, out of the game.
Super Bowl XVII: Theismann’s Redemption & 70 Chip
The Super Bowl matchup against the Miami Dolphins was personal for Theismann, who had been drafted by Miami’s Don Shula but chose the CFL instead.
The game was a grinder. Theismann made arguably the biggest defensive play of the game, stripping Miami’s Kim Bokamper of a sure interception-touchdown that would have sealed the game. But the defining moment came in the fourth quarter. Trailing 17-13, facing a 4th-and-1, Joe Gibbs made the gutsy call: “I Left Tight Wing, 70 Chip on White.”
It was the moment the entire season had built toward. Riggins took the handoff, shed the tackle of cornerback Don McNeal, and rumbled 43 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.
Champions of the World
America’s Game captures the raw emotion of the aftermath. For a city that hadn’t tasted a championship in 40 years, the victory was cathartic. The “misfits” had become legends. As Riggins noted, the money was great, but the ring—and the bond with “the fellas”—was forever.
Fast Facts: The 1982 Champs
- Record: 8–1 (Regular Season)
- Super Bowl XVII MVP: John Riggins (38 carries, 166 yards, 1 TD)
- League MVP: Mark Moseley (Kicker)
- Head Coach: Joe Gibbs (1st Super Bowl win)
- Defining Moment: “70 Chip” on 4th and 1.
- Legacy: The start of a “Golden Era” that would see three Super Bowl titles in 10 years.
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