The Washington Redskins didn’t win three Super Bowls and five NFC championships without having some dominant defensive players in their history. Here are five of their greatest who ever wore the burgundy and gold or laced their cleats up in the National Football League.
Five Great Redskins Defensive Players
Chris Hanburger (Linebacker, 1965-1978)
Nine Pro Bowls, Four first-team All-Pro distinctions, 19 interceptions, 5 for touchdowns. After far too long a wait, Hanburger was finally elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Dexter Manley (Defensive End, 1981-1989)
Known as the “Secretary of Defense” (what a nickname!) throughout his 9 years in the District, Manley made the 1986 All-Pro team and wracked up 97.5 career sacks, the most in team history.
Charles Mann (Defensive End, 1983-1993) Drafted in the third round of the 1983 NFL Draft; Charles Mann was the starting left defensive end in just his second season. During this time in Washington, Mann had four double-digit sack seasons, including a career-high 14.5 in 1985, his third season in the NFL. Mann finished his career with the Redskins with 82 sacks, the second-most in franchise history, and 17 forced fumbles, the most in franchise history, and also won Super Bowl XXII and Super Bowl XXVI.
Darrell Green (Defensive back, 1982-2002)
The accolades never ceased for Darrell Green. Widely regarded as one of the fastest and most skilled defensive backs in NFL history, Green was dubbed “The Ageless Wonder” for his longevity and consistently high level of production. He blanketed receivers in two different passing eras, picking off opposing QBs 54 times in his career.
Sean Taylor (Safety, 2004-2007)
One of the hardest-hitting and most athletic safeties of the modern NFL era, Sean Taylor anchored the Redskins secondary for 4 seasons, compiling 299 tackles, 8 forced fumbles, and 12 interceptions in that time. Tragically, Taylor was shot and killed by a home intruder in the middle of the 2007 season.
Best Current Defensive Player
Ryan Kerrigan (Linebacker, 2011- )
This 26-year-old linebacker had been a solid contributor to Washington’s defensive front-7 for 3 seasons prior, but he really came into his own during the 2014 season. Kerrigan recorded 13.5 sacks last year and made a trip to the Pro Bowl following the season. And the only way to watch him terrorize opposing quarterbacks is to get out to FedEx Field in person by saving big at ScoreBig.com!
