When you have the Top 5 Most Underrated Washington Redskins of All-Time conversation, you truly are hitting an area where opinions vary as everybody has their favorites throughout the years. What we wanted to do was search out the five players we thought were the most forgotten or most underrated Washington Redskins of all-time. So after much debate and research, here are the top 5 most underrated Washington Redskins of All-Time.
5 – Larry Brown – Runningback (5-11, 195 lbs) – Drafted in the 8th round of the 1969 NFL Draft, Larry Brown was an after-thought on a team that featured Charley Taylor, Sonny Jurgensen, and Jerry Smith. That was until Vince Lombardi came to town. Lombardi noticed that Brown was behind on some plays and sent him in for hearing tests, the results revealed that Brown was indeed
4 – Jerry Smith – Tight End (6-3, 208 lbs) – The Washington Redskins drafted Jerry Smith in the 9th round of the 1965 NFL Draft. All he did was put up one of the best careers for a tight end in the 12 seasons that followed. Smith played in the 1973 Super Bowl VII, and Sports Illustrated called him “an outstanding receiver among tight ends, with the ability to break open for a long gain.” In his
3 –Pat Fischer – Cornerback (5-9, 170 lbs) – Pat “The Mouse” Fischer joined the NFL as the 17th-round draft choice of the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1961 NFL Draft. Seven seasons and 29 interceptions later, Fischer signed with the Washington Redskins as a free agent in 1968 and was a 1969 Pro Bowler for the burgundy and gold.
Fischer, who was named on the Redskins 70 Greatest of All-Time Team, finished his 17-year career with 56 interceptions and ranks seventh all-time in Redskins career interceptions with 27 and fourth all-time with 412 career interception return yards. At the time of his retirement, Fischer had played in 213 NFL games, then a record for a cornerback. He was well known for his strong tackling skills despite his diminutive size. Some of Fischer’s most memorable defensive match-ups occurred against Philadelphia Eagles receiver Harold Carmichael who stood eleven inches taller than Fischer. Fischer’s mantra “get a leg up and you own him” is used today to motivate and teach smaller defensive backs how to defend taller wide receivers. Fischer continues to appear on the veterans committee ballot for the Hall of Fame.
2 – Monte Coleman – Linebacker (6-2, 242 lbs) – Monte Coleman is one of the few NFL linebackers with three Super Bowl rings, he’s also one of the few Redskins players who were part of all three Super Bowl teams. Coleman accrued 999 total tackles to go along with 17 interceptions and 56.5 sacks, which ranks him fourth on the Redskins all-time sacks list.
The Redskins chose Coleman in the 11th of the 12 rounds of the 1979 NFL Draft with the 289th overall selection. Coleman played for the Redskins in parts of the 70s, the 80s, and the 90s. On the all-time list of games played as a Redskin, Monte Coleman is currently second having played in 217 games, Darrell Green is first. He is one of only three men to play at least 16 seasons with the franchise, along with quarterback Sammy Baugh (16) and Green (20).
Coleman was part of four Redskins Super Bowl teams: Super Bowl XVII, Super Bowl XVIII, Super Bowl XXII, and Super Bowl XXVI…all of which won the big game except for Super Bowl XVIII.
1 – Joe Jacoby – Offensive Tackle (6-7, 305 lbs) – Joe Jacoby was a dominant offensive lineman and an integral part of The Hogs success. He shined with his unit, earning three Super Bowl rings in an era of Redskins dominance. He also stood out as an individual playing in 170 games for the Redskins, while starting 19 playoff games and garnering four Pro Bowl invites. He compares favorably to some of the best offensive linemen of all-time and has been selected as a semi-finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame multiple times.
It’s a travesty that Jacoby has yet to be placed in his rightful spot alongside other Hall of Fame greats in Canton.
Honorable Mention: C Len Hauss, RB/KR-PR Brian Mitchell, LT Jim Lachey, DT Dave Butz
We know that not everybody will agree on our list, so let’s see your top 5 most underrated Washington Redskins of All-Time.
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