Dr. Z father confessor to John Riggins

[Yomar]

My apologies if this was posted already, but in Dr. Z's typically longwinded bytch session is a story about Riggins when he was with the Jets. Thought it was a pretty cool scene...

"Sometimes I felt like a father confessor. I remember sitting in the press room at the Jets' dorm at Hofstra University in 1973, trying to type a story, when John Riggins came in and told me that was it, he was quitting. He was holding out for $150,000 that year; the Jets were offering $75,000, an unheard of sum for them.

"I just wanted you to get your story right," Riggins said. We talked for about an hour and I tried to talk him into staying in camp. It was a weird scene, Riggo in his leather vest with no shirt underneath and his mohawk haircut. Outside a storm was brewing and the wind was whipping up, and the lights were flickering, threatening to cut out at any moment, and we were discussing all this deep, career stuff. When he left, I had the depressing feeling that I'd never see John Riggins again. "

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/dr_z/news/2002/07/11/drz_insider/

That got me interested in looking for more Riggins stories and found this page which I thought was cool as well:

http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=riggins

[Yomar]

same site, Joe Gibbs article:

http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=gibbs

JOE GIBBS

By Don Smith

The Coffin Corner Volume XVIII, 1996

The Washington Redskins, whose &ational Football League history began in Boston in 1932, were among the league's most dominant teams in the 1930s and 1940s. But, with the exception of an NFC championship and a Super Bowl VII appearance against the Miami Dolphins in 1972, the team suffered through a championship drought of almost four decades.

When the Redskins posted a 6-10 record in 1980, the team's Chairman of the Board, Jack Kent Cooke, knew it was time for a drastic change.

The choice of Cooke and his general manager, Bobby Beathard, was 40-year-old Joe Gibbs, who had never been an NFL head coach but a man who had inspired accolades from almost every corner of the pro football world. He was hired to lead the Redskins on January 13, 1981.

As confident as Cooke and Beathard were over their choice of Gibbs, it is doubtful that they could have envisioned the sparkling record the new coach would achieve during his 12-year reign that ended with his retirement after the 1992 campaign.

Under Gibbs' leadership, the Redskins played in four Super Bowls and won three. They won four NFC titles and four NFC Eastern championships. They had only one losing season in 12 seasons and won 10 or more games eight times. With 16 victories in 21 games, Gibbs' post-season record is surpassed only by Vince Lombardi and Weeb Ewbank. His .683 career percentage for all games ranks behind only Lombardi (.740) and John Madden (.731) among coaches with 100 career victories.

One of the primary goals Cooke sought when he selected Gibbs to lead the Redskins was an exciting, attacking team. In his long career as an assistant coach for three universities and three NFL teams, Gibbs had developed a reputation for being a true student and teacher of the offensive game, a person who possessed superior motivational skills and an unigue work ethic.

As the San Diego Chargers' offensive coordinator, he was recognized as the pilot of the "Air Coryell" attack which ransacked enemy defenses virtually every week.

Gibbs' first Washington team broke even at: 8-8, even though the 1981 Redskins set a team total offense record and came within five points of a new scoring record. With a team beset by numerous injuries, the Redskins lost their first five games before rebounding with eight wins in the last 11 games. "I began to think I would be the only coach who was fired before winning even one game," Gibbs joshed.

Super Gibbs

One of the things most remembered about Gibbs was that he won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks -- Joe Theismann in Super Bowl XVII, Doug Williams in Super Bowl XXII and Mark Rypien in Super Bowl XXVI. Theismann's turn came in Gibbs' second season in 1982. With Theismann leading the way with 2,033 yards and 13 touchdowns passing, the Redskins won eight of nine games and defeated the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII. Theismann passed for two touchdowns but workhorse running back John Riggins won MVP honors with a 166-yard rushing performance culminated by a game-winning 43-yard TD run. Gibbs was the Associated Press choice as NFL Coach of the Year.

The 1983 Redskins used a balanced rushing ar~ passing offense to win 14 of 16 games and advance to a second straight Super Bowl. Theismaiin passed for 3,714 yards but Riggins stole the show with his battering-ram runs that produced 1,374 yards and 24 touchdowns. Gibbs again was named NFL Coach of the Year. But the seemingly perfect season evaporated in Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders stunned the Redskins, 38-9.

The Redskins did not return to championship status until the 1987 season, which was culminated with a 42-10 romp over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII. Two unlikely heroes were Doug Williams at quarterback and running back Tim Smith. Williams, substituting for Jay Schroeder, broke or tied four Super Bowl records and won MVP honors. Smith, who rushed for only 126 yards all year, ran for 204 yards and two touchdowns.

Gibbs' final Super Bowl triumph came in his 11th season in 1991, when he was named NFL Coach of the Year for the third time. The Redskins had a 14-2 record and overwhelmed Detroit 41-10. In the NFC championship game. The season ended with an easy 37-24 win over Buffalo in Super Bowl XXVI. Quarterback MVP Mark Rypien won MVP acclaim with a 292-yard performance.

The winning coach was lauded for the unprecedented achievement of winning three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks. Typically, the soft-spoken Gibbs downplayed his own role and insisted that the Redskins won because Theismaun, Williams and Rypien were all excellent football players in their own right.

The Redskins struggled to a 9-7 record in 1992 but did win one playoff game over Minnesota before losing to San Francisco 20-13 in what would turn out to be Gibbs' final game as an NFL coach.

Calling It Quits

There may have been several factors involved in Gibbs' surprising decision but a late-season health scare no doubt played a major role in his retirement. After being diagnosed with "migraine equivalence" -- a nervous condition that included everything but the headaches associated with migraines, Gibbs, then 52, began getting more rest as he continued to ponder his pro football future and to re-think his priorities.

Gibbs' 20-hour-day, work-around-the-clock routine and his sleeping three or four nights each week at his office was well known throughout the NFL. in the final weeks of the 1992 season, he found it more and more difficult to get the proper rest. After the season, he still felt physically drained and emotionally anxious. He underwent medical tests at the Mayo Clinic and elsewhere but the tests produced no evidence of a life-threatening disease.

At the same time, he realized that coaching was taking a toll on his family life, particularly his opportunity to be with his sons, J. D. and Coy. At that time, Coy was a linebacker at Stanford.

"I want to go and see Coy play. I want to sit in the stands and just be a dad," Gibbs said. "There's a window of opportunity with my family, my sons and my wife Pat. The last two years have been difficult for me. This is the toughest decision I have ever made in my life."

The news of Gibbs' retirement was stunning to most of the Redskins players. "In a game with a lot of liars and cheaters and crooks1 he was different," defensive tackle Eric Williams said. "Joe was a shining star. He was honest. He was tough, but honest. He was brilliant at what he did. You couldn't ask for more of a coach or a human being."

One player who wasn't shocked, however1 was Rypien, whose home Gibbs had visited a few days earlier.

"He was asking me about my family and he spent a lot of time talking to my little girls," Rypien remembered. "The conversation didn't revolve around football the way it usually did. Now that I think back on it, you had kind of an indicator there."

Since he was officially retired, Gibbs' nomination for Pro Football Hall of Fame membership could have come as early as 1994. But since many expected he would return to coaching, possibly with the new Carolina expansion team, the nomination was held up until 1996. In the meantime, Gibbs removed his name from consideration for the Carolina coaching position and later expressed no interest when it was rumored he might be hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Instead, he turned his interest to other pursuits. He did enjoy "the good life" with his family, as he said he would do. Gibbs also had been a long-time auto-racing enthusiast and, in 1991, he bought his first racing car. Today he and his sons work together in Charlotte, NC, overseeing their NASCAR race team. During football seasons, Gibbs is busy every week as a highly- regarded analyst on NBC's NFL Live pre-game show.

A Long Road

Although he was born in Mocksville, NC, on November 25, 1940, Gibbs' roots are imbedded in California, where he moved as a child, and particularly in San Diego. A graduate of Santa Fe Springs high school, Gibbs attended Cerritos Junior College before enrolling at San Diego State, where he played guard, tight end and linebacker for the Aztecs and earned a physical education degree.

In his coaching career that began as a graduate assistant at San Diego State in 1964, Gibbs had the good fortune of working as an offensive assistant under some of the great names of the college coaching ranks -- Don Coryell at San Diego, Bill Peterson at Florida State, John McKay at Southern California and Frank Broyles at Arkansas.

Gibbs' college coaching career spanned nine seasons from 1964 to 1972 and his teams enjoyed unusual success. San Diego State was 27-4 in three seasons and both Florida State and USC were 15-4-1 during two-year stints by Gibbs. Arkansas was 14-8-1 in 1971 and 1972.

Two of his college coaches later called on Gibbs when they became head coaches in the NFL. Coryell actually hired Gibbs twice, the first time in 1973 as the offensive backfield coach of the St. Louis Cardinals and the second time in 1979 as the offensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers. In between the two Coryell assignments, Gibbs served as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator under McKay in 1978.

Two offensive players whom Gibbs coached in the NFL also were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the same year he was, a happy circumstance that Gibbs says made his election especially meaningful. Dan Dierdorf was an offensive right tackle for the St. Louis Cardinals and Charlie Joiner was one of the leading pass catchers in the Chargers' powerful offense during the Gibbs' years.

"Every year was a learning experience for me~" Gibbs said about his many stops as an assistant coach. "I certainly had a vast cross section. You watch those guys, you learn and you say that's what I want to be."

Gibbs learned intensity from Coryell, particularly in game preparations, during three tenures on his staffs. Gibbs picked up the hard work ethic from Peterson at Florida State. Peterson was tireless and he demanded his staff work by the same clock. McKay, clearly the authority figure at USC, gave Gibbs hands-on experience as a disciplinarian. At Arkansas under Broyles, Gibbs learned the power of positive thinking.

He also learned something about the running game from McKay, the architect at Tailback U., and about passing from Coryell, the author of a devastating passing offense that wreaked havoc in the pro ranks.

Planning to Win

It was this unusual resume that Gibbs brought with him to Washington for his first head coaching job at any level of football. He knew exactly what he had to do. First, he assembled a quality staff of assistants. He turned the defense over to Richie Petitbon and took charge of the offense himself, but always made a point of listening to what his offensive assistants had to say. "He's not afraid to have strong-willed and independent thinkers around him," a Redskins official pointed out.

Perhaps most importantly, he adjusted his game plans within the framework of the talents of his personnel to create the best possible chance to become successful. His first change was the most dramatic. In San Diego, the Chargers excelled with Dan Fouts, one of the game's best pure passers. In Washington, Gibbs inherited Theismann, a classic scrambler.

In San Diego, the Chargers threw the ball on almost every down, partly because they didn't have a dominating running back. But in Washington, Gibbs found himself with a big offensive line and a big, hard-working ball-carrier in Riggins. In Theismann, he had a guy who could do things based on his tremendous athleticism. That combination brought Gibbs his first Super Bowl title in his second year in 1982.

Five years later when the Redskins won their second Super Bowl, Williams was their quarterback. He had a strong arm but little mobility and the Redskins didn't have a dominant running back like Riggins. Gibbs decided to capitalize on the arm of Williams and a handful of quality receivers and the Redskins won again.

In 1991, Rypien was a cross between Theismann and Williams. Rypien was mobile -- but not as mobile as Theismann -- and he had a big arm --but not like Williams. So Gibbs loaded up the attack with sprint-out and play-action passes to mesh with the running threat of Earnest Byner and Washington enjoyed a very successful year.

"It's amazing the things Joe comes up with," Redskins backup quarterback Jeff Rutledge said. "He puts things in, they always work. It seems like he's always calling plays at the right time. He's a genius when it comes to offense."

"Genius? Jack Kent Cooke said there are no geniuses in the game and I think he's right," Gibbs insisted. "This business is getting along with people, working with people. That doesn't fall under the category of guys being really bright or scholarly. You just need to be good with people."

Perhaps Broyles, Gibbs' coach at Arkansas, said it best: "Joe was one of the most complete coaches we ever had. He had toughness and compassion. He did it all from teaching to recruiting. He is so likeable, so pleasant. Joe not only was a brilliant coach, but an outstanding person.

So it was not unexpected when Joe Gibbs was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the first year his name was on the ballot.

[Guest SkinsHokie Fan]

Joe Gibbs simply was the man. I remember always knowing that even if the Redskins were down at halftime in the second half they would absolutley come back to win (even though it did not ALWAYS happen) Those 1991 playoffs were just awesome as we just walked our way to a Super Bowl title with no doubts in mind of who was the best

[Zen-like Todd]

Rypien was mobile -- but not as mobile as Theismann -- and he had a big arm --but not like Williams.

Errr... Rypien....mobile......err..not.

[Fitz]

Great article Yomar, thanks for posting it. Good stuff about Gibbs' formative coaching years that you usually don't hear about.

I've heard from some fans that feel that the identical record of Gibbs' and Marty's inaugural seasons (lose the first five and finish .500) was justification for hoping Marty could bring a trophy to the Skins, but it's a specious argument. General Pattonheimer was nothing like Gibbs; just one quote from the article illustrates how different they were. "'He's not afraid to have strong-willed and independent thinkers around him,' a Redskins official pointed out." Marty, from the hiring of assistants to the treatment of Larry Centers, made it clear that he couldn't tolerate anyone who would challenge his supremacy to the slightest degree. And his inability to adapt his system to the talent on hand is the antithesis to Gibbs' methods.

In fact, Schottenheimer was a lot more like Gibbs' predescessor (once-removed), George Allen. When Snyder took him on board and told him it was his show, Marty took it literally and made sure that it was written into his contract. Once training camp began, it started becoming clear that Marty was a control freak who had to be the maximum leader. Allen likewise had to have his hand in every aspect of running the team. Another strange similarity between Allen and Schottenheimer - they were both able to inspire loyalty from their players in some cases, but they went on to other teams and found themselves with a player revolt on their hands. Finally, they had similar success - they both could get to the playoffs, but never achieve the ultimate goal. I don't think that was a coincidence. Guys who think they have to have control of everything tend to be rigid and can't adapt when they eventually find out that they don't have all the answers. It'll be interesting to see what Marty does in San Diego. I'd be willing to bet that he'll do better than he did here, because the Chargers were smart enough to learn from Snyder's mistake and not give Schottenheimer complete control. He'll have a strong GM riding herd on him, as he did in KC and Cleveland. I think he'll probably repeat his record from those two teams and bring the Chargers to respectability, but he'll never quite be able to get them over the last hurdle and win a Super Bowl.

I know it's tough to catch lightning in a bottle once, let alone twice, but there are similarities between Gibbs and Spurrier that make me hopeful that the ballcoach can have at least some of the success that Joe Jackson Gibbs enjoyed. He's recognized as an offensive innovator, as Gibbs was (though Coryell got most of the credit, at least from the media and fans). More importantly, Spurrier knows his own limitations; he wants to coach the offense and leave the rest to those who know it better. The combination of Spurrier/Lewis is very reminiscent of the arrangement of Gibbs and "assistant head coach for defense" Richie Petitbon, a fact that I'm sure didn't escape Snyder when he decided to lay out the cash for these guys. The main difference between Spurrier and Gibbs is that Steve won't kill himself with the 120-hour work weeks that Joe endured, but that's probably an advantage. Joe put a huge effort into preparation, but to my mind, his real genius showed itself on game day, when he made changes on the fly. You never felt you were out of a game with Gibbs at the helm. I can't count the number of times I told others, "don't worry, they'll make adjustments at halftime", and most of the time I was right. When you hear guys like Peyton Manning saying that the key to Spurrier's success is his ability to analyze the opponent and call the appropriate plays, it makes me think that we may indeed have somebody with the special qualities that made Gibbs great. We'll have to wait and see, of course, but there's good reason to be optimistic at this point.

[bulldog]

when you look back on it, the 1991 Redskins got 3,700 yards passing from Mark Rypien with 28 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions, playing all 16 games.

now I ask you, who else but Gibbs could have choreographed that? :cool:

[Yomar]

I agree about the similarities between Gibbs and Spurrier, of course Spurrier has a lot to live up to when compared against Gibbs resume, but I saw the same similarities you did. I think both coaches are very big on honesty and frankness and of course both are great offensive minds. Besides the difference in approach to office hours etc., the main difference I see is the humility. Not to say Spurrier is not humble in his own way, I think he would be the first to give credit to his players for his success, but he does not shy away from the lockerroom material the way Gibbs did.

[Yomar]

Originally posted by Fitzman

It'll be interesting to see what Marty does in San Diego. I'd be willing to bet that he'll do better than he did here, because the Chargers were smart enough to learn from Snyder's mistake and not give Schottenheimer complete control. He'll have a strong GM riding herd on him, as he did in KC and Cleveland. I think he'll probably repeat his record from those two teams and bring the Chargers to respectability, but he'll never quite be able to get them over the last hurdle and win a Super Bowl.

I have been wanting to say this for awhile and this gives me the opportunity, I believe San Diego is going to have a great year this year. Seau and Edwards is arguably better than Arrington and Trotter, but at least on par, they have very nice D-Line and if Jammer can come in and be a force, that D is going to be very very good. They still have some O-Line issues, but Raymer and Fonuti will go a long way, especially in helping the running game. And I still think Flutie is a winner. I think Marty is a good coach and if he has a blue-collar team, he will always be in the mix. Personally I love the style of smashmouth football, and I expect big things from San Diego this year...that being said, I would rather have Spurrier than Marty.