R. C. Thielemann

[navybear]

Can anyone out there give me background on R. C. Thielemann? I called an old client recently, who informed me that I needed to be speaking with the gentleman who was now making the decisions, R. C. Thielemann. I replied, "Didn't he play for the Redskins a few years back?" The answer was affirmative - it's the same guy!

I've been gone from the DC area since '73, but have remained a faithful 'Skins fan. I'd really appreciate any info you have on R.C., such as position and years played. I'm pretty sure he was a defensive lineman. I believe he may have been a Hog, but not an original one.

Can anyone out there help me with career highlights, etc.? I don't want to show up at the appointment with my old Hogs t-shirt if he wasn't a Hog!

Thanks!

navybear in Atlanta

[Blade]

I am bumping this one up since it was posted in currently unused "Former Players" Forum.

I am thinking that Thielman was on the SB 22 team, but I cant remember his exact years. I think he left around 1990, but I am sure others here will have more specific info.

[SonnyJ]

I believe he was the RG on the SB 22 team. He came over in a trade with the Falcons.

I can't remember when his last year was, but I don't believe he was on the SB 26 team.

[bulldog]

RC was a pro bowl guard for the Falcons in his early years in the NFL, opening holes for William Andrews in the old Steve Bartkowski offense down there.

he was acquired by the Redskins to be a backup player but found his way into the starting lineup at right guard and started there in the mid-1980's.

I may be mistaken but my impression was that he was here from say '84-87?

He was around 29 or 30 when the Skins got him from Atlanta.

He didn't make the pro bowl in Washington but was a very sound player for us.

[Neal]

I believe R.C Thielmann, an Arkansas graduate, was received from the Falcons in 1985 in the trade for WR Charlie Brown. He was about age 30 with 9 years in the NFL. He remained through his twelflth season (1988) at which time he retired. He started for most of the Redskins period at right guard and I still consider him one of the better pulling guards I have seen.

[G-Town]

I found this on http://www.sportsnote.com/archive/

This past Saturday morning, Jeff and I called our old Falcon teammate, R.C. Thielemann. Ray Charles played guard on the o-line next to Note and he and I had come into the league at the same time and through happenstance became roommates (boy did the cheerleaders like him). We're calling at this time because R.C. had the good fortune through a trade to play in a Super Bowl.

Yes, R.C., after 8 years wearing Red as a Falcon (77-84), went to the nation's capital to become a Redskin (85-88) and take pictures with the likes of Ronald Reagan, Jack Kent Cook, and ultimately Pete Rozelle as he got to hold The Lombardi Trophy.

It was Super Bowl XXII. Washington Redskins vs. Elway and the Denver Broncos. Denver started quickly jumping out to a 10-0 as the first period ended. "We fell behind early, Doug goes down with a hurt leg and then he comes back in the second quarter. We score 35 points and basically the game was done" R.C. reflected. "At half time, we are saying, 'keep the ball in bounds, run the ball, get this thing over with so we can get on with the show".

Yes, you could say Doug Williams came back that second quarter. He throws 4 touchdown passes of 80, 27, 50 and 8 on the way to earning the games most valuable player award. Doug will be there this year for the opening coin toss along with his old college coach and the man he will now try to replace Grambling's own Eddie Robinson. I first met Doug in a Burger King in 1978. You see Louisiana Tech is only some 4 miles from Grambling. He was a year younger than me, and was just about to enter the draft. We talked long about my first year, how I liked it, was it great fun, these type things. I should have known he was in store for great things. Here I was treating all my old friends to a fine meal at a fine eatery and he was already eating at such places. (lol) I saw him in the Baton Rouge airport shortly after the game and I can still see his smile as we spoke.

Jeff starts to ask R.C. about the game. I can tell he only requires very little help to open up a vast wealth of knowledge as it all starts to come back to him. "Where did you play your Super Bowl?" After R.C. answers San Diego he is off. "OOh, San Diego, this is the first time back. Doug Williams was your QB, talk about Doug a little bit".

Without hesitation R.C. replies, "Great guy, great guy, he is a great guy. Your gonna have to see him next week". As the Noter has to suffer for all of us ex-fellows, as he has to fly out to San Diego to attend an Investment Board meeting to decide what to do with all that NFL pension money. (Tough job don't you think) "He's gonna be coaching in down in your necks of the woods there Billy boy, Grambling isn't he?" as R.C. turns a question my way. What I am doing at this time is trying to tape all this by sticking one of those small tape recorders up to the phone and from time to time and alot of the ongoing conversation I can not hear until I pick up another phone. I can laugh now as I hear both of them "Billy" "Billy you there"? "Must have gone somewhere"

Note continues "Lets see, you played with Bartkowski, Joe Thiesmann, Doug". R.C. helps him finish, "Mark Rypkin, Kim McQuillken, Jay Shroeder" and now I chime in, "and June Jones".

"Doug Williams, he was a great guy." R.C. picks up where he had left off. "Great arm, big guy, 6'4" 220 lbs. I guess. The thing I remember the most about him was he was very difficult to understand. Because he was, I guess, from Louisiana". Well I break up with laughter after hearing this. Then we all do. "When I was In Washington, when Doug was in the huddle, the offensive line got our own signals from Joe Bugel the offensive line coach because we literally could not understand Doug's play calling. One week we just went to Joe and told him our problem that we always would have to ask him to repeat the play in the huddle. So to be more efficient they started signaling the plays into us".

To See Them In The Shower-You Would Have Known Why They Were Called The Hogs

True to his nature Jeff jumps at the chance to talk lineman, "Who was on that line with you"? "Russ Grimm, Joe Jacoby, Mark May, Jeff Bostic, Raliegh McKenzie. Great group of guys. I believe that Bostic and Jacoby weren't drafted, but signed as free agents. Grimm was a mid-round choice and May a high pick. The team that won the Super Bowl was assembled and I guess started Bobby Beathard's career. He gathered lower round and free agent type and (Joe) Gibbs turned them into 3 time Super Bowl guys". Jeff follows with, "How did he do that? What was Joe Gibbs able to do?" R.C. ponders awhile and speaks, "I think a lot of it was his attention to details, it was unbelievable. He would literally sleep at Redskin Park during the season. No stone was left unturned. Every Sunday we knew exactly what it was we were gonna do. Yes, it was his attention to detail".

(Bill,…. Billy you there?…… Where does he keep going?)

After they notice I'm not there again, Jeff asks about the just fired Raider Head Coach Joe Bugel. "Why did Joe Bugel have success there? Was it the system? His teaching technique?" "Joe was a great teacher, and could somehow get the best out of all of our guys", starts R.C. All five of those Hogs on the line, if you saw them in the shower you would say, '-these guys really are hogs-' Just fat boys and not great athletes, but decent athletes. Bugel could manipulate every player to do exactly what they needed to do."

Here my tape skills dwindle somewhat as all I can now hear is the moving around of the recorder on the phone and the volume is terribly low. I have tried but now will stop for my ears are hurting trying to capture what it was they said. It starts to come through and they are in the middle of the "hitting" at practice. Must be something close to what receivers do in complaining about having to do "running" all the time...back to the line-men…R.C. is talking about the what the thinking was there in Washington at the time of "hitting all week long, I guess they thought that it toughened you up and seasoned you for the long haul." He asks Jeff if he was ever lucky enough to have a coach that had Frisco type practices with no pad practices. "No, always Ram and Jam, Drop and Pop." Now they start to agree that no longer can they do this. "6 weeks of double-days" This era is gone the mentality and having them (players) have constant contact and if they didn't then on Sundays they won't hit. R.C. starts his defense of why all the hitting is foolish, "Most of the guys who play in the NFL have been playing football since 7 or 8 years old and asks, 'What is the constant battering gonna do for you'?" Note the ever thinking player blurts in, "Shortened my career, I think I could have gotten 19 years". "You topped out your pension anyway", R.C. retorts. Laughter stops to Notes asking our feelings on what the new TV deal may do for us old guys. I'm excited by whatever it may do (double it) while my old roommate takes the "When I see it come down I'll believe it" point of view.

I'll stop here, as it has already taken me 2 days to type this much already and I'm up against our newly thought of having a deadline. Have much more that I'll get ready in a day or two. He talks over getting to Super Bowl, what was done while there, and when he is gonna let me have his ring. (lol) Our thanks to R.C. for his time and look forward to his continued input in our/his site.

Bil 1-19-98

It has a part two to the article also. Hope this helps you out NavyBear!!