LaRonDontLikeUgly Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 I kind of enjoy reading about people's personal experiences with either current or former Redskin greats on ES, so I thought I'd share… Yesterday, I attended a funeral in downtown Bethesda for my girlfriend's best-friend's father. I never met the guy, but after listening to his eulogies (ALL of which included some mentioning of the Redskins) I really wish I had. "Art" was a slight Jewish man from Brooklyn who worked in construction and had a love for all things related to football, backyard barbecues, man-caves, and most importantly-- his family and friends. A slideshow of photographs looped on a large flat screen in the corner of the room that served as a window into his life. As we took our seats somewhat close to the front, I noticed a fairly gigantic man sitting in the row in front of me about 3 seats to the left. I was at such an angle that the man's face was nearly a perfect side-profile, and I knew right away it was DMan. While the eulogies were generally upbeat and at times very humorous, Dexter was quite possibly the most emotional person in the room. He often nodded his head in agreement and let out "Amen's" or "Yes Sir's!" when other people spoke. He wept often (pretty much during the entire ceremony) while his wife consoled him. I kept wondering if he was going to stand up and speak at some point. Although it was short and sweet, Dexter finally approached the microphone to say a few words. While I'm still not exactly sure of the nature of the relationship between the two, (I assume it began in business and extended into friendship) he began by telling us that Art sat by his bed for hours after Manley's brain surgery at Georgetown Hospital. He then said they only had one disagreement in life, and that was over Kyle Shanahan. Art apparently wasn't much of a fan-- while Manley said he was in constant defense of 'one of the best offensive minds in football.' As I stepped out of the doors of the funeral home into the parking lot, I saw Dexter and his wife waiting alone for the valet so I grabbed my girlfriend and B-lined it over to him. I shook his hand, told him that I was deeply sorry that he lost his friend, and that my Dexter Manley and Chip Lohmiller action figures would sit on top of every TV I ever owned from kindergarten to college. This put a huge smile on his face and he extended his hand to mine one more time, "That means a lot man, thank you." He said. Manley has had more highs and lows than most people experience in three or four lifetimes-- and many of those lows were the direct cause of his own choices off the field. With that being said, the effects of head trauma in former NFL players is very real and very frightening. What I learned yesterday was that Dexter has a huge heart. The emotions he displayed for his deceased buddy really made me reflect on the importance of friendship and letting the people around you know how much they mean to you. I also learned just how proud and strong our wonderful Redskins family is. It's amazing how a simple game and one team can help form life-long bonds that will never fade. Hail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborneskins Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Awesome story. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Wow, that's wild. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Acre Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 That is one awesome story indeed and you will enjoy re-telling it for the rest of your life. Glad to see Dexter's doing ok too. Football brings all kinds of people together. I knew a girl who was half-black/half-Jewish. I asked what family gatherings were like. She said the women talk about babies and the men talk about football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage520 Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Refreshing reminder that our heroes can be nothing short of larger than life for three hours on Sunday afternoons, but inside the pads beats a human heart just like the rest of us. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jflow78 Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 What I learned yesterday was that Dexter has a huge heart. The emotions he displayed for his deceased buddy really made me reflect on the importance of friendship and letting the people around you know how much they mean to you. I also learned just how proud and strong our wonderful Redskins family is. It's amazing how a simple game and one team can help form life-long bonds that will never fade. Hail. That's pretty much how I feel about it. Even though I disagree with you ******** sometimes, I'd still hang out with you and invite you over to tailgate or watch a game. Awesome story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Washington Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Great story. I'm also glad the look wasn't as "intimate" as the thread title suggests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hail4Life Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Thanks for sharing, I like reading these type of stories too. That's an awesome experience man. I had that same Dexter Manley figurine, I think I had a Doug Williams one too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Great story and very well written. Thank you for sharing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Est.1974 Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 That's why it's always worth checking in on The Stadium....what a post... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeDinNYC Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 wow... thank you so much for sharing this story with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mania Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Thanks for sharing. Always nice to hear true to life stories like this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoDeep81 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Great story! Not sure how old most of you guys are, but for the ones that went through the life and times of Dexter during and after his career, it was always apparent he had a huge heart and wore his emptions on his sleeve. Just struggled with demons, as many do unfortunately, but there was never a doubt as to his love for the Skins.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible_Red40 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Great story Bro, thanks for sharing! One of my favorites as a kid. My first player poster in my room was Dexter. My dog is named Dexter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander PK Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I had the opportunity to meet Dexter through a function at work one day a few years back. Great guy. Had a picture taken with him, and he signed a picture of him sacking John Elway in the Super Bowl for me. Every bit the man you described in your 1st post. Good guy with a big heart. Has had some troubles in his life, but all that seems behind him now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balki1867 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Great story. By all accounts I've heard, Dexter's completely turned his life around since his well-documented problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diehard Otis Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Definitely a great story LaronDontLikeUgly. I always knew Dex was a good guy. He's my favorite athlete, period. Not only did I have that same 'action figure', I had all of his posters growing up, and I even had this Burgundy cut off jersey (that used to be popular what seems like a lifetime ago) of #72. Man, I wish that was me meeting him! I only have 2 bucket list football related things I absolutely wanna do: 1) Go to a Super Bowl 2) Meet Dexter Manley. What a nice moment to have at such a solemn occasion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky21 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Dexter will always be beloved by the Redskins Faithful, myself included. As he should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD Riggo Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Nice story. I just hope it wasn't our ES-member "Art." http://es.redskins.com/user/114282-art/ (He's only 44 years old, and I don't know if he's a "slight, Jewish man who works in construction.") I haven't seen him posting in a while, but I always enjoyed his posts. I think he even used to be a mod at one point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terpfan Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 I actually see Dexter fairly often as my office is on the ground floor of the apartment building he lives in. Never wanted to bother him, but after reading that story maybe one of these days I will say hi and let him know Redskins fans still have fond memories of him. (Even if I was a bit too young to appreciate his play myself) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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