Yomar Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 Lachey's farewell to the NFL: `I have no regrets' Dan Daly THE WASHINGTON TIMES 7 June 1996 The Washington Times (Copyright 1996) Nobody retires from the NFL whole, not after 11 seasons. The game takes a piece out of everybody, and often more than that. The price Jim Lachey paid was pretty much the going rate for a Redskins offensive lineman, judging from the scarred anatomies of Russ Grimm, Joe Jacoby, Jeff Bostic and Mark May. Sad but true. The injury that finally forced Lachey to call it a career yesterday was a torn rotator cuff - or, as his 4-year-old daughter Paige calls it, "the boo-boo on your shoulder." He came back from the blown-out knee in '93 that kept him out the entire season. He came back from the nasty spike wound he suffered the following year, too. But one time, when his wife Ann was changing the bandage on the thing, on this gruesome hole in his leg, he looked at her and said, "Honey, is this all worth it?" It was, they decided. And so he came back for more. But then he tore his right rotator cuff three games into last season, and that was it. No matter how much time he spent rehabbing, no matter how much time he spent in the weight room, he couldn't come back from that. "I can lift my kids and things like that," he said. "But I can't play tennis {with it}, and it's hard to play golf - especially the way I play it, taking up all that ground." On the plus side, though, after sleeping on his left side for six months after the operation, "I can sleep on my right side again. In fact, I can sleep on all four sides. You have no idea how important that is to me." Jim Lachey is too young for this, way too young. The man's just three days past his 33rd birthday; he should have two or three good years left, if not more. But pro football is like that. Careers end when careers end. There's no particular logic to it. (I would have used the expression "no rhyme or reason," but then I remembered Gary Reasons snapping Joe Theismann's leg in two.) "I'm just thankful these injuries came in the last three years and not the first three years," he said. "For a while there you feel invincible and think nothing's going to happen to you. There are times, on the field, when you feel like a man among boys. But if anybody's had telltale signs that maybe it's time to hang it up, I have the last few years." For a while there, Lachey was invincible - as invincible as a left tackle can be, anyway. In '91, when the Redskins won it all, he didn't give up a sack. And he was out there on the edge, as football people call it, all by himself. He got no blocking help. It was just him and Lawrence Taylor. Or him and Clyde Simmons. Or him and Sean Jones. Or him and Bruce Smith. At 28, he was the best tackle in the game, a possible candidate for Canton. And for an Ohio boy, what better final resting place could there be than that? But four games into the next season, his right knee gave out blocking for an extra point, and he was never the same player after that. Norv Turner, who came in two years later, never got to see the real Jim Lachey, the one capable of keeping the best pass-rushers in the league under heavy sedation. But he did get to observe Lachey's tremendous work ethic, the work ethic that helped make him the tackle he was. "The first day I came to work here, he was down in the weight room working out," Turner reminisced. "And the 31st {day}. And the 61st. That's how young players learn how to prepare and how to play - by watching guys like Jim. He will be a part of the Redskins forever." Telling his parents was the hardest part for Lachey. His father, a teacher for the past 43 years, ribbed him that he wasn't ready to retire. And his mom asked what any concerned mom would ask: What are you going to do now? "Well, Mom," Lachey replied, "I had a pretty good month in the {stock} market. I don't have to get a job right away." "They just want to see me active," he said. "But they've seen me after games with ice packs on my knees and ice packs on my shoulders, and they don't want to see me like that either." Happily, Lachey has prepared for this day. He has a furniture rental business with outlets in Pittsburgh and Cleveland, and he's getting ready to expand into Columbus, Ohio, where he was a big man on campus at Ohio State. Some TV opportunities have surfaced in the last few days, too - here and in Columbus - that he plans to look into. He wouldn't even rule out a venture into politics. (Remember the rule of presidential elections: The taller man always wins.) "I have no regrets," he said. "I consider myself lucky. Everything I've wanted to do in pro football, I've done. I wanted to go a year without giving up a sack, and I did that. I wanted to play in some Pro Bowls, and I did that. I wanted to be lineman of the year, and I did that. I wanted to win a Super Bowl ring, and was fortunate enough to do it here with the Redskins. "I've always approached every game like it was my last, every season like it was my last. That's sort of the fear that's carried me on {in this game}." In late July or early August, Jim, Ann, Paige and 2-year-old Emily will probably start "migrating," as Lachey put it, back to Columbus. But he intends to maintain a Washington presence because, well, there's a big part of him here, you know? Turner wants him to make a trip with the Redskins this season and suggested Dallas, but Lachey had to turn him down - for the time being. "I don't think Ann would let me, coach," said the tackle-turned-full-time-husband-and-daddy. "That's Thanksgiving." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisbob74 Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 Lachey was one of the finest LT's I ever seen. He'd be a HOF'er if he hadn't have been ravaged by injuries in the back end of his career. Considering the talent that he had to face in the NFC East twice a year, he always more than held his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Prime Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 He's still got a shot at the HoF, albeit a very slim one.. I loved this guy. I remember my Highschool coach making our entire offensive line and running backs watch film on him just so they can see flawless technique and perfection. Since I was a huge part of the running game, I got to watch atleast 3 hours a week of Jim Lachey and I considered it a treat. I'll never ever forget those times with my boys watching him. We all loved him. I hope to become a coach here soon, and Jim Lachey will definately be in my library of required viewing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyMountainHog Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 I watched him closely after we picked him up from the Raiders. He was a great Tackle...Lachey was lucky to have real success with a great team before the injury bug. Boselli reminded me of him , but unfortunatly didn't experience that same success. The same injury cut both careers short. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsNut73 Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 What a steal that trade was, eh? I remember being at Jim's first game at RFK and just being impressed at how huge he was... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 Rightfully so he is mentioned with the other great Redskin players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpark Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 An article like this really makes one appreciate the sacrifice these players make to the game of football. I can't help but to feel like I am a selish fan by expecting perfection. The biggest shame of all though, is that guys like Jim (Offensive Lineman to be specific) do not get the recognition they deserve, even though they are the most important players on the field at all times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eparadox Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 Can you imagine the type of signing bonus he'd get in today's market? I'm guessing 16-18 mil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimster Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 LINK? ...just kidding - I saw an arena game a couple of weeks ago re-broacasted late at night on Comcast, and Jim Lachey was one of the commentators Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garg8050 Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 I'd have to say he was the best LT to play for the 'Skins (with Jacoby a very close 2nd). In my opinion, Samuels is a distant 3rd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[[ghost]] Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 poor guy, i hope he has success wherever he goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 I cna't beleive he waited this long to retire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedskinsMarchingBand Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 who was he playing for, or was he just an RFA all this time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtyler42 Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 He definately was the best OL to ever play for the Skins and was one of the best in his ERA... That trade Jay Schroeder for Lachey was one of the best moves ever made! Is he one of the 70 greatest Skins? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade7 Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 Originally posted by RedskinsMarchingBand who was he playing for, or was he just an RFA all this time? That article's almost 8 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Washington Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 Originally posted by BG I cna't beleive he waited this long to retire. Originally posted by RedskinsMarchingBand who was he playing for, or was he just an RFA all this time? :rotflmao: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncsuapex Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 but then I remembered Gary Reasons snapping Joe Theismann's leg in two.) I can't believe that no one else caught this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khun Kao Posted May 8, 2005 Share Posted May 8, 2005 I caught that (Gary Reasons), but the reference is way too old for me to 'get' it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yomar Posted May 8, 2005 Author Share Posted May 8, 2005 In the second quarter, Riggins took a handoff from Theismann, then pitched back to Theismann for a flea-flicker. But Giants Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor and Gary Reasons arrived in succession. With all that weight on Theismann's right leg at a bad angle, the leg crumpled. Taylor, who played the game as hard as any defender, knew immediately that the injury was serious. He jumped up and waved for Redskins trainers and doctors to hurry onto the field. from the Washington Post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCS Posted May 8, 2005 Share Posted May 8, 2005 The replay was replayed only about 100 times. Before the ending of the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yomar Posted May 8, 2005 Author Share Posted May 8, 2005 I've actually never seen it, I always turn away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCS Posted May 8, 2005 Share Posted May 8, 2005 I have not watched it since that time. Was a young medic watching the game with other medics at the time. Oh we had a grand time diagnosing the injury and the on the field treatment as well as long term. :doh: What I do remember most was L.T. getting up and waving to the sidelines. Poor guy wasn't the same the rest of the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shotgunner Posted May 8, 2005 Share Posted May 8, 2005 Great Player, awesome guy, class act. :notworthy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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