Dexter Manley

Lore & Background

Manley was nicknamed the 'Secretary of Defense' during his time with the Redskins. He won two Super Bowl titles and was a Pro Bowler in 1986 when he recorded a Redskins single-season record of 18.5 sacks. He had 97.5 official quarterback sacks in his career, rising to 103.5 when including six sacks from his rookie year of 1981. He struggled with drug addiction, failing multiple drug tests, and was convicted and served two years in prison. He was functionally illiterate during college and early pro years, later taking reading classes at the Lab School of Washington. He underwent brain surgery in June 2006 for a colloid cyst, and tested positive for COVID-19 in May 2020.

In Their Own Story

The roar of the crowd at RFK Stadium faded into a dull hum as Dexter Manley lined up against the left tackle. The ball was snapped, and with a thunderous explosion, he surged forward, his shoulder pads colliding with the offensive line like a freight train. In a blur of motion, he shed a blocker, his eyes locked on the quarterback scrambling for an escape route. With one final, crushing step, Manley brought the play to a halt, the ball carrier hitting the turf as the stadium erupted in approval.

Reader's Guide

Manley played nine seasons with the Washington Redskins (1981–1989), then played for the Phoenix Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and two seasons in the CFL with the Ottawa Rough Riders (1992 and 1993). He was selected in the fifth round (119th overall) of the 1981 NFL draft. He retired on December 12, 1991 after failing his fourth drug test.

Did You Know?

• Manley was functionally illiterate despite studying at Oklahoma State University for four years.
• He underwent brain surgery in June 2006 for a colloid cyst, discovered after he collapsed in a Georgetown department store that same year.
• The sight of teammate Joe Theismann breaking his leg in 1985 shook Manley, who was then addicted to cocaine.
• Manley has been open about his sobriety journey, but his timeline of recovery is not accurately captured by a simple nine-year mark as of 2015.