Dick Lane

Hail to the Commanders: A legacy of championships and resilience.

The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The franchise was founded by George Preston Marshall as the Boston Braves in 1932, were renamed the Boston Redskins the following year, and became the Washington Redskins upon moving to Washington, D.C., in 1937. The Redskins name and logo drew criticism for decades before they were retired in 2020 as part of a wave of name changes during a period of racial unrest in the United States. The team played as the Washington Football Team for two seasons before rebranding as the Commanders in 2022. The Commanders play their home games at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, and have a headquarters and training facility in Ashburn, Virginia. The team will begin playing at the New Stadium at RFK Campus in 2030. The Commanders have played more than 1,300 games and have won more than 600. Washington was among the first NFL franchises with an original fight song, "Hail to the Commanders", which has been played by their marching band after home game touchdowns since 1937. The franchise won NFL championships in 1937 and 1942 and Super Bowls XVII (1982), XXII (1987), and XXVI (1991). The Commanders have finished a season as league runner-up six times, losing the 1936, 1940, 1943, and 1945 title games and Super Bowls VII (1972) and XVIII (1983). Washington has 14 NFC East division titles and 26 total playoff appearances. All of Washington's championships were attained during two 10-year spans. From 1936 to 1945, the team went to the NFL Championship six times, winning two of them under general manager Jack Espey and head coach Ray Flaherty. Washington appeared in four Super Bowls and won three under owner Jack Kent Cooke, general managers Bobby Beathard and Charley Casserly, and head coach Joe Gibbs from 1982 to 1991. From 1946 to 1970, Washington posted just four winning seasons and never reached the playoffs. They went without a single winning season from 1956 to 1968 and achieved their worst regular season record in 1961. Since their last Super Bowl victory in 1991, the team has won just five playoff games and four division titles.

Quick Facts

Position: Defensive Back
Pro bowl selections: 5
All-pro honors: 2x First-Team, 1x Second-Team
Career interceptions: 68

Lore & Background

The franchise was founded by George Preston Marshall as the Boston Braves in 1932, renamed the Boston Redskins in 1933, and became the Washington Redskins upon moving to Washington, D.C., in 1937. The team's worst regular season record was achieved in 1961.

Did You Know?

The Redskins were the final professional American football franchise to integrate, doing so in 1962.
The 1940 NFL Championship Game against the Chicago Bears remains the worst one-sided loss in NFL history.

Franchise Origins and Relocation

The franchise traces its roots to July 1932 when businessman George Preston Marshall established a team in Boston, initially named the Braves. After struggling to find an audience in New England, where professional football was viewed as inferior to collegiate athletics, the organization underwent significant changes. The name shifted to the Redskins in 1933, and they began playing at Fenway Park. Marshall eventually concluded that Boston lacked sufficient interest, prompting a historic move to Washington, D.C., in 1937. Upon arrival, the team shared Griffith Stadium with the Senators and immediately found success, defeating the New York Giants in their inaugural home game. This momentum carried them to their first division title and an NFL championship victory against the Chicago Bears that same year.

Early Championships and Historic Defeats

The team's early years were defined by dramatic highs and lows within the NFL Championship landscape. While they secured titles in 1937 and 1942 under coach Ray Flaherty, their history also includes the most lopsided defeat in league history. In a 1940 rematch against the Chicago Bears, Washington suffered a staggering 73–0 loss. The era was further highlighted by quarterback Sammy Baugh's incredible versatility; in 1943, he led the league in passing, punting, and interceptions despite another championship loss. A particularly controversial moment occurred during the 1945 title game against the Cleveland Rams. A pass hitting the goalpost resulted in a safety under rules of that time, contributing to a one-point defeat. This specific incident galvanized Marshall to lobby for a rule change, eventually creating the 'Baugh/Marshall Rule' which deemed such plays incomplete.

The Decades of Struggle

Following their initial championship contention in the late 1940s, the franchise entered a prolonged period of mediocrity that lasted nearly three decades. Between 1946 and 1970, Washington managed only four winning seasons and failed to reach the playoffs entirely for long stretches. The situation deteriorated significantly between 1956 and 1968, during which the team recorded not a single winning season. This era of instability was punctuated by frequent coaching changes, including tenures by Turk Edwards, Dick Todd, and Earl 'Curly' Lambeau, who was dismissed after just two seasons. The nadir of this dark period arrived in 1961 when the squad posted an abysmal 1–12–1 record.