In continuing our trend of checking in to see how Redskins players, past and present, are spending their offseason, we’re going to take a look at free agent tight end Chris Cooley.

Cooley has been a staple of the Redskins organization for just over nine years. He is the Redskins’ all-time leader for receptions by a tight end (428), a fan-favorite among many crowds, a leader in the locker room, a spokesperson in the fight against breast cancer, and an experienced potter. He’s an all-around good football player and good leader; the kind of guy you would want your daughter to date.

Despite being released by the team back in August, Cooley returned to Redskins Park this past October to help host the fifth-annual All-Star Survivors Celebration in conjunction with the Redskins Charitable Foundation, which he started in 2008. Why? Because he loves the fans, he loves the DMV area, he loves the tradition, he loves his teammates and he loves what the Redskins organization represents.

Following his release, Cooley hit the free agent market and had opportunities to play elsewhere but came to grips with the fact that his career may be over. His passion for the sport lay in the palm of the Redskins organization. He quickly realized that football may not be in the cards unless he was strapping on the pads for a Redskins team which he had devoted blood, sweat, and tears to over the years.

Matter of fact, the tight end bleeds burgundy and gold.

That’s why he decided in December 2010 to invest in art and open The Cooley Gallery, located in downtown Leesburg, instead of returning to his hometown of Logan, Utah. Population: 49,010; a far cry from the Nation’s Capital. The tight end made Virginia his home and pursued his career after football.

The Cooley Gallery is a place where Cooley finds solitude off of the gridiron. He’s not in it for the money (even though he does sell some of his work here), but instead it’s a passion for the 30-year-old tight end.

In a recent interview with Redskins.comTV at a school book reading sponsored by the Redskins Charitable Foundation, Cooley said he’s been keeping busy with his pottery gallery and giving back to causes he believes in.

“I’ve been trying to put together three or four community events,” he said. “It’s been really fun.”

One of the events at his gallery is to help benefit Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA). For his part, Cooley is making 400 ceramic dog bowls to be donated to the foundation.

In fact, Cooley has formed a partnership with Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA), a “non-profit, no-kill shelter that focuses on the rescue and placement of homeless dogs and cats in the Northern Virginia and Washington DC area”.

The Cooley Gallery will donate ten dollars from every pet food bowl sold (handcrafted by Cooley, #47, himself) directly to FOHA to help in the placement of these cats and dogs.

If you would like to support or attend, the event will take place this Saturday, April 27 at The Cooley Gallery in Leesburg.

Though his charity work is noble,  his love for ceramics extends far beyond any cause or provision of help. Each piece is custom hand-crafted and represents a love for pottery that’s reflected in each porcelain creation on display in his Leesburg shop.

And for all of you artists out there, you can submit your work to be on display at The Cooley Gallery!

So if you’re ever in the Leesburg area, be sure to stop by The Cooley Gallery and check out some of his handcrafted pottery. You may even get to meet the former Redskins tight end!

You can follow Chris Cooley on Twitter (@thecooleyzone). If you want more, check out his blog at http://chriscooley47.blogspot.com/ or for more information about The Cooley Gallery, please visit http://www.thecooleygallery.com/index.html.

Redskins linebacker Lorenzo Alexander understands that the key to success is through preparation.  Throughout the offseason he prepares himself to be stronger and faster than the year before. During the season, he prepares himself to be the best player on gameday.

And when he finishes off a career year that leads the NFL in special teams tackles, he solicits advice on how to be ready for his first career Pro Bowl.

The first person he talked to was teammate London Fletcher, who will be joining Alexander for his fourth-straight trip to the Pro Bowl. Like Alexander, Fletcher was snubbed until later in his career, when he finally got the respect from his peers to make the trip to Hawaii.

But that’s about where the respect element ends, at least as far as hotel room charges in concerned.

“The biggest thing is to not give out your room number,” Alexander said, parroting Fletcher’s advice. “It’s like a tradition to get the rookies, the first-time Pro Bowlers, to pay for everything.”

The key to avoiding these charges in simple strategy, Alexander explained.

“Based on what [Redskins tight end Chris] Cooley told me though, is as long as you’re not at the bar, those guys tell the bartender charge to room 405 and guys kind of come up and see what room number you are and start charging you,” he said. “That’s not going to happen to me.”

No rookie dues for the eight-year veteran, who will be accompanied by his wife, Majanique, on the trip.

“Me and the front desk are going to have some issues. I’m going to have to warn them,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m not paying for nobody’s stuff. I’m not a big baller yet.”

But that’s not to say Alexander doesn’t enjoy the due process of being a rookie.

Before Fletcher and Kerrigan were added to the roster as Super Bowl replacements, Alexander said he and teammate Trent Williams were planning on making NFL rookie Robert Griffin III pay for everything while they were down there.

“Our plan was to get Robert [Griffin III] to pay for everything,” he said with a smile. “Get the true rookie to do it.”

Alexander said this will be his first trip to Hawaii, and he intends to make the most of it while he is there. When not practicing, enjoying the mid-70′s temperatures, goofing around, napping under a palm tree, or strolling on the beach with his wife, Alexander intends to do some site-seeing in paradise.

“Just see the sites like Pearl Harbor, the Dole Plantation–I heard that’s pretty cool,” he said. “I heard Disney is nice. They’ve got like a little private lagoon that is sharkless. So I might go snorkeling in that.”

Can we expect to see the One Man Gang hanging 10 on a longboard, bro?

“I don’t like big water. Even if I’m on a boat I don’t really like it,” he said flatly. “I’m more of a lake guy. In a lake I can pretty much tell you there’s fish, for the most part. There has been Bull Sharks to get up there, but that’s rare.”

If he wears that speedo, that should be sufficient to keep the sharks away.

Alexander showed me the speedo as he was packing his bags for the trip.  ”This is just a gag gift, I wouldn’t actually wear this. C’mon man, you really think I would wear a speedo, especially one that’s six sizes too small?”

I certainly hope not.  It does match the NFC Pro Bowl uniforms though, so who knows.

Good luck, Lorenzo! We’ll catch up with you more, tomorrow.

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(AP photo)

Whether a rookie or a 14-year veteran, the Bye Week is looked by all Redskins players at as a time to re-charge the batteries and stay mentally sharp and focused on their next game, which is Nov. 18 vs. the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField.

The rookie example? Cornerback Richard Crawford, who will be heading home to Dallas to work out with his old defensive backs coach.

“I really don’t take days off during the season,” Crawford said Tuesday. “The only reason I’m really going back to Dallas is to get in some work with my old DBs coach to get some work in because we can’t be with our coaches. I’m going to do that probably every day, work out with him, and then come back here ready to play.”

While he’s in town, Crawford said he’s also looking forward to catching his alma mater, SMU, play Southern Miss — and he said he hopes he doesn’t get too caught up in the college atmosphere.

“We’ll see how it is,” Crawford said. “Hopefully I won’t get too involved, because I was kind of like a player-coach when I was there. So I’m going to try to stay away from all of that this time.”

Though this is Crawford’s first Bye Week as a professional, it’s certainly the opposite for Redskins middle linebacker London Fletcher.

Fletcher — a 14-year NFL veteran whose wife and kids live in Charlotte, N.C., during the season — said Tuesday he was very much looking forward to seeing his family.

“I’m just going to relax and be home with family,” Fletcher said. “It’s very important for me because my family, they’re down in Charlotte, so it’ll be good for me to get down there and be with them.”

Fletcher said he uses the Bye Week as a “way to get away from it for a little bit.”

“We’ve been going at it for a while now,” Fletcher said. “You’re looking at nine ball games and five weeks of preseason, so that’s a lot of football. It’s time for a break just to mentally decompress, I guess.”

Same goes for Redskins outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan.

Kerrigan’s only other Bye Week as a professional came last season, when the Redskins were off after playing their first four games of the regular season. He feels this year’s Bye Week will be more beneficial.

“I think it’ll be nicer,” said Kerrigan, who leads the Redskins with 4.5 sacks this season. “Last year was kind of weird because we had gone through training camp all the way up through Week 4 and played all four regular-season games, but came back and knew we still have 12 regular-season games left. But this year it’s different because I think it’ll be a little more refreshing for the back half of the season now that we’re getting an off week now.”

Kerrigan said he’s looking forward to seeing friends and family in his hometown of Muncie, Ind. — and, most of all, getting “some of mom’s cookin’.”

“But I won’t be taking all the time off,” Kerrigan said. “I’ll still be working out, but it will be nice to kind of mentally clear my mind for a little bit.”

Tight end Logan Paulsen estimates he has about a 10-hour trip in front of him before he’s able to visit his wife’s parents in his home state of California.

It won’t be as grueling as the last time Paulsen and his wife, Kelly, came home from California prior to the start of training camp this season. That time, they decided to drive the entire way.

“It took us about a week because we stopped and kind of vacationed at each stop,” Paulsen said. “In terms of hours, it’s about a 48-hour drive, so if you were going to drive straight through, it would take a couple days.”

It’s a completely different story for veteran Redskins tight end Chris Cooley, however.

Cooley was released by the team Aug. 28 and missed the first seven weeks of the regular season before a season-ending injury to starting tight end Fred Davis led the Redskins to re-sign Cooley Oct. 21.

Cooley — who doesn’t yet have a catch in his first two games back with the team — said he’s sticking close to Redskins Park this Bye Week.

“I really don’t have any plans,” Cooley said with a laugh. “I was on an eight-week Bye Week earlier, so I’ll be around here.”

The Redskins will group together once again next Monday for their first post-Bye Week practice.

Redskins fans, are you ready for the return of tight end Chris Cooley?

I thought so.

Cooley, who was released by the team during final cuts, was signed last week to replace tight end Fred Davis, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury vs. the New York Giants. Cooley, Capt. Chaos himself, is back in his familiar No. 47, and we have the first video of him taking the field for the first time in the 2012 season with the Redskins.

We also have our usual glimpse at captain and linebacker London Fletcher’s pregame speech. It’s a must-see.

Enjoy:

(Photo via @trey5 on Instagram)

Washington Redskins fans are ecstatic about the return of tight end Chris Cooley, who re-signed with the team Monday after starting tight end Fred Davis suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in last Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants.

Cooley, 30, is the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions by a tight end, and has become one of the more popular players in Redskins history since joining the team as a third-round selection in the 2004 NFL Draft.

So it’s no surprise at all that Cooley’s jersey is one of the Redskins’ best sellers.

Well, one particularly famous Redskins fan put on his own Cooley jersey and went to his Instagram account to welcome Captain Chaos back to his favorite team.

Kevin Durant, a D.C.-area native and superstar of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, posted the above photo yesterday with the message, “Welcome back.”

We’ve written about Durant several times here on the Redskins Blog — such as the time that he released his Nike Zoom KD IIIs in burgundy and gold and a few months ago when Durant was talking about Redskins’ rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III and how he feels the team will fare in 2012.

So just consider this one more huge Redskins fan happy to see No. 47 back in action Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Santana Moss Appearance Today!

One of Durant’s other favorite Redskins veterans will be signing autographs and taking photos with fans tonight in Leesburg.

Meet wide receiver Santana Moss from 6 to 7 p.m. tonight at the AT&T Store, 1604 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg, VA 20175 (across from Wegmans).

Moss, a 12-year NFL veteran, has played the last eight seasons with the Redskins and has 658 receptions for 9,432 yards and 60 touchdowns in his illustrious career — and he isn’t showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Moss caught three passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns in last Sunday’s game vs. the Giants. He has 19 receptions for 290 yards and four touchdowns through seven games already in 2012, tying his number of scores from a season ago.

(AP photo)

The Washington Redskins announced today that they were releasing veteran tight end Chris Cooley, who has spent all seven-plus years of his career with the Redskins, so that he can pursue a starting opportunity with another NFL team.

Cooley has produced countless memorable moments for Redskins fans over the years. Below is an Associated Press photo gallery of some of his biggest games in a Redskins uniform, including (but not limited to):

- Nov. 6, 2005: Cooley has a then-career-high 85 yards receiving in the Redskins’ 17-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Nov. 26, 2006: Cooley breaks two tackles to go 66 yards and score the game-winning touchdown against the Carolina Panthers, sending the FexExField crowd into a frenzy.
- Oct. 14, 2007: Cooley has a career day with 105 yards receiving and a touchdown in the Redskins’ 17-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
- Oct. 5, 2008: Cooley tops his 2007 top performance with 109 yards receiving and a touchdown catch from wide receiver Antwaan Randle El in the Redskins’ 23-17 win over the Eagles.
- Sept. 20, 2009: Cooley has 83 yards receiving in the Redskins’ 9-7 win over the St. Louis Rams.
- Nov. 21, 2010: Cooley has seven receptions for 91 yards, as the Redskins defeat the Tennessee Titans, 19-16.

If you’ve been a Washington Redskins fan the past eight-plus seasons, then it’s almost a sure bet you’re a Chris Cooley fan.

Cooley — the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions by a tight end — was released Tuesday by the team, in a move head coach Mike Shanahan said was meant to give the two-time Pro Bowl selection a better opportunity to start elsewhere.

In one of the more classier moves I’ve seen in my time covering sports, Cooley addressed the media and announced his release, and had nothing but great things to say about the Washington Redskins, the organization and its fans.

Here’s the video. Try not to choke up watching this:

CHIME IN: What are your favorite memories of Chris Cooley with the Redskins? Feel free to comment below.

(www.procamps.com/chriscooley)

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a professional football player is the ability to go into a community and touch the lives of area children.

At least four current Redskins players will have that opportunity here in the coming weeks through their personal youth camps.

Tight end Chris Cooley, wide receiver and return specialist Brandon Banks, outside linebacker Brian Orakpo and running back Roy Helu Jr. are each holding their respective camps soon.

Here’s the info:

Chris Cooley Camp:
Dates: June 2-3
Times: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: Fairfax High School
Costs: $199
Ages: Boys and girls ages 7 to 14
Website: www.chriscooleycamp.com

Brandon Banks Football Day Camp:
Dates: July 21-22
Times: About 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Georgetown Preparatory School, North Bethesda, Md.
Costs: $249.97
Ages: 7-18
Website: https://www.footballcamps.com/default.asp?page=day&camp=56

Brian Orakpo Overnight and Commuter Football Camp:
Dates: July 17-20
Times: All day for overnighters; about 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for commuters
Location: George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.
Costs: $769.97 for overnight camp; $679.97 for commuter camp
Ages: 7-18
Website: https://www.footballcamps.com/default.asp?camp=47&page=20

Roy Helu Football Camp:
Dates: June 29-July 2
Times: All day for overnighters
Location: McDaniel College, Westminster, Md.
Costs: $759.97 for overnight camp; $679.97 for commuter camp
Website: https://www.footballcamps.com/default.asp?page=20&camp=1

Linebacker Lorenzo Alexander also held his camp — The All Pro Football Camp — May 19 at Freedom High School in South Riding, Va.

Stay tuned to the blog for further updates about Washington Redskins’ players’ camps.

via @Tiesto

Make room on the Redskins bandwagon for Dutch musician Tijs Michiel Verwest, known in dance clubs around the world as the famous DJ Tiësto, or simply “Tiësto.”

For those of you that don’t frequent the rave, Tiësto has released 66 singles and 79 remixes in the last 15 years.  He has been nominated for 61 international awards, and has walked home with 48 pieces of hardware.  If you follow club music, he needs no introduction.

If you don’t, his introduction doesn’t mean much.  Just trust me that he’s a big deal.

The important part is that he’s officially a big fan of the Redskins, as he revealed to his 1,033,590 followers on his Twitter account (@Tiesto):

@Tiesto: “Can’t wait for RG3 “

via @Tiesto

[Editor's Disclaimer: It is my responsibility as the Gandalf of this blog, to remind fans that no matter what world-famous DJ's are reporting, the Redskins have not selected a player for the 2012 Draft, and likely will not know the pick until the eve of the April 26th announcement.  That is all.]

It’s very exciting to hear that the Redskins (and Chris Cooley) have celebrity fans in the Netherlands, but it’s also nice to know that Tiësto will be playing at Club Glow tonight in D.C.  If you go to the show, you will see Redskins center and noted Tiësto fan Erik Cook in attendance:

Definitely going to see @tiesto at @ClubGlow tonight!!!!—
Erik Cook (@ErikMCook) March 27, 2012

It should be noted that before the show, Tiësto will also be Rocking The Red at a Washington Capitals hockey game.  I’m not sure what the Washington sports connection is, but I won’t complain.

Welcome to Redskins Nation, Tijs!

Open locker room on “Black Monday” is generally headlined by quiet, somber reflection for the teams and players that don’t make the playoffs.

But for injured players, this is the first time that many of them have been permitted to sit in on team meetings and team functions.  Rather than feeling like outsiders looking in, this is an opportunity for these players to stand alongside their teammates and look forward to next season.

“As a player who hasn’t produced for my team for what feels like forever, I’m really excited about starting over and moving forward,” tight end Chris Cooley said.  ”Today is good for me because it feels like I’m back to the team.”

This was a fairly common sentiment in the locker room today, as injured players like Cooley, Kory Lichtensteiger, Chris Baker, Kedric Golston, Leonard Hankerson, and Tim Hightower all showed up to meet with coaches and clean out their lockers.

One advantage that the injured players have over their teammates is that they have already reflected on the disappointments of the 2011 season.  For Cooley, today was the first day of his preparation for the 2012 season, and it’s something that he was encouraging his teammates to do as well.

“I think a fresh start’s probably good for everyone right now, in terms of record and in terms of what we have going on right now,” he explained.  ”I don’t think it sounds daunting, we just need to get back to work.”

After a quick shower and change into his sweatpants, he told teammate Logan Paulsen that he was off to go get in a workout.  From the sounds of it, we can expect to see Redskins No. 47 back on the field in 2012.