The Redskins Blog

Stanford Prospect Is Redskins’ Namesake

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At the time of birth, parents have the obligation to name their child.  With that naming, they hold the power to set their kid up for life with either a great name, or a very difficult standard.

One unfortunate example comes to mind.

In high school, I had the opportunity to work with a kid from Arizona named Michael Irvin.  By the time I met him, he had already heard all of the jokes.  No, nobody had ever called him “The Playmaker.”  No, he wasn’t a triplet.  And no, he really wasn’t any good at football.

But his parents were such big Cowboys fans at the time of his birth, that they elected to name him after they’re favorite player.  Seriously.

At around the same time, somewhere near Lemont, Ill., Michelle and Bill Fleener were watching a Redskins game, when famed Redskins Hog Joe Jacoby was pictured on the screen.  Family legend says that Michelle, quite pregnant at the time, turned to her husband and asked him what he thought of the name “Jacoby Fleener.” Read more »