(AP Photo)

Long before current Redskins quarterbacks Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, Rex Grossman, and Pat White had stellar collegiate careers,  Joe Theismann constructed one of the greatest college football resumes to date.

Theismann was the man in charge at Notre Dame right smack dab in the middle of the school’s legendary run through the NCAA during the 6o’s and 70′s.

No. 7 complied an impressive 20-3-2 record as a starter and proved his worth in being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

However, Thesimann’s career might not have ever reached the NFL or starting quarterback status in South Bend is if wasn’t for then-Notre Dame head coach Ara Parseghian.

Theismann and some of his Golden Domer teammates rejoined for a reunion of sorts to celebrate Parseghian’s 90th birthday.

At Ara Parseghian 90th birthday party. So many teamates here for Ara http://t.co/SCwJ3y9ak1—
Joe Theismann (@Theismann7) April 20, 2013

I stumbled upon an article in Sports Illustrated from 1970 about Parseghian recalling his first memories of No. 7 and at the time and it sounded like he might have been the only man who thought Theismann could be the leader of a top-five team.

When Theismann showed up at Notre Dame in the fall of 1967 to report in as a freshman, two assistant coaches,Johnny Ray and Joe Yonto, were at the airport to meet him. As he stepped from the plane, Ray grabbed Yonto’s arm and said, ‘Who’s that skinny kid?’

That’s the quarterback Parseghian recruited.

‘Oh, no,’ said Ray, closing his eyes.”

That “skinny kid” tacked on about as many pounds as he did wins during his career at Notre Dame before becoming the first quarterback in Redskins history to win a Super Bowl.

During his stay in Indiana he also caught a glimpse of the current Notre Dame squad as they look to build on last year’s undefeated regular season and follow in the footsteps of greatness that Theismann laid down years ago.

W/ David Robinson at sting game & Don Criqui http://t.co/zcIMjFUoOF—
Joe Theismann (@Theismann7) April 20, 2013

Autocorrect strikes even the most famous of athletes.

Also,I wonder what David Robinson’s thoughts are about Notre Dame’s record against his alma mater, the Naval Academy?

Washington Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman is a 10-year veteran at the professional level. Currently, Grossman joins AP Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins and Pat White to form one of the best quarterback units in the league.

Before the Redskins drafted number 10 and number 12 last April at the 2012 NFL Draft, Grossman was the man behind center for the Burgundy and Gold during the 2011 campaign, starting 13 games and throwing for over 3,000 yards.

Grossman was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the 22nd overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft after a stellar career at the University of Florida.

In his three years in Gainesville, Grossman threw for nearly 10,000 yards and 77 touchdowns. Even after deciding to forgo his senior season, Grossman ranked in the top-10 SEC history in passing yards at the conclusion of his junior season. No small feat when you consider just how dominant the conference has been for the last few decades.

Recently, the Gators honored the 2001 Heisman Trophy finalist for his days in the Sunshine State. Find out what accolade number 8 can add to his collection here:

VIDEO: @GatorZoneFB great Rex Grossman speaks about his induction into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday – gatorvision.tv/mediaPortal/pl…—
GatorVision (@GatorVisionTV) April 08, 2013

Before putting on a Gators jersey, Grossman was one of the best high school quarterbacks in the nation in the late 1990′s at Bloomington South High School in Indiana.

During his time in the Hooiser State, Grossman threw for 7,518 yards and 97 touchdowns. After leading Bloomington South to a state title in 1998, Grossman was named Indiana Player of the Year.

Grossman chose to attend the University of Florida thanks in large part  to former Redskins head coach Steve Spurrier. Before Spurrier was the head man in Washington for two seasons, he was widely regarded as one of the best football minds at the collegiate level and was able to recruit some of the best players in the nation to his program. Grossman was one of those players who were enticed to learn under the coaching great.

He talked with University of Florida F Club President Jeff Cardozo about his choice to head down south.

“Well you know I grew up in high school in the mid-90’s and  I graduated [high school] in 1999, and right in there Danny Wuerffel [was] always playing the Florida State-Florida rivalry games. I’m from Indiana and I would got to IU games and then I would rush home to watch Florida-Florida State or Florida-Tennessee some of those big games and I wanted to be a part of it and when it came down to playing well in high school and having that opportunity it was just a dream come true.”

While Grossman hasn’t had nearly as much success in Florida during his NFL career, winning only one game in his three appearances, he was still happy to return “home” and see what was going on at his old stomping grounds.

“I drove by my old dorm. Just went by and watched practice a little bit, spring practice and just reliving some of those memories, some of those things maybe I have never told anybody that I only know about. Just places I’d go or running around the stadium. Running stadium stairs, sitting up at the top stadium just by myself dreaming about what’s about to happen and things like that.”

To watch the rest of Grossman’s chat with Cardozo about his time in Gainesville, check out the link here.

Congrats on being inducted into the University of Florida’s Athletic Hall of Fame!

On Thursday, the Washington Redskins brought back a another familiar face—10-year veteran gunslinger Rex Grossman.

2013 will be Grossman’s fourth year in the DMV. From 2010-2012, the University of Florida product appeared in 17 contests and threw for over 4,000 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Before number 8′s stint with the Burgundy and Gold, Grossman was the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears where he started 31 regular season games.

In 2006, he was the Bears field general during their run to Super Bowl XLI.

Grossman will be joining Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins and Pat White to form quite the quartet behind center and while Griffin III and his fellow 2012 NFL Draft colleague are entrenched as the top two signal callers on the depth chart, Grossman will more than likely be the number three quarterback in Washington this season, and let me tell you to have someone with Grossman’s experience as a third-stringer is a rarity.

Find out what the Redskins and Grossman can claim that no other team in the league can here:

According to ourlads.com, there are currently 23 teams that are carrying at least three quarterbacks on  their rosters.

Of the 23 signal callers who find themselves as the third man on the depth chart, only one has appeared in a Super Bowl.

Only one has thrown for 3,000 yards in a season twice.

Of the 23 men, one can claim to have had a 20 touchdown season.

That man is Rex Grossman and he is the best third string quarterback in the league. Period.

In fact, Grossman could be the backup for a handful of teams across the league. The only reason why he finds himself as the third man down the chart is due to the Redskins having two of the best young talents in the league in front of him.

In football, it all comes down to executing the gameplan to outscore your opponent and while a field goal here and there is certainly nice to have, you need to put points on the board by scoring some touchdowns.

Grossman has 56 career passing touchdowns.

The other 23 third stringers have 57 touchdowns…combined.

Keep your eyes on Grossman this summer as the Redskins prepare to defend their 2012 NFC East title and  secure the fourth Lombardi Trophy in franchise history. He was a key to Griffin III’s transition from Heisman-winning quarterback to the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and will be looked to to provide leadership once again.

Hail to the Redskins!

(AP photo)

Here’s some quick video of the Redskins’ quarterbacks warming up Friday at the second training camp practice of the year at Redskins Park.

Check back with the blog for some more videos from today’s practice.

The Washington Redskins have had “Slingin’” Sammy Baugh and “Captain Bubbly” Joe Theismann under center in the team’s illustrious history, but some are already handing rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III his own nickname:

“The arm.”

Griffin III’s new nickname comes just two weeks after the team began organized team activities for the 2012 season, according to this Yahoo! Sports article from Les Carpenter.

In the article, Carpenter explains how Redskins teammates are in awe of the arm strength displayed by Griffin III — the team’s No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft — in team drills:

“It’s more of running to your left and flicking your wrist and throwing the ball 70 yards,” Washington’s backup quarterback Rex Grossman said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Then he shook his head.

“His arm almost comes off like a whip,” Grossman added, holding his own hand above his head, then flinging it forward about a foot in a vain attempt to demonstrate the way Griffin throws.

It looks a lot like the way Michael Vick throws, Grossman finally said. Perhaps nobody in the NFL throws the ball harder with seemingly less effort than Vick. Except maybe now, RG III.”

Griffin III said he developed “the arm” after he injured his knee while playing at Baylor. According to the article, Griffin III’s father, Robert II, made his son “sit on a stool in the parking lot behind Baylor’s basketball arena and fire passes for hours, slowly building a motion that barely relies on anything but the strength of his wrist.”

Redskins’ tight end Logan Paulsen said catching passes from Griffin III “takes some getting used to.”

Match “the arm” with Griffin III’s elite running abilities, and he’s sure to garner more nicknames in the not-so-distant future.

Any suggestions out there?

“Healthy competition” is a phrase often thrown around in sports, but it’s definitely something being embraced by the Redskins’ four quarterbacks through organized team activities this season.

Quarterback Jonathan Crompton — in his second season with the Redskins and third overall in the NFL — said all four Redskins quarterbacks have the same goal of competing for a starting job this season, but aren’t letting that get in the way of improving as a unit.

“I feel it’s huge where we can go out there and support each other, but at the same time compete,” Crompton said after Thursday’s round of organized team activities at Redskins Park. “That’s what it’s all about. Competition makes everybody better. So that’s what I think we’re doing.”

Crompton, a 6-foot-3, 222-pound quarterback, signed with the Redskins’ practice squad last September. He spent the entire season on the practice squad roster learning the offense behind Rex Grossman and John Beck.

And with two rookie quarterbacks coming in this season taking on the daunting task of learning an NFL playbook, Crompton said he’s been happy to lend a helping hand to newbies Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins like Grossman and Beck did for him last year.

“Rex knows the offense like the back of his hand,” Crompton said. “And now I feel like I know it pretty well.”

Crompton was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round (168th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. He spent his entire rookie season on the Chargers’ practice squad.

Crompton then spent the 2011 preseason with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played against the Redskins on Sept. 1, completing 12-of-22 passes for 149 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

(Click here for video of Crompton’s touchdown pass in that preseason game against the Redskins last season.)

Individually, Crompton said he’s gone into OTAs this season with the intent of improving his overall game.

“In my opinion, you can never be fully polished,” he said. “So I think it’s key to work on all your fundamentals all of the time, and especially taking what the coaches say and going with it.”

Oh, and speaking of fundamentals, Crompton — who played collegiately at Tennessee — has also been doing more than helping out the team’s rookie quarterbacks. Crompton can also be seen preparing teens for a dodgeball tournament in this video from StyleNetwork:

AP Image

Yesterday, Redskins free agent quarterback Rex Grossman talked to Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan on SiriusXM’s ‘Movin’ The Chains,’ to discuss his past and future in Washington.

Grossman confirmed that he would like to return to Washington for a third season, citing a franchise with history and tradition, a passionate fan base, and a coaching staff focused on success as his motivating factors.

But perhaps most importantly, Grossman mentioned that with a few more pieces and consistent play, the Redskins are “not that far away” from success.

This is what he describes as his “dream scenario”:

We’re not that far off.  Y’know, if we can come together and stay healthy, and add a few pieces…just the Redskins as a team–whether I’m there or not–they’re just not that far off.

A few playmakers here and there on offense and defense, and consistent play, and just staying alive.  Y’know, 9-7 won our division, and that team won the Super Bowl.

Grossman makes a good point.  The NFL is king of parity, as half of the 2011 playoff teams sat at home last season.  The Giants were one of those teams, after finishing 10-6 in 2010.  In 2011, they won one fewer game, took the division, ran the table in the playoffs, and won the Super Bowl.

Welcome to the NFL.

In the NFL, you’re just not that far away.  Y’know, it’s not like basketball or baseball where the worst team has no shot–you’re just not that far away.  And I think that everybody at Redskins Park is kinda feeling that way after watching a team that we swept win the Super Bowl.

In other words, the NFL salary cap keeps things competitive and interesting.  Of the six new teams in the postseason this year, five had losing records last year, with three of them finishing at 4-12.  In one season, they were able to acquire the proper pieces to have a winning season and make the playoffs.

This is a critical offseason for both the Redskins and Grossman, and he acknowledges that they may not be in each other’s plans.  But with that in mind, Grossman believes in the Redskins ability to compete in 2012, and hopes that he’s here to be a part of it.

While I typically focus my energies on professional football, one of the top names in all of football this year was Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, affectionately dubbed “R.G.3″

What most Redskins fans fail to realize is that the Redskins had their very own ‘R.G.3′ under center this season, in Rex Grossman III.  Seriously.

Grossman has extensive Indiana football lineage, with each generation staying local to Bloomington, Ind. to raise families.  Let’s have a look back at “The Grossmen” football tradition:

R.G.1:

The original Rex Grossman (R.G.1) was a fullback/linebacker/kicker for the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Colts in the middle of the last century.  At 6-1, 215 pounds, he was almost the exact size of his grandson during his playing days (6-2, 220).  According to Grossman’s (R.G.3) Florida bio, he had a framed photo of his grandfather on his desk, with a caption that read: “”Hi, I’m Rex Grossman, 6-1, 215 pounds. I play for the Baltimore Colts.”

Grossman (R.G.1) played for only three seasons in the NFL from 1948-50, before retiring.  In his time, he played in 37 games, rushed eight times for -3 yards on offense and threw one pass for an interception.  On special teams, he kicked 16 field goals and 78 extra points, punted the ball 28 times, and returned one kick.  And on defense, he registered two interceptions.

Here was a clipping from his final game at Indiana University, courtesy of Glory of Old IU:

R.G.2:

In order to distinguish him from his father, Rex (R.G.2) went by “R. Daniel Grossman.”  The second generation of Rex Grossmen was a first for gunslingers, as both Rex (R.G.2) and brother Dobby were collegiate quarterbacks at Indiana and South Carolina, respectively.

Neither would ever make it to the professional ranks, as Rex (R.G.2) would instead choose a life of ophthalmology, graduating in 1973.  Curiously, during his pursuit of a medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine, he did a residency at Baylor School of Medicine, the same institution where the other R.G.3 is currently player.

Rex (R.G.2) opened his private practice in Bloomington in 1980, and currently awards the “Rex Grossman Scholarship” to a deserving candidate for a biology degree.

But all of this was building to the third generation of Rex Grossmen, the original R.G.3.

R.G.3:

Rex Grossman has had the most football success of any of his namesakes, playing in the NFL for nine seasons and throwing for more than 10,000 yards.  He has appeared in one Super Bowl, and possesses a 25-22 career record.

According to Grossman’s Florida bio and R.G.2, he has been playing football since the age of 2.  As a running back, he ran for a 60-yard touchdown on his first play of organized football as an 8-year-old.  His mother made him switch to quarterback in the sixth grade.

His father (R.G.2), his uncle Dobby and Rex (R.G.3) own every passing record at Bloomington South high school.  And although he grew up on a horse farm in Indiana, he hates riding horses.

Not only has he performed ably on the football field, but he has also inspired a holiday commemorating his name in his native Bloomington, Ind.  I don’t know about you, but “Rex Grossman Day” sounds awesome.

So the next time that you chat with a football buddy about R.G.3, make sure that you ask to be specific.  It’s a creative nickname, but there’s more than one in the wide world of football.

AP Image

Following a long touchdown pass to Roy Helu–the first receiving score of his career–the Redskins were right back in the game.  However, if they want to stay in it for the fourth quarter, they have to eliminate the big 15-yard penalties that are consistently pushing them backward.  So far, they have three of them on the afternoon.

The first was a penalty on Santana Moss for taking his helmet off after a play. He was understandably frustrated, but that’s a long-standing rule–on the field, helmets stay on.

The second penalty was on Donte’ Stallworth on the Roy Helu touchdown catch and run.  It’s unclear what exactly was going on, but Stallworth took a knee in the end zone and was flagged for excessive celebration, going to the ground in the end zone.

The third penalty was for a hit on a defenseless receiver, on the defense.

You can say what you want about the legitimacy of the rules, the interpretation of said rules, and whether or not the Redskins players violated those rules.  I certainly have my own thoughts on all three facets.  But no amount of angst or debate on the topic will change the fact that the Redskins put themselves in a position to be flagged for three flagrant fouls in a game that they’re losing.

This is a game for pride alone, and this isn’t the type of focused football that’s going to win this afternoon.

On a very positive note, running back Evan Royster is over 100 yards from scrimmage again this week, piling up 73 on the ground and 37 through the air.  It’s hard to project how Royster and Helu will pan out to a 16-game season, but the experience that they’ve gained in their respective rookie campaigns have laid the groundwork for an informed, focused offseason.

Although the Redskins haven’t found their top guy in the passing game today, Grossman has spread the ball around, finding nine different receivers, including Brandon Banks for the time this season.  Receiver Jabar Gaffney was a non-factor in the third quarter and still needs 53 yards to reach 1,000 on the season.

After three quarters in Philadelphia, it’s still in reach for the Burgundy and Gold: Redskins 7, Eagles 13.

AP Image

Redskins fullback Darrel Young spent four years of college only 17 miles from Lincoln Financial Field at Villanova University.  Villanova Stadium holds only 12,500 people, each of whom cheered on his defensive prowess

Today, in front of five time as many people, he’s silencing the Philadelphia crowd with his offensive ability, piling up 32 yards from a non-traditional playmaker position.  On top of that, he’s cleared the way for Evan Royster who continues his run of dominance as the Redskins tailback.

Averaging only 1.8 yards per carry in the first quarter, Royster has found his stride with 41 yards in the second quarter, including a 28-yard churn and burn scamper.  On that 28-yard run, he broke four tackles, something that Redskins running backs have struggled to do this season.  Forget the strategy of “one cut and go”– Royster cut four defenders nearly out of their shoes on one play.

At the half, Royster leads the team in both rushing and receiving yards.  Young is second and fourth, respectively.

One player that we should be celebrating in the first half is receiver Anthony Armstrong.  Armstrong has stretched the field deep today, but has been unable to sync up with quarterback Rex Grossman.  On two plays, Grossman was pressured and either checked down or forced the ball deep.  On the other play, he had time but it appeared that he waited half a beat too long, as the corner popped the ball in the air and the safety picked it off.

By trying the deep ball, the Redskins have opened up running plays and short passing routes underneath.  But the offense really needs these plays to work if they expect to keep pace in this game.

The Redskins passed up their best opportunity at points in the second quarter, when a field goal attempt from Graham Gano was blocked up the middle.  It’s been a frustrating year for blocked field goals, something that has been attributed in the past to the injuries and suspensions that the Redskins have weathered along the offensive line.  Whatever it is, it’s something that will need to be addressed in the offseason.

Receiver Jabar Gaffney had a solid first half, surpassing his career high in receptions with 67 this season.  His 25 yards put him within 56 yards of 1,000 on the season, for the first time in his career.  The Redskins need someone to step up big in the passing game in the second half.

After 30 minutes in The Linc, the Redskins still trail: Washington 0, Philadelphia 10.  Redskins will receive first in the second half.