The greatest Redskin of all time, the legendary Sammy Baugh has passed away. Baugh was a charter member of the NFL’s Pro Football Hall of Fame, and still to this day, his jersey #33 remains the only jersey number the Washington Redskins have officially retired.
During 16 seasons with the Redskins, Baugh would direct the team to four divisional titles and a second NFL championship in 1942. He retired after the 1952 season as a popular icon of football excellence and a folk hero of Washington sports lore.
For most of his career in Washington, he played both defense and offense as well as on special teams. But he was always best known as a pinpoint passer who could hit his receivers over long and short distances while under extreme pressure from a defensive pass rush. For six seasons — 1937, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1947 and 1949 — he led the NFL in passing. Twice he threw six touchdown passes in a single game. His career totals were more than 1,700 completed passes, 187 of them for touchdowns.
In passing, Baugh leads in all time stats in …
Most season Leading league in passing, 6 (1st all time)
Most season Leading league in completions, 5 (2nd all time)
Most season Leading league in completion %, 7 (2nd all time)
Highest Completion %, 70.33% (2nd all time)
Yards gained consecutive season, 4 (2nd all time)
Highest average gain per game, 18.58 (1st all time)
Lowest % of Interceptions per attempts (1st overall)
In Punting, Baugh leads all time in …
Most seasons leading league, 4 (1st all time)
Most consecutive season leading league, 4 (1st all time)
Most punts in a game,14 (3rd all time)
Highest Career Average, 45.10 (2nd all time)
Highest Average in a season, 51.4 (1st all time)
Baugh also had the most interception in one game, 4.
Among other stats…
Baugh still holds Redskins records for career TD passes with 187. His 31 interceptions on defense are third on the team’s career list. He still owns the league mark for single-season punting average (51.4).
Statement by Redskins Owner Daniel Snyder …
“Sammy Baugh embodied all we aspire to at the Washington Redskins,” Redskins owner Dan Snyder said. “He was a competitor in everything he did and a winner. He was one of the greatest to ever play the game of football, and one of the greatest the Redskins ever had. My thoughts and prayers are with his family tonight.”
Two things are for sure. One, Sammy loved the game of football until he died tonight, the passion never left.
“I’ll watch it all damn day long,” Baugh, who often sprinkled his conversation with mild obscenities, told The Associated Press in a 2002 interview. “I like the football they play. They got bigger boys, and they’ve also got these damn speed merchants that we didn’t have in those days. I’d love to be quarterback this day and time.”
And two, Sammy will be missed. He was and is the great Washington redskins player in the history of the franchise, a true Redskin Legend!
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