Hail Victory: An Oral History of the Washington Redskins

The finest sports teams do more than merely entertain fans with their athletic prowess: they inspire loyalty, ignite passion, and cut across social divides to unite entire communities in hope, joy, anguish, anticipation, and shared memories. In all of sports, no team embodies this ideal more completely than the Washington Redskins.

In Hail Victory, Washington sportswriter Thom Loverro reconstructs the glorious history of this storied franchise through exclusive interviews with a host of the greatest and most beloved players ever to wear a Redskins jersey. Together, Loverro and these Redskins legends re-create the most memorable moments in the team’s history, both on and off the field.

You’ll hear from quarterback Mark Rypien, who relives the stunning 1992 Super Bowl in which the Redskins ran roughshod over a Buffalo Bills defense that had shown them little respect during the run-up to that lopsided victory. Two years earlier, down 33- 14 in the third quarter of a regular season game against the Detroit Lions, coach Joe Gibbs called on third-stringer and placekick-holder Jeff Rutledge to run out the clock in an embarrassing defeat. Rutledge’s account of his virtuoso performance in what would become the greatest comeback in NFL history is one of the most inspiring stories in sports.

Joe Theismann, Dexter Manley, and Joe Jacoby relive another unlikely comeback– the one that brought the Redskins their first Super Bowl victory in 1983. You’ll also hear from Hall of Fame receiver Charley Taylor, who remembers his days as the favorite target of legendary quarterback Sonny Jurgensen.

Each outstanding era of Redskins history has been defined by its coach. Jurgensen recountshow football deity Vince Lombardi transformed the team from perennial losers into a force to be reckoned with. George Allen’s “Over the Hill Gang” of proven veterans and winners gave the team an emotional identity, but it was the unsung Joe Gibbs who turned these tough contenders into champions. Loverro analyzes the styles and strengths of each Redskins coach, and players’ comments provide insight into how the team functioned under each regime.

Featuring eight pages of color photos of Redskins greats in action, Hail Victory is a must-have for Redskins fans and a treat for football lovers all over the world (except those who live in Dallas!).