THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 13, 1996 TAG: 9608130433
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FROSTBURG, MD. LENGTH: 73 lines
The Washington Redskins signed James Washington last year to teach their young defensive backs toughness, bravado and a champion's swagger.
Monday, he may have taught them something even more beneficial: Everyone is expendable.
Washington, twice a Super Bowl hero with the Dallas Cowboys, was waived Monday morning in a move that sent shock waves through a team that had just seen him running with the first team Friday against Detroit.
The 31-year-old Washington had been with coach Norv Turner in Los Angeles and Dallas before rejoining him as a free agent last season. He learned to play defensive back at UCLA from current Redskins secondary coach Tom Hayes.
But when Turner and the rest of the brain trust determined that young veterans Darryl Morrison and Darryl Pounds could share a starting role and that rookies Brian Walker and Leomont Evans deserved to battle for reserve time, no one hesitated in sending Washington into unemployment.
For Washington, the blow was softened by the fact that the Redskins will pay him $1 million this season, the remaining two-thirds of his original $1.5 million signing bonus.
``I had a great party for eight years,'' said the flamboyant Washington, who often shocked the nation's capital with the raunchy, controversial things he'd say on his weekly radio show. ``I played in two Super Bowls, four NFC championships. It's time to start a second career, if I can just figure out what that should be.''
Although there were rumors he could be in trouble as far back as minicamp, the decision to waive Washington came quickly.
Sunday afternoon, a source who has input on personnel decisions said Washington would start the season at safety, with Pounds and Morrison gradually being worked into the lineup.
But at team meetings later that night, it was announced that Walker, a free agent from Washington State who has averaged an interception every other practice, would take over Washington's position in the nickel defense.
``Things were said that made me feel something might be happening,'' Washington said, refusing to elaborate. ``I thought trade or release. Well, trade is out and release is in.''
Turner said he had two motives for making the move now.
``When you see young guys with huge upsides, the only way for them to realize those upsides is to get them on the field,'' he said. ``I didn't want to put James in the position of having to watch the young guys from the sidelines.
``And, if he wants to keep playing, I wanted to give a team as much time as possible to get him in.''
Washington said several times Monday that he could not blame Turner.
``When you're rebuilding a team and see guys like Darryl Pounds and Brian Walker - young, hungry, aggressive guys - you know what they're thinking,'' he said. ``I wish those young guys well. They were eventually going to grow up; they'll grow up a little faster now.''
Washington is one of five players to intercept a pass in more than one Super Bowl, picking one off in Super Bowl XXVII against Buffalo.
His career highlight was Dallas' 30-13 thrashing of the Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII. He had missed all but one start with a knee injury but forced a fumble by Thurman Thomas, intercepted a pass and returned a Thomas fumble 46 yards for a touchdown. He finished second in MVP voting to running back Emmitt Smith.
The following season, in 1994, he intercepted a career-high five passes for the Cowboys.
He then joined Turner and the Redskins prior to last season, starting 12 games, making 90 tackles with two interceptions.
``Norv had to do what was best for the Washington Redskins and I respect that,'' he said. ``He had to make a hard, personal decision on someone he'd been with on the Rams, the Cowboys. He just showed you he can make the tough decision.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by MIKE HEFFNER, The Virginian-Pilot
"It's time to start a second career, if I can just figure out what
that should be," James Washington said. by CNB