The owner of the Washington Redskins, Dan Snyder, was dubbed "The Danny" or just "Danny" by the media shortly after acquiring the storied franchise. Many articles have been written about Mr. Snyder's brief tenure thus far as the owner and about the decisions that he has made. While not every decision or move made by the Snyder regime has been met with applause, they have all been met with criticism and media scrutiny.
But now there is another "Danny" in Washington. This one can lay claim to a Heisman trophy and a National Championship. He, of course, is Danny Wuerffel. He isn't hard to pick out, he is the one that's lining up under center and oh yeah, he is the one wearing only one glove. It has been much publicized that the 6'1" 212lb quarterback played under Coach Spurrier in Florida. In fact, he won the Heisman and gave Coach Spurrier his only National title in 1996. It has been written that he doesn't have the arm and that he doesn't have the size to play at the NFL level. He was once written off as another Heisman bust, mentioned with the likes of Charlie Ward, Gino Torretta and Ty Detmer. What has never been written about is Danny Wuerffel's heart and character.
He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 1997 and was asked to lead a rebuilding Saints team in a situation much like the current one in Washington, without the benefit of a supporting cast. After three seasons in New Orleans, Danny carried the clipboard in both Green Bay and Chicago before signing with the Redskins. Danny came to Washington with career stats of: 126-258 for 1,404 yards, 9 TD's against 13 INT's with a 49% completion rate. Not impressive but all of these stats come from his two+ seasons with the lowly Saints.
I will be the first to admit that I never really had an opinion of Danny Wuerffel prior to his signing with the Redskins. But after watching this guy play and seeing what kind of person he is, I can honestly say that he has climbed the list of my personal Redskin favorites. While I realize that many of you reading this may not share this sentiment, I just can't help but pull for him to succeed. And I believe that he has shown that with a good offensive line that understands the concept of blocking, he can be a decent NFL quarterback.
While Danny Wuerffel may not be the greatest quarterback that ever took a snap for our Redskins, you will be hard pressed to find one that has impressed me more. When I say that he impressed me, I am not talking just about his on the field performances. I am talking about the man that Danny Wuerffel is off the field. It's the things that no one can measure and for which no stats are ever kept.... Heart. Off the field, Danny is every bit a Redskin as Sonny Jurgensen or Billy Kilmer were, on the field. His latest charitable venture is the "Caps for Kids" program. Chances are you won't hear Danny talk much about his off the field works of charity. Why? Then it isn't about the folks who need help; it's about him. And Danny isn't made up like that.
Danny Wuerffel may never do anything to make the Redskins or the NFL want to immortalize him but then again, to a guy like him, that won't matter a bit.
Thank you Danny Wuerffel and all the other Danny Wuerffel's around the NFL for giving all you have to offer and asking only for the chance to play a game that so many of us can only dream of.
Be sure to come back next week for more from The Cheap Seats...
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