The return: ‘Like hitting the Powerball number’

No matter how success is defined, Joe Gibbs achieved it as coach of the Washington Redskins from 1981 through 1992. But that’s history. To quote another legendary Redskins coach, George Allen, the future is now. And the only thing that matters now is whether Gibbs can do it again.

The overwhelming consensus is that he can and he will, even though many elements of the game, notably free agency and the salary cap, have changed significantly; even though Gibbs returns as a not so young man of 63.

“Joe Gibbs will succeed because he is the best at what he does, no matter what he does,” former Redskins offensive tackle Mark May said. “He’ll bring accountability to a football team that hasn’t had any in a long time. He’ll bring credibility. Joe Gibbs coming back is like hitting the Powerball number. When he steps into a room, instant respect.”

May is an ESPN commentator, a Redskin at heart and a Hog for life. So is former guard Mark Schlereth, and both are as excited about the return of offensive line coach Joe Bugel as they are about Gibbs. Schlereth has been a vocal, on-air critic of the Redskins organization. Until now.

“With the salary cap and all the money, it’s more important than ever to be a great teacher in this league, and it’s more important to be a guy that your players want to rally around,” Schlereth said. “[Gibbs] is one of the greatest who has ever coached. People always talk about continuity and stability, but Joe really did provide those things.”

Schlereth said the hiring wiped clean a lot of the bad feelings, largely because Gibbs’ qualities as a coach and a man can withstand his 11-year absence from the game.

“The words integrity and character get thrown around a lot with a majority of coaches when it benefits them,” Schlereth said. “But Joe is who he is 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He’s still compassionate. He’s still a gracious man. But he still demands a lot. As a player you always knew where you stood. … All you want is to be dealt with honestly, and that’s what Joe Gibbs does.”

Can Gibbs handle change? An oft-cited fact to the positive is that his teams won three Super Bowls with three quarterbacks. One was Doug Williams, who threw four touchdown passes against Denver in the second quarter of Super Bowl XXII, won by the Redskins 42-10.

“I think Joe Gibbs could be their stabilizer,” said Williams, now the football coach at Grambling State. “He’ll give them a lot of stability. I don’t think the game has changed as much as the scenario, the movement of players, the fact the talent won’t be there more than three, four or five years because of the salary cap and free agency.

“But even though he’s older, I think Coach is smart enough to put smart people around him. I don’t think his age will affect anything. This game is about people, too, and Joe Gibbs always found a way to deal with what he had to deal with.”

Can Gibbs handle change? Even before he left football he was starting to shift gears, so to speak. He ventured into the world of motorsports and founded the Joe Gibbs Racing Team.

“My sense is that Joe will be successful because he has a history of success in different arenas, and because he knows football,” former Redskins safety Brad Edwards said. “Joe knows how to run the ball. He’ll put together a good staff. And he knows how to run a practice. In an age of parity, that will make a big difference.”

Broadcaster and former Redskins tight end Rick “Doc” Walker said Gibbs “went after NASCAR and he conquered it.” And when the concept of Plan B free agency was introduced, Walker said, Gibbs mastered that, too.

“He’s a very organized football man who understands teamwork,” Walker said. “He understands the men who play the game. He’s a master of bringing in the best people at every position. His staff will be a work of art. He’s so far ahead of the curve in this egocentric society we live in because he puts winning first and backs it up with hard work.”

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