The Redskins were a giddy, happy bunch Wednesday, tossing jokes and friendly insults around the dressing room like so many used towels. A needed victory over Chicago was part of it. But mainly it was the start of their mini-vacation, that NFL phenomenon known as the bye week — which should really be called the bye-bye week.
Time to rev up the SUVs, BMWs and, in the case of at least H-back Mike Sellers, the long, black limousine, and leave football in the rear-view mirror, if only for a short time. All teams get a bye at some point during the season and this week it’s the Redskins’ turn along with Houston, Pittsburgh and San Francisco. No game, no practice for four precious days.
Oh, how the players love the bye week.
“This is a big week, man,” guard Randy Thomas said before leaving for Atlanta.
You almost expected him to say, “I live for this,” like on those commercials for Major League Baseball.
It makes sense. After training camp, the preseason and six grinding games, and with all their injuries, the respite comes at an ideal time — especially compared with teams that had a bye after just two games. Several players will hang around and get treatment at Redskin Park.
“The biggest thing is to kind of get healed up,” coach Joe Gibbs said.
But for most of the nonmedical cases, it is important to get far away (practice resumes Monday) and forget about football. Merely staying off the field for several days has vast therapeutic powers. “You get to rejuvenate your life,” Thomas said.
Cornerback Fred Smoot, who is nursing two sore shoulders, said he is going home to Jackson, Miss., for some of “that old-time country healing.”
Although some might at this moment be lying on some Caribbean beach or enjoying the wonders of an exotic, far-off locale, a very informal and highly unscientific survey revealed that a majority of Redskins simply headed home. Some will, as the Seattle-bound Sellers said, “lie on my couch and do nothing.” All are going to eat. A lot. Apparently, an important part of the healing process is pigging out.
“I already put in my order,” said safety Ryan Clark, who calls Marrero, La., home. “The first night is meat loaf, mashed potatoes and corn. Then my daddy is making some kind of casserole.”
Meat loaf? In Louisiana? Where’s the crawfish and the gumbo and the Cajun and the Creole cooking.
“The seafood is seasonal,” Clark explained. “Right now the crawfish are hard.”
Defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin also knew what was on the menu when he arrived home in Brundidge, Ala.: “Fried chicken, steaks, mashed potatoes.”
And that’s just Day One.
“Then I’ll have potato salad, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, barbecued chicken.”
But even 300-pounders have to exhibit a little self-control. “I’m still in-season,” said Griffin, coming off a two-sack game against the Bears and having a fine season overall after signing with the Redskins as a free agent. “I worked too hard to get to this point.”
Linebacker Marcus Washington, another free agent signee having a big year, said he was looking forward to “getting a little home cooking for a change because “there’s nothing like mom’s cooking.”
Washington recommended the sweet potato pie.
Cornerback Walt Harris, bound for LaGrange, Ga., said he was going to dig into “all the good soul food you can imagine.”
But it isn’t just about food. It’s more about home and family. Washington, dressing after practice, was belting out the old Lynyrd Skynyrd tune, “Sweet Home Alabama.” Actually, he was pretty much just singing the words “Sweet Home Alabama.” But the message was clear.
“It’s good to go home,” said Washington, who is from Auburn.
Defensive tackle Joe Salave’a can’t go home because “it would take me a whole week to get back to Samoa.” Instead, Salave’a is heading west this weekend to fulfill a promise to see a niece play volleyball at Nevada-Reno.
“It’s been five years since I made that promise,” he said. “This is her last season.”
Griffin said he was looking forward to visiting with his nieces, and Thomas was going to “say hello to everyone — aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews. See how their grades are. Give them a little handout.”
Of course, Thomas will spend time with his mother. Visiting mothers is a big part of the bye week, and not just for their talents in the kitchen. Players and their moms are close.
“Single parent,” Thomas said. “Simple as that.”
Many players also maintain familial ties to their schools. Ever watch a college football game and the camera zooms in on an NFL player on the sideline?
Bye week.
Clark bleeds the purple and gold of Louisiana State, “the defending national champion,” as he quickly volunteered. He also said, “I don’t think we’re repeating.”
LSU has fallen on hard times with two Southeastern Conference losses after going 13-1 last year. But Clark planned to roam the sideline tomorrow at Tiger Stadium doing his best to implore the lads, although not in any outlandish, overbearing, Ray Lewis-esque kind of way.
“I’m not gonna be one of those guys screaming and hollering,” he said. “I just want to say hi to the guys and give them my support.”
LSU will take on the men of Troy. No, not Southern California. Troy University of Alabama.
“Hey, they beat Missouri,” Clark said.
Washington, an Auburn man, wasn’t sure if he would view tomorrow’s game against Kentucky from the sideline or the suites. Either way, he’ll have no trouble getting into Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“They always want the NFL guys to come back,” Washington said. “It kind of sets an example. It’s good for [everyone] to see it.”
Rookie H-back Chris Cooley has no such dilemma; he will definitely be on the sideline, but not Utah State’s sideline. The Aggies have an open date this week, too, so Cooley, who graduated from Logan High School in Utah, will attend the big Logan-Box Elder game.
“The coach called me and said he wanted me to go talk to the guys and stuff,” Cooley said. “It’ll be fun.”
The Miami Hurricanes have an ACC clash with N.C. State tomorrow. But the game is in Raleigh, which rules out rookie safety Sean Taylor and running back Clinton Portis, both former ’Canes.
“Me, I’m going home,” Taylor said “It’s got nothing to do with N.C. State. I’m going to the sunshine. I want to see the Hurricanes pull it off, but I’ll be rooting for it from my home. I’ve seen them root me on from the television set. I see nothing wrong with the television set. Once I smell the air, that’s all I need. I miss the Miami air, the Miami sunshine. Two or three days in the air and I’ll be all right.”
Portis won’t even watch the game on TV.
“I’m going to go relax,” he said. “I’m going to get away from football. I won’t be around no TV, I’ll promise you that.”
Heading out of town has its downside, however, what with all those plans and arrangements and potential pitfalls. Like with Thomas’ wife. While transporting their three dogs — two Rottweilers and a Pomeranian — to the overnight kennel, one of the Rotts, perhaps distraught over being left behind, made a rather unpleasant statement that resulted in a rather unpleasant mess inside the truck.
“My wife had a bad day,” Thomas said.
The problem with traveling, center Cory Raymer said, “is that on Sundays, I have a hard time coming back.” Accordingly, Raymer is hanging out at his home near Redskin Park. His longest trip will be 15 feet up a tree, where he will shoot anything that moves, preferably an animal, if he can manage to keep quiet.
“I’ll be so loud, probably burping and [something else] and having a good time, nothing’s gonna be walking by me anyway,” he said.
Among other outdoor enthusiasts, backup quarterback Patrick Ramsey plans to do a little hunting down in Louisiana. Last year during the bye week, he bagged his biggest deer ever, so he has something to, uh, shoot for. Griffin, meanwhile, prefers bass fishing. Like Ramsey, he hopes to top his personal best, in this case a “6- or 7-pounder,” he said.
“I think I can do it,” said Griffin. “I just gotta be patient. But I’m not very patient.”
Even Gibbs and the rest of staff plan to enjoy a little free time. Very little.
“I’m gonna try and see my grandbabies, see them play soccer and stuff,” Gibbs said. But mainly it’s work, work, work.
Assistant head coach Gregg Williams, who has done impressive things with the defense, will spend some time with his kids, who he doesn’t get to see very often because of the long hours. “Maybe I can reacquaint myself with them a little bit,” he said.
But Williams generally doesn’t care for the bye week.
“Honestly,” he said, “I’d rather be practicing and meeting.”
Other than his fellow coaches, he is pretty much alone on this one.
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