OPINION:
Last Sunday, the Washington Commanders honored John Riggins, author of the iconic moment in the city’s sports history, by retiring his Number 44 jersey for the Burgundy and Gold.
It was Jan. 30, 1983. The Washington Redskins, seeking their first world championship in 40 years, trailed the Miami Dolphins 17-13 in Super Bowl XVII. Washington was facing 4th-and-1 at the Miami 43 with 10:01 remaining. Four decades of waiting came down to one play.
Joe Theismann took the snap and handed the ball to Mr. Riggins. Mr. Riggins burst through the line, shed an attempted tackle by Dolphins cornerback Don McNeal and outran Miami’s “Killer B’s” defense for the dramatic game-winning touchdown.
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Mr. Riggins earned Super Bowl MVP honors in Washington’s 27-17 victory. His 610 yards rushing in the 1982 playoffs in victories over the Lions, Vikings, Cowboys and Dolphins, remains an NFL postseason record and the pinnacle of his Hall of Fame career.
Mr. Riggins excelled in the biggest games. In a 1979 showdown against Dallas for the division title, he ran for 151 yards, including a career-best 66-yard scoring run. In a 1982 playoff game against Minnesota, he bowed to the RFK Stadium crowd after his 185-yard virtuoso performance.
In the 1982 and 1983 NFC Championship games against the Cowboys and 49ers, Mr. Riggins ran for 140 yards and 123 yards, respectively, and a combined four touchdowns, leading the Redskins to back-to-back Super Bowls.
And in Super Bowl XVII, he ran 38 times for 166 yards. In the stirring words of John Facenda, narrator of NFL Films’ Super Bowl XVII highlight film: “No player ever carried the ball so often, or so far, in a Super Bowl.”
Yet for all his achievements, at last Sunday’s ceremony, he was customarily gracious and deferential. He paid tribute to the men and women who serve this country, team owner Josh Harris, his former teammates and his wife, Lisa Marie.
He also thanked Washington’s fans, pledging: “I will die a Redskin.”
STEPHEN A. SILVER
San Francisco, California
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