Oh Those Wacky Commanders

[JPM]

I stumbled across a story that I just have to share.

I was talking with a friend at work who is a Commanders fan and we were talking about the Commanders habit of trading away their 1st round Draft picks. He asked me to give him a list of all the players the Commanders have ever taken in the 1st round.

So I was compiling this list for him and I get to 1946. The Commanders took a RB from UCLA named Cal Rossi. They took him again with their 1st pick in 1947. That's right, the same guy 2 years in a row.

Naturally I was instantly curious and began to look around. Turns out Rossi was not draft eligible in 1946 because he was still a Junior. In those days you could not declare hardship and leave early. So they completely wasted that Draft pick on a guy who could not.

Apparently they wanted him real bad and were determined not to lose him, so they took him again in 1947. Now, I figured the kid must be pretty good for them to do that. I tried to find his career stats. There aren't any. Turns out he had no desire to play professional football and never played a down in his life after leaving UCLA.

"Senior citizens, although slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose."
Thanks Hos !!

 

[Hostile]

"Senior citizens, although slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose."
Thanks Hos !!

I love that movie.

 

[JPM]

I love that movie.

What guy doesn't ? Well, maybe bbgun....

 

[Future]

Let me give this a try...

1st Skins fan: They were saving cap money for two years running by drafting a guy they knew they could not sign...BRILLIANT MOVE by the FO.

2nd Skins Fan: But there was no cap back then.

1st Skins Fan: Well they were ahead of the time.

2nd Skins Fan: You are right they are BRILLIANT!

:laugh2: well done

 

[JVita17]

Here is a story we wished had a better ending....

In the first round of the 2002 draft, the Cowboys were attempting to trade down to select Oklahoma safety Roy Williams. Cowboys owner-general manager Jerry Jones made the trade with the Chiefs, and Dallas was poised to select Williams with the eighth overall pick, but Jones lost track of time.

"Jerry went to sleep at the wheel," former Cowboys scouting director Larry Lacewell said. "And all the sudden someone shouts that we only have 10 seconds left."

According to Lacewell, Jones' son, Stephen, dived across the table to call in the Williams pick and the Cowboys ended up with about a second to spare.


"That's as close as I ever saw us come to losing one," Lacewell said.

 

[Chief]

Here is a story we wished had a better ending....

In the first round of the 2002 draft, the Cowboys were attempting to trade down to select Oklahoma safety Roy Williams. Cowboys owner-general manager Jerry Jones made the trade with the Chiefs, and Dallas was poised to select Williams with the eighth overall pick, but Jones lost track of time.



Illustration by Larry Johnson


"Jerry went to sleep at the wheel," former Cowboys scouting director Larry Lacewell said. "And all the sudden someone shouts that we only have 10 seconds left."

According to Lacewell, Jones' son, Stephen, dived across the table to call in the Williams pick and the Cowboys ended up with about a second to spare.


"That's as close as I ever saw us come to losing one," Lacewell said.

No, Larry. You lost a lot of them. :bang2:

Jerry bragged about this later, comparing himself to an option quarterback who made the pitch at the last possible moment.

 

[trentmonster]

Maybe the Skins told the dude he would be switched to DB and he didn't think he could beat out Darrell Green.

 

[theebs]

Norm Hitzges tells this story every year at the draft! It is always funny to hear it.

 

[Hostile]

Maybe the Skins told the dude he would be switched to DB and he didn't think he could beat out Darrell Green.

Darrell Green wasn't playing in 1946 and 47.

 

[Hostile]

Norm Hitzges tells this story every year at the draft! It is always funny to hear it.

Is there an audio file of that anywhere? I'd love to hear it.

 

[jobberone]

Darrell Green wasn't playing in 1946 and 47.

You're getting senile old man. He meant Darrell played so long it felt like he was playing then. I think. And while I cherish the 60s for lots of reasons I would trade being young again for the memories of them. In a second.

 

[Hostile]

You're getting senile old man. He meant Darrell played so long it felt like he was playing then. I think. And while I cherish the 60s for lots of reasons I would trade being young again for the memories of them. In a second.

You call me senile. My wife calls me a big ape. Yeager calls me a :bastid: every day.

Ya'll are going to give me a complex.

 

[trentmonster]

You're getting senile old man. He meant Darrell played so long it felt like he was playing then. I think. And while I cherish the 60s for lots of reasons I would trade being young again for the memories of them. In a second.

Thanks for trying to salvage my joke. :

 

[Direwolf63]

I stumbled across a story that I just have to share.

I was talking with a friend at work who is a Commanders fan and we were talking about the Commanders habit of trading away their 1st round Draft picks. He asked me to give him a list of all the players the Commanders have ever taken in the 1st round.

So I was compiling this list for him and I get to 1946. The Commanders took a RB from UCLA named Cal Rossi. They took him again with their 1st pick in 1947. That's right, the same guy 2 years in a row.

Naturally I was instantly curious and began to look around. Turns out Rossi was not draft eligible in 1946 because he was still a Junior. In those days you could not declare hardship and leave early. So they completely wasted that Draft pick on a guy who could not.

Apparently they wanted him real bad and were determined not to lose him, so they took him again in 1947. Now, I figured the kid must be pretty good for them to do that. I tried to find his career stats. There aren't any. Turns out he had no desire to play professional football and never played a down in his life after leaving UCLA.

Don't be surprised if the Commanders draft him again next year.

He was THAT good.

 

[dogberry]

Whenever the Commanders are on the clock, all the other fans at the draft site should chant Rossi's name.

 

[Hostile]

Whenever the Commanders are on the clock, all the other fans at the draft site should chant Rossi's name.

That would be hilarious.

 

[DCfaninDC]

Just curious, were they forced to take him again? Were they comensated an additional first rounder?

Just when I think they can't get any dumber, they come back....

 

[Hostile]

Just curious, were they forced to take him again? Were they comensated an additional first rounder?

Just when I think they can't get any dumber, they come back....

They weren't forced. They didn't do their homework 2 years in a row. On the exact same guy.

BTW, I would love to see a Cal Rossi jersey with #46 on one side and #47 on the other.

 

[DCfaninDC]

They weren't forced. They didn't do their homework 2 years in a row. On the exact same guy.

BTW, I would love to see a Cal Rossi jersey with #46 on one side and #47 on the other.

The guy lied about his status, how is that the Commanders fault?

I am just saying, the NFL is the one who should make those background checks as well. I thought it would be fair to compensate them with an additional first rounder in 1947, or just have Cal Rossi going to the Skins the in 1947 without costing them a pick.

 

[irishline]

The guy lied about his status, how is that the Commanders fault?

I am just saying, the NFL is the one who should make those background checks as well. I thought it would be fair to compensate them with an additional first rounder in 1947, or just have Cal Rossi going to the Skins the in 1947 without costing them a pick.

The guy lied so well that his college and everyone else for that matter thought he was a senior instead of a junior and not eligible for the draft or to play in the NFL. I can see how the Commanders were so fooled after doing a little basic check on a player they wanted. Gotcha.