Vision Quest: Goodbye Lavar

One of my more memorable days as A Redskin fan is April 15, 2000. The Redskins had just come off their first playoff run in the post Gibbs era (now known as the dark years). The brand new redskin owner was flying all over the country adding big time names to our roster in hopes of a Super Bowl run. And to top it off the redskins had positioned themselves with the #2 and #3 picks in the NFL draft.

It was the day Lavar Arrington was drafted by the Washington Redskins.

I was 28. Although I had been a football fan and redskin fan since I was in the 5th grade watching Gibbs and company win their first Super Bowl, I was just coming into my own as a football fan. I was starting to understand the rudiments of the Salary Cap. The intricacies of player personnel, quality depth, and special teams were becoming clearer. Sure like many I played High School football so I knew the basics of defensive coverage and offensive schemes. But now I wanted to know how they matched up against each other. I always knew the name and number of the Redskin starters, but now I knew who the backup was and the strengths and weaknesses in all of the players.

I had read everything I could on the Redskins that off season. I went to every online site I could find and printed up 20 pages a day of articles and reports. I printed up so much I actually got in trouble from my job at the time and I had to sneak them into the lunch room to read them. I read about Redskin one picking up Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith, Mark Carrier, and Jeff George, and like many fans dreamed of super bowl rings and championship banners.

The draft was supposed to be the ice cream on our off season cake. Some may not remember but there was a SERIOUS debate in Redskin land on whether to take Lavar Arrington or Courtney Brown. Cleveland had the first pick and we had the second and third. Samuels was a no-brainer and was locked into the #3 spot. But the two former teammates from Penn St., Brown and Arrington, were taking turns as the top pick of both Cleveland and Washington fans. There were some who suggested we trade up to the #1 pick to assure you a shot at Courtney Brown.

I however was firmly in the Arrington camp. He was a game changing force of nature with the ability to dominate the entire field of play, not just the line of scrimmage. I also liked his attitude and self confidence. People were comparing him to Lawrence Taylor and instead of brushing it off he accepted the responsibility. He was confidant and had the freakish athletic ability to back it up.

So draft day rolled around and I was nervous. The rumors all suggested Cleveland had decided to select Courtney Brown but I was still nervous. Could a draft day trade with another team steal our chance at Lavar? Could Cleveland do an about face and trade for Lavar and use him as leverage to get another pick out of us? All went as planned though and the Redskins drafted Lavar. I was ecstatic. I was sure that the Redskins selected a dominant defensive force and it was the final key to a Super bowl run.

I was wrong, but not about Lavar.

Lavar delivered on defense in his rookie season but the Redskins failed to deliver as a team. The fantasy football team Snyder assembled turned out to be a nightmare. Players and egos never meshed and the coaches squandered the talent they had on the field. The Redskins failed to make the playoffs, were swept by Dallas, fired their head coach mid season, and lost their last three games. My football education continued that year as I learned a lesson about buying a championship.

Lavar though was the sole bright spot. He suffered the normal rookie troubles early in the season, unable to supplant Greg Jones, the veteran journeyman starting in front of him. However about halfway through the season he was starting and dominating. He sacked Troy Aikman, ending his career, and that alone would propel his rookie career into Redskin lore.

Through the next few seasons Lavar was a constant light through dismal play. He had 5 different coordinators in his Redskin career and in each instance was used differently. Ray Rhodes, his rookie coach, let Lavar freelance more and play a standard line backer. Kurt Schottenheimer preferred to have Lavar roaming the defensive backfield disrupting the passing game of the opponent. Marvin Lewis preferred to use LA as a rush end on 3rd downs resulting in his highest sack total of his career. George Edwards had no clue how to use Lavar or anyone else on the defense, yet Lavar still dominated.

Then came 2004. The return of Joe Gibbs to DC was supposed to bring Lavar’s game to the next level. Incoming Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams promised lots of blitzing and moved Lavar over to the weak side linebacker to take advantage of his ability to free lance and disrupt the opponent’s game plan. And 2004 started off with a bang as Lavar recorded a game winning sack against Tampa in the opener and a dominant performance week 2 against the NY giants.

Then disaster struck. A debilitating knee injury struck Lavar causing him to miss the next 11 games. The injury was supposed to take only 4 weeks but lasted much longer then expected. Still I loved Lavar. In my first trip to Fed Ex on my honeymoon nonetheless, I was able to celebrate the team’s victory against the NY Giants. I decided to celebrate by springing for my first ever player jersey. I knew he was hurt but I did not care. I laid my money down to buy my #56 jersey and it has been part of my game day uniform ever since.

Lavar returned against Dallas as the redskins vainly were fighting for a possible playoff spot, but was a shadow of his former self. After the Redskins were eliminated from the playoffs Arrington was placed on IR for the last game of the season.

His relationship with management and the coaching staff seemed to turn sour in the off season. He filed a grievance against the Redskins claiming, along with his agents the poisonous Poston brothers, a phantom extra 6 million roster bonus should have been in his enormous contract extension he signed in 2003. During his 11 game injury absence you could see him in Snyder’s box watching the Redskins but now he was not talking to Snyder at all. He re-injured his knee in the off season and in a moment of emotional immaturity lashed out at the Redskin staff. His injury lasted throughout training camp and into the pre-season further alienating him from the coaching staff that once sang his praises.

The start of 2005 saw Arrington benched for non injury reasons for the first time since his rookie season. There were games where Arrington did not play a single snap. Rumors of fights with his position coach Dale Lindsay and a rift between Arrington and Williams developed. All of a sudden some in Redskin Park felt they could do without LA and his high salary. Again Arrington found himself behind another journeyman veteran, this time Warrick Holdman. But as opposing offenses were running over Holdman like Ted Kennedy on a binger, Arrington regained the starting spot. He did not generate a large pass rush or create a ton of turnovers, but he had a solid run game and immediately the defense looked alive again.

Then Christmas came and it was not a good Christmas for Redskin fans. As the team was fighting for its playoff lives the Redskin staff decided to sit Arrington against Dallas. Arrington by many accounts wanted to play in the game but the coaching staff felt he had not recovered from an injury that caused him to miss the Arizona game. Lavar wanted to be on the field and in the most unwise decision of his career granted an interview to Washington Times reporter David Elfin where he was very pessimistic about his future with Washington. The story ran just days before the Redskin season finale against Philadelphia. A must win game to get the Redskins back to the playoffs.

Ironically this may have been a self fulfilling prophecy. Joe Gibbs was publicly irritated at Arrington and despite Lavar’s claims of being misquoted many fans, even I, took issue with the timing. The Redskins were facing the most important game since Joe Gibbs first tenure and Arrington was worried about his own personal future. Lavar responded though by having a decent game against Philadelphia and the Redskins made the playoffs. He followed that up with an absolute monster game against Tampa Bay. Many, including myself thought that game may have sealed his return to the Redskins next year.

But it was not to be.

The Redskins and Lavar were at a crossroads, much like a young married couple. They have been together for several years and have had a rocky relationship. Now it was time to decide whether to buy the house and have a kid or get a divorce and move on. Lavar’s contract called for a 6 million dollar roster bonus in 2006. If the Redskins were going to pay that bonus Lavar would have to be a Redskin for life. If Lavar was going to give up that bonus or restructure it he would have to want to be a Redskin for life.

The Redskins and Lavar decided on divorce instead.

Lavar gave up 4 million due to him this year and the Redskins released him into free agency early. The divorce was quick and final and by all accounts a win for both Lavar and the redskins. The Redskins get much needed cap relief to find Lavar’s replacement. Lavar gets a new start and will easily recoup the missing money somewhere else.

Us fans are the ones left behind, the literally thousands of fans who wore their #56 jerseys to home games will now have to wonder what could have been. If only LA did not get hurt. If only the coaching staff had found a way to work with him. If only LA had real representation to stop his self destructive out bursts. If only LA was a little more mature and less open with the media.

I prefer to just thank Lavar and remember the good times. The time he knocked Aikman silly, ending his career. The interception against Carolina that turned around an entire 2001 season. The fumble causing sack of Kurt Warner winning to win a game in 2002. The Dallas game in 2003 where Lavar’s sack and forced fumble helped us end a long losing streak to our hated rival. The sack of Brad Johnson in 2004 to win the season opener against Tampa Bay. The interception against Tampa Bay in the playoffs last season and his emotional press conference afterward.

Goodbye Lavar. I thank you for your service as Redskin and wish you best wherever you go.

Except Dallas. Don’t go to Dallas.