[As you can see, the 13th issue of Hail! magazine, our free digital publication dedicated to the burgundy and gold is now out. Here is a sneak peak of my feature story in this week's issue on Redskins tight end Fred Davis as he opens up about the scandals at USC, what went wrong with the Redskins his first two seasons in Washington and his relationship with Chris Cooley.]

Maybe it’s because he grew up in a small-town community in Toledo, Ohio, but Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis is easily one of the most level-headed and grounded professional athletes you’ll ever find.

When times are good, he’s not going to thump his chest and tell the sea of cameras how great he is. And when times are tough, he’s not the type of player to point fingers and make excuses. That’s just not who Davis is or what he’s about.

Maybe it’s because as a kid, if he and his friends found a way to get into trouble, his parents already knew about it by the time he got home.

“Everybody knew everybody,” Davis said. “So if we got together and did stupid stuff, like toilet papering someone’s car or a prank like that, word always got back. We would do harmless stuff like that. It was cool though. We had as much fun as you could in Ohio.”

It goes without saying that when parents are able to keep such close tabs on their kids, they’re far more likely to stay out of trouble. So when Davis was looking for extracurricular activities, he turned to sports.

Davis first stepped onto a football field when he was in the sixth grade and instantly fell in love. He had already tried soccer, basketball and baseball, but as soon as he started playing football, he was hooked.

“I think it was the physical contact,” he said. “You got to hit people and not get in trouble, so I enjoyed taking my aggression out on the field. And that’s part of it, but football’s not always about being physical. A lot of the times it’s about whose got the biggest heart. Especially when you’re younger and a lot of the players are at the same skill level. The difference in those games comes down to heart. I wasn’t thinking about playing in the NFL or anything. I was just having fun.”

As fate would have it, the first youth team Davis ever played on was called the Redskins. But while it was clear from an early age that Davis was a standout with a football in his hands, he still didn’t think much about playing professionally.

“I didn’t know if I’d be in the NFL, but I knew there was a good chance I could play for any school I wanted to,” Davis said. “In high school I knew I was pretty good, but it all kind of took off from there.”

In his first high school game, Davis caught two touchdown passes and returned a punt for another score. By the time his high school career was over, he’d been recruited by every big-name program in the country.

Davis settled on USC, Ohio State, Miami, Florida and Oklahoma as his top five schools before ultimately selecting Southern Cal.

“I went with USC because it was far from home,” he said. “I didn’t want to be too close to home, they always had nice weather out there and their team was pretty competitive. Even away from football, it seemed like a fun place to be. Plus, you’re living in a big city, but you’re also still in a college atmosphere, so you kind of got used to both.

“I think it really helped me going to a big-city school because you see some guys, by the time they get to the league and get a bunch of money, they don’t know how to handle it. Going to USC, I didn’t have any money, but I learned how to deal with being away from home and living in a big city. By the time I got to the NFL and had some money, I feel like I knew how to handle myself better.”

On the field, USC was dominant. The Trojans went 46-5 during Davis’ career, but that record is marred because of the two-year bowl ban, four years of probation, loss of scholarships and forfeit of the 2004 season because of the scandal involving running back Reggie Bush.

To this day, no one knows for sure exactly what went on and who else violated NCAA rules by accepting handouts or money under the table. Like everyone else, Davis has heard the rumors.

“Nothing would surprise me,” he admitted. “UCLA is in Hollywood and USC is in the hood. And really, that kind of stuff has always been going on no matter where you’re talking about. There’s always going to be people out there trying to get you to sacrifice your college career for a few bucks.

“You’ve just got to learn how to deal with it and tell yourself you’re going to be in the league soon enough,” Davis continued. “Is it really worth it? Do you really want to owe this guy something or sell yourself short? There’s always going to be people like that – especially when you’re a top player at a big school. You’re definitely going to get that kind of attention. You’ve just got to be smart about it.”

Even though he came from a small town, Davis heard enough horror stories about athletes making poor decisions away from the game to avoid those types of situations. On the field, however, Davis continued to make a name for himself, earning the John Mackey Award as college football’s most outstanding tight end in 2007.

The following year, Davis was drafted in the second round (48th overall) by the Redskins.

“I was definitely surprised,” he said. “I didn’t know much about them, but they already had a good tight end in Chris Cooley. I knew they had a great history and that they had won multiple Super Bowls back in the day, but that’s about it. I didn’t even talk to them or work out for them.”

Typically, award-winning players end up on a team in need of an upgrade at that particular position. In Washington, Davis found himself behind a Pro Bowl tight end who also happened to be his team’s most popular player. Not exactly a dream scenario for a new guy hoping to make a strong first impression.

“I mean, it does get frustrating sometimes, but you’ve got to think about it and be thankful you’re in the league,” Davis said. “In the NFL, it’s all about opportunity. I get people asking me, ‘Why aren’t you performing better?’ But how do you expect me to show my best and show my abilities when I’m not getting an opportunity?

“He’s the guy getting paid the big money,” he continued. “He’s the guy who has made a name for himself as a Redskin. That’s just the way it goes. I’m not going to sit around and cry about it. I’ve just got to do what I can to be ready so when I get a chance, I make the most of it. I’m either going to do it here, or eventually I’ll end up on another team that needs me more. I’ve just got to continue to prove to everyone that I can do it.”

To read the rest of this feature click here and subscribe to Hail! magazine.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “The End” by Pearl Jam

It’s one thing to watch your favorite team get crushed on primetime television against a divisional opponent. It’s quite another to witness them lose to a dysfunctional 3-7 team that can barely stop in-fighting long enough to focus on an opponent.

And for that reason alone, the Washington Redskins’ 17-13 loss at home to the Minnesota Vikings hurts the most. When the Redskins get outmatched from the very first play against Philadelphia, you can chalk it up to “one of those days.”

When the Vikings show up to town with an under-the-weather 41-year-old quarterback who leads the league in interceptions thrown and an interim head coach making his debut, it goes to show just how far the Redskins have to go before they truly are anything more than average.

Coupled with humbling losses to the St. Louis Rams (5-6) and Detroit Lions (2-9), the Vikings loss proves once and for all that – regardless of what head coach Mike Shanahan said in his introductory press conference – this is a rebuilding year for Washington.

“It’s frustrating because this is the third bad team we’ve lost to,” said tight end Fred Davis. “It’s one of those games where we should have won it.”

That “win now” mentality might work when you’re selling tickets, but it’s not working with the group that is currently in place. The Redskins desperately need to stop trying to slap a band-aid on their systemic problem and admit that they’ve been doing it wrong for more than a decade.

Cutting receiver Joey Galloway is a start, but now’s the time to throw everyone under the age of 25 out there on the football field to see who can play and who needs to go. The competitive portion of the 2010 season is over. So throw everyone from Terrence Austin to Will Montgomery to Kevin Barnes into the fire and see what they’re made of.

What’s the worst that can happen? You lose more games. So what. That’s been going on for more than a decade. At least this way ‘Skins fans can take solace in the fact that brighter days might eventually be on the horizon.

2. “Misery” by Maroon 5

The day started about as perfectly as possible. The Redskins won the coin toss and promptly marched down the field with ease. An offense that has consistently struggled to score touchdowns suddenly looked to have figured it out, with quarterback Donovan McNabb completing all eight of his attempts for 84 yards.

The drive ended with Davis finally scoring his first touchdown of the season and, coupled with three catches for 32 yards by Chris Cooley on the drive, it appeared McNabb had finally figured out that he’s got possibly the best tight end combo in football waiting to be utilized.

Sadly, that was it for the Redskins offense.

They never found the red zone again and McNabb completed just 13 for 27 passes for 127 yards the rest of the game. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Washington’s leading rusher – rookie James Davis – finished with 11 yards on the ground.

What happened, you ask? It’s simple – the Redskins offensive line was completely overmatched. McNabb was sacked four times on the day, and pressured countless other times. When he did get rid of the ball before the next inevitable hit, his receivers too often dropped the ball.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

Lost in the shuffle of Vince Young’s epic meltdown was the fact that the Washington Redskins were dangerously close to running out of players in several key positions.

The national media may have focused in on the drama involving the Tennessee Titans and their quarterback, but the fact of the matter is, the Redskins were out of offensive linemen, running backs and safeties by the time the game was decided.

In the days since, the Redskins have made a handful of roster moves – including placing Clinton Portis on the injured reserve list and moving youngster James Davis onto the 53-man roster. The team also signed Jacob Bender, an offensive lineman from the UFL.

But the most intriguing move to me, and I fully admit I’m biased here, was the signing of safety Victor “Macho” Harris.

As a cornerback at Virginia Tech, Harris was a standout on one of the most defensive-minded college programs in the country. He always managed to find himself around the football and once he got his hands on the ball, he knew what to do with it – as evident by his 15 interceptions and four defensive touchdowns in three seasons.

“It’s great to have another Hokie in here,” said cornerback DeAngelo Hall. “It’s great to have another guy who is from Virginia and who wants to be a part of this football team. He’s someone who understands the tradition and the legacy here, so it’s nice. It’s really nice.”

Hall was someone who was legitimately excited just to have Harris join him in the NFC East after Philadelphia drafted Macho in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft. Needless to say, he’s thrilled to have his close friend joining him at Redskins Park.

“Heck yeah,” he said. “We went out to dinner last night. He came past the house after that. We looked at the playbook together a little bit. It’s going to be nice to have him out there with me.”

With that in mind, it was time to get to know Harris.

“It’s a dream come true, you know,” he said. “Especially being given the opportunity again to be back in the league and being in the place that I really wanted to be. It’s definitely a dream come true. I’m blessed and I thank God for every opportunity he gives me.”

You’ve played cornerback and safety in the NFL. Obviously, with all of the injuries the Redskins are dealing with at safety that where they brought you in to play. How do you feel about that?

“Wherever I can help the team, so be it,” Harris said.

Normally when a guy arrives during the season, he’s got some time to get settled in. with the way things are here at the moment, you might have to dive right in this weekend. You ready for that?

“That’s part of the game,” he said. “A lot of guys get banged up and stuff like that. I’m here to help the team wherever they need me at. If they need me to be a kicker, I’m willing to do that.”

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[As you can see, the 12th issue of Hail! magazine, our free digital publication dedicated to the burgundy and gold is now out. Here is a sneak peak of David Elfin's feature story in this week's issue on Redskins defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth.]

When Albert Haynesworth left Tennessee, where he had played his college ball as well as his first seven seasons as a pro, for a record, seven-year, $100-million contract with Washington nearly two years ago, the Redskins’ 2010 visit to the Titans was already set.

What Haynesworth didn’t know was how difficult life as a Redskin would be, starting with a 4-12 season under a coaching staff he didn’t like followed by a new group of bosses who wanted to move him out of his comfort zone and into the nose tackle position on a 3-4 defense.

And just as the two-time All-Pro was finding a middle ground with Washington’s coaches and settling into being a backup, his half-brother was killed in a motorcycle accident.

That’s a lot to handle, even for a 29-year-old with $41 million guaranteed.

“I think it will be a little weird,” Haynesworth said about returning to Nashville, where he starred for the Titans and where his children still live with their mother. “I practiced with them for seven years. Now it’s going to be a real game playing against the guys I grew kinda grew up in an NFL sense with. I think it will definitely be fun.”

Obviously, being a Redskin hasn’t been as fun as Haynesworth might have expected, but he said that he’s beginning to feel appreciated.

“[Last year] I felt like I was kind of like a showpiece to take up blocks and help the teammates … but as my teammates are playing good, I want to play good, too,” Haynesworth said. “I want to be able to get sacks and stuff. Last year … I felt I wasn’t doing what I could do. But now I’m getting back to it. It’s still a different role, but it’s more similar to what I did in Tennessee. … I don’t have to think as much on the field. I can just go out and play. … You see me standing up. You see me playing a lot of end. You see me doing a lot of things I did in Tennessee, so it’s helping a lot.”

Even though he’s missed three of Washington’s nine games, (one with a sprained ankle, one after his half-brother’s death and one for conditioning issues), Haynesworth has made enough plays that he leads the Redskins in tackles for losses (five), second in hurries (17) and tied for second in sacks (two).

Haynesworth’s best game as a Redskins came in the Week 7 victory at Chicago, during which he stuffed Bears quarterback Jay Cutler at the goal line, giving linebacker London Fletcher time to swoop in, strip the Bears’ quarterback of the football and recover the game-changing fumble. Haynesworth finished the game with a tackle for a loss, a sack and two hurries.

“We’re trying to put him in positions where he can be successful,” said Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, who admitted that, when it came to Haynesworth, the Redskins had been trying to fit square peg into a round hole in their base 3-4 defense. “We used him in nickel, goal line, short-yardage and some other things. Actually, he didn’t even know it, [but] he played five snaps of nose [tackle] against Detroit. He was awesome. He did a great job. I just sneak him in there once in a while and don’t tell him he’s a nose.”

Haynesworth’s teammates can see the difference in his attitude even if he doesn’t talk about it.

“You can tell when Albert’s not happy and when he is from his body language, how he walks around practice, whether he’s into it or not,” said linebacker Lorenzo Alexander. “Now they’re using him in the right way, the way he wants to be used, pass rush situations getting off the rock. And when he’s in on run downs, he can just go straight ahead and create some havoc. I think he’s very happy now. And the coaches are happy with what he’s doing.”

Of course, the moody Haynesworth, who spends his offseasons in Knoxville where he starred for the University of Tennessee, can’t help but wonder what life would be like if he hadn’t left the Titans or if the Redskins had worked out the trade to ship him back to his former teams as was being discussed when he was locked in a six-month battle of wills with head coach Mike Shanahan about his role.

“Sometimes I wish I was still back there because I felt like I could still be dominant,” Haynesworth said. “The fact of the matter is, Tennessee, they never pay defensive linemen, so I knew that wasn’t going to change. [So] I wanted to go somewhere else and be appreciated. I think people still think that I’m not playing as good as I can or whatever, but all of it ain’t about the player. Sometimes it’s the scheme, but … we’re getting back to it. They’re letting me play, so you’re seeing a lot more production out of me than you did last year and earlier this year.”

To read the rest of this feature click here and subscribe to Hail! magazine.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

[Note: Every Tuesday I write a column for SB Nation DC. This is that column.]

If ever there was a game that clearly illustrates why the Washington Redskins were willing to sign a soon-to-be 34-year-old Donovan McNabb to a five-year contract extension, it was the 19-16 overtime win over the Tennessee Titans.

Not because he completed 30 of 50 passes for 376 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Not because the Redskins’ offense, led by McNabb, converted eight of 16 third downs on the day and had the ball for more than 40 minutes. Not even because the 12-year veteran was able to overcome a lack of conditioning and football smart to put his team in a position to kick the game winner in overtime.

No, the Titans game is a perfect example of why the Redskins were willing to keep McNabb longer not so much because of anything he did, but rather, because of the actions of the opposing quarterback.

You might have heard that Titans quarterback Vince Young was pulled from the game in the second half after suffering a torn flexor tendon in his right thumb Sunday. The fifth-year pro apparently banged the thumb on his throwing hand on the helmet of Redskins defensive lineman Maake Kemoeatu and was affected by the play enough that his head coach thought it best to finish the game without him.

“If I thought Vince could go out and give us the best chance to win, then he would’ve gone back on the field,” said Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher after the game. “I was not going to put him on the field, knowing ahead of time he had an injury that would prohibit him from throwing accurately.”

Young, of course, was not thrilled to learn his day was over. And really, it’s hard to blame any competitor for wanting to go back into the game when the outcome is still very much up in the air. But instead of handling the situation properly, Young had a hissy fit. He had a temper tantrum. He took his ball and went home.

Young took his jersey and shoulder pads and threw them into the crowd as he stormed off the field. And then, while Fisher was attempting to address his team after the loss, Young continued to be a distraction – muttering obscenities under his breath but loud enough to cause another scene and ensure everyone nearby knew he was still disgruntled.

When Fisher tried to talk to him, Young opted to storm out of the locker room.

“Don’t walk out on your teammates,” Fisher said to Young.

“I’m not walking out on them, I’m walking out on you,” his supposed franchise quarterback responded.

And then, to the absolute surprise of no one, Tennessee announced 24 hours later that Young’s season is over. Sure, Fisher was kind enough to say that Young needs season-ending surgery on his thumb and that’s the reason why the 27-year-old is done, but you get the sense that after Sunday’s outburst this was really the only possible outcome.

And now the Titans are in the hands of someone allegedly named Rusty Smith, a baby-faced rookie out of Florida Atlantic. The sixth-round pick might very well turn out to be the next Tom Brady, who was also a sixth rounder, but he wasn’t up to the task against Washington.

In his first live action as a pro, Smith completed three of nine passes for 62 yards with one interception. Smith’s quarterback rating for the day was 19.0, which is fitting because he looks young enough to still be a teenager.

Now, I bring all of this up to remind Redskins fans just how fortunate we are to have McNabb in town. He’ll be the first to admit that he needs to perform better on the field than he did the first half of the 2010 season, but there’s no questioning how McNabb handles himself off of the field.

He’s a consummate professional. Bullies like Rush Limbaugh and Terrell Owens might walk up to him and try to start a fight, but McNabb’s never going to stoop to their level. Mike Shanahan might stand up in front of a sea of microphones and question his quarterback’s lack of conditioning and football smarts after a disappointing loss to lowly Detroit, but he’s not going to make a scene.

Click here for full article.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Giving Up The Gun” by Vampire Weekend

The Washington Redskins were coming off of one of their most lopsided losses in franchise history – a 59-28 dismantling at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.

That loss, mind you, was on the heels of the debacle in Detroit, where quarterback Donovan McNabb was benched and everyone not-named Brandon Banks had plenty to work on after yet another defeat at the hands of a Lions team that is routinely at the bottom of the NFL standings.

Their opponent was a Tennessee team that had a 12-game winning streak against the NFC, which was tops in the league. And, oh by the way, the Titans had already defeated the rest of the NFC East earlier this season with relative ease.

So naturally the Redskins won. Why wouldn’t they?

Even though the last month had been filled with disappointment and heartache, the Redskins somehow managed to resemble a profession football team once again. The offense, which had been missing in action for weeks, racked up 465 total yards – 107 on the ground and 358 in the air.

McNabb and friends ran 86 plays, converted eight of 16 third-down chances (which had plagued the team all season long) and held the ball for more than 40 minutes. Because the offense was able to sustain long time-consuming drives, the defense was finally able to get some much-needed rest.

One week after allowing 600 yards of offense to Philly, the Redskins defense shut down the Titans attack. Tennessee’s offense finished the day with 373 total yards, converted just three of 11 third downs and failed to reach the end zone.

The only reason the game was even close was an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown by Tennessee returner Marc Mariani. Otherwise, the game never would have made it to overtime.

2. “You Will Leave A Mark” by A Silent Film

Making this victory even more impressive is that the fact that the Redskins were so decimated by injuries that linebacker Chris Wilson suggested the were living in the movie “Final Destination.”

Redskins running back Chad Simpson didn’t even make it through warm-ups before he was out for the game with an injured foot. Running back Clinton Portis lasted just five carries before re-aggravating his groin injury. Safety Anderson Russell, who started because safety LaRon Landry is also hurt, left the game with a knee injury, and linebacker Lorenzo Alexander was sidelined with a hamstring injury.

And let’s not forget the offensive line. Both center Casey Rabach and guard Derrick Dockery were sidelined due to knee injuries, as was defensive lineman Kedric Golston, and rounding out the injury report, linebacker Rocky McIntosh left the game with an injured groin.

Add in Landry, cornerback Carlos Rogers, guard Artis Hicks and running back Ryan Torain who were already out of the lineup before the Tennessee game and it’s safe to wonder if the Redskins will even have enough players to field a team next week against Minnesota.

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(photo by Mitchell Layton)

Yesterday I opened up a can of worms by bringing up a sore subject with most D.C. sports fans. Specifically, I mentioned everything that’s wrong with the Washington Redskins. Now, because I didn’t want to be a total buzzkill, I did so while also highlighting the one bright spot Washington has – the Capitals.

I’ve gotten plenty of feedback by way of emails and comments, but I wanted to take it one step further and really show what a change in mindset at Redskins Park could mean in just a few short years.

Case in point – since 2004, the Redskins have used a total of 44 draft picks. Over the same span, the Capitals have used 60 draft picks. (And just so everyone’s on the same page here: yes, both the NFL and NHL have seven rounds per draft.)

The Redskins have used six first rounders since 2004 (Trent Williams, Brian Orakpo, LaRon Landry, Carlos Rogers, Jason Campbell and the late Sean Taylor). The Capitals drafted 12 players.

So before we even attempt to analyze how the respective front offices have fared in the draft in recent history, you can immediately see that the Caps have given themselves twice as many chances at success.

And really, if you look at those six names the Redskins actually used a first round pick on, they’re a pretty respectable bunch. Almost makes you wish they’d do it more often, huh?

But I digress. In order to truly illustrate the biggest difference between the Caps and ‘Skins, I’ve dedicated today’s post to those 12 first rounders. Sure, not every one of them was a home run. But when you give yourself that many chances, you’ll see just how quickly a team can stockpile young talent and ensure they’re competitive for years to come.

2004

1st: Alex Ovechkin, left wing, Moscow Dynamo [Russia]

He’s good.

27th: Jeff Schultz, defenseman, Calgary Hitmen [WHL]

While some Caps fans still refuse to give Schultz the credit he deserves, the 24-year-old has established himself as a dependable option of the Caps’ blueline. Along with offensive-minded defenseman Mike Green, Schultz skates on Washington’s top defensive pairing and the results speak for themselves – last season, “Mr. Nasty” became the first Capitals player to ever lead the NHL in plus/minus, at plus 50.

29th: Mike Green, defenseman, Saskatoon Blades [WHL]

Since 2007, Green has scored 68 goals and 137 assists for 205 points in 225 games played. Not bad for a defenseman. Each of the last two seasons, Green has been nominated for the James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s top defenseman.

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