It's Great to be a Redskins Fan

By Howard Bryant
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 30, 2006; E01

During the Washington Redskins' minicamp last month, change could be measured in heart rate and decibels. Reserve tailback Ladell Betts broke through a crease on the right side and raced free. Defensive teammates Sean Taylor and Pierson Prioleau tailed off, conserving energy while preparing for the next mundane repetition.

As Betts dashed near the sideline, he was joined suddenly in full sprint by 59-year-old Al Saunders, the Redskins' new associate head coach in charge of the offense. Saunders ran with Betts, his voice booming.

"That's right! We don't stop running hard until you cross that goal line! That's Redskin football! We don't stop! Way to finish! Good job, Ladell!"

Redskins defensive end Renaldo Wynn looked on and said after practice that day: "There are a lot of coaches who tear you down to build you up. Al builds you up to build you up higher..."


...Saunders's motor is intensifying. His playbook is 700 pages. He did not vacation following minicamp, choosing to formulate preliminary game-plan sketches through Week 4 of the regular season. "Had I not been a head coach at a very young age, it would have been disappointing," Saunders said. "The most important thing is who I work with and where I work and the opportunity to win a world championship. Being a head coach just to be a head coach is not the end-all. I love coaching football and I love coaching offense.

"Joe Gibbs has three Super Bowl rings and he asked me to run his offense? Come on. I've got the best job in America..."