Every successful NFL coach has an effective motivational technique. Bill Parcells built his reputation on intimidation, striking fear into his players and embracing confrontation. Dennis Green wants his team to believe that the outside world -- fans, media, agents -- cannot be trusted, instilling an us-vs.-them mentality. Dick Vermeil, who spent 14 years out of the league before winning a Super Bowl with St. Louis in 2000, aims to connect with his players on a deeply emotional level.
Joe Gibbs is taking a very different tack with the Washington Redskins. He is trying to motivate his players by rallying them around the notion that Washington was once a great franchise and that by emulating former Redskins stars this year's team can have similar success. Barely a day goes by that Gibbs does not remind them of the greatness that once defined the franchise, of the honor they should feel wearing a Redskins uniform, of the uncommon bond between the team and its passionate fans.
Joe Gibbs, right, brought back his coaching brain trust, Joe Bugel, left, and Don Breaux, who were instrumental in helping the Redskins capture three Super Bowl championships.
(John Mcdonnell -- The Washington Post)
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Whether Gibbs can find players who will respond to such a retro approach in an era of big salaries and free agency could very well determine the degree of success Gibbs attains in his wildly anticipated comeback, which begins in earnest today when the Redskins open the season at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Gibbs, 63, brought back many members of the coaching staff that won three Super Bowls with him and they constantly preach that players need to be true Washington Redskins -- a term that Gibbs says describes players who "would be a great character guy that you never have to worry about, who is very dependable, is football smart, and he's a producer.
"There are some guys who play professional sports and they get every minute out of their ability," Gibbs said. "Those are the guys who are totally committed to what they're doing, are extremely well prepared and you never have to worry about them. Those are the guys you're going to keep and they play until the last second."
Gibbs's approach is not without its risks. The culture and economic system of the NFL, and professional sports in general, have changed dramatically since he left the game in 1993. Players often appear more motivated to make the television highlights than sacrificing themselves for the team, since the opportunity to make big money under free agency comes from switching teams, not staying with one. Although Gibbs commands immediate respect because of his reputation and success in both football and NASCAR, many of today's Redskins, who have a median age of 27, were still in grade school when Washington last played in a Super Bowl in 1992 and are more familiar with the fact that being a Redskin of late has meant being a loser. The team has made the playoffs once since Gibbs left. For these reasons, the concept of being a Redskin could possibly come off as a bit hokey now.
"Realistically, tradition plays a much more major role to a college athlete," said Trevor Moawad, the associate director of mental conditioning at the IMG Academy in Florida and a motivational consultant to scores of elite young athletes. "On a college campus you are surrounded by all of the pictures of former teams and some students may be the second generation of their family to go there and it's a lot easier to buy into the power of tradition in a collegiate environment, and you can sell an athlete on how many players you have sent to the pros because they are all trying to get to that next level. But these guys are already in the NFL; they're already there."
Gibbs's former players argue that a nod to the past is exactly what today's Redskins need, given the franchise's struggles. Since Gibbs departed, and particularly under owner Daniel Snyder, the Redskins have been constructed more like a fantasy football team, with annual acquisitions of high-priced free agents whose play in Washington has lagged. The intangible attributes and the intricacies of team-building that Gibbs says are so critical were dwarfed by a player's past performances.
"The team has had no identity of late," said former quarterback Joe Theismann, who played 12 years in Washington and now is an NFL broadcaster. "It had very poor leadership from the coaching staff and some of that special feeling has been missing."
The Redskins were mocked for the directionless two-year regime of coach Steve Spurrier and a disconnect formed between what the organization had stood for when coaches Vince Lombardi and George Allen resurrected Washington's football hopes in the early 1970s through Gibbs's run from 1981 through 1992 and what has characterized the club in its present incarnations.
"To me, [being a Redskin] was a branding that meant you represented a force that was bigger than you and was here before you," said former tight end Rick "Doc" Walker, now a sports broadcaster. "It meant so much to so many people and all you had to do is spill your guts in an effort to win, it didn't matter if a guy was a former Heisman Trophy winner or had a 26-inch long jump.
"But lately, people were essentially coming here because of Dan Snyder's wallet. You don't hear guys talking about the past or being a Redskin, but they are running through the airport to get over here. For what? You've got to ask yourself, for the past 10 years what did they rush over here for? They rushed for the cash."
This is a cycle Gibbs hopes to end by identifying his type of players in free agency and developing them from within the Redskins organization. In the background is Gibbs's devout Christianity. Although those who have played under him say he never chooses players strictly based on their faith, he clearly is comfortable with players who practice their religion.
Gibbs's ability to connect with quarterback Mark Brunell, his first major acquisition after returning to Washington, was made easier by their shared born-again faith.
