A May 6 Sports article incorrectly said that Frank Landry, father of Washington Redskins first-round draft pick LaRon Landry, first met team owner Daniel Snyder at an airport. They met in an auditorium at Redskins Park. The article also incorrectly said that Landry was one of three players from Louisiana State University taken in the first round of this year's NFL draft. There were four.
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'Dirty-Dirty' Landry: Just What the Redskins Need
Redskins first-round draft pick LaRon Landry, left, talks with 11th-grade wrestler C.J. Ricca in the weight room at Hanhville High, Landry's alma mater.
(By Chris Graythen For The Washington Post)
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"Frank not only worried about his kids but everyone else's," Valdin said. "He was like the athletic bus to Ama. He had every kid from Ama. He'd bring the kids home. If I had a problem with kids in his neighborhood, I'd call Frank."
The Landry house was the one where the kids converged, and Frank was in the middle, picking up his own kids and others in the neighborhood. But Frank was not one to issue praise easily.
"The dad was very -- I don't want to make it sound bad -- but he was hard on them athletically," said Kenny Vial, who coached Dawan and LaRon at Landry Middle School. "One time we were playing a tournament in basketball. We ended up winning and Dawan had a fabulous game, probably 15 points, 10 boards, but Frank was just on him for missing a free throw at a critical time, and I asked why he was so hard on them. And he told me, 'If you're not hard on them, they become soft athletes.' "
The Right Upbringing
There is attention and much more money to come. Yet, at the center of the Landry household is the notion of family and humility. Rhonda does not want a new house, and she won't quit working at the county clerk's office just because her sons are famous.
"I'm happy right here," she said, standing on her front lawn. "I don't want to quit my job. I like working. Why would I want to just sit around all day? If they want to build me a new house, it can be right here."
Once fierce, Frank Landry softens. He is proud of his two sons playing in the NFL, but senses the inevitable phase of adulthood, where the father will soon have to let go and newer elements of LaRon's life will begin to eclipse him.
They know about money -- Landry could claim as much as $15 million in guaranteed bonuses -- and hope their parenting foundation will be strong enough to help him make the correct choices.
"The attention has always been there, but it's never been like this," Frank Landry said.
Already there have been somewhat uncomfortable moments. The day following the draft, the Redskins sent Jerry Gray on a private jet to New Orleans to return LaRon and Frank to Washington for his introductory news conference.
When the jet landed, a short, bespectacled man with a squared face greeted the group. Sidling up to Frank Landry, Daniel Snyder turned toward the plane.
" 'How do you like my jet,' " Frank recalled Snyder asking. " 'I'm thinking about getting another one.' "
Lou Valdin was unconcerned.
"They were raised right," Valdin says. "Joe Gibbs won't have anything to worry about. If he's got a problem with LaRon up in Washington, don't even worry about Frank. Just call Rhonda. She'll take care of everything."
