Redskins Are Really Counting on Gerald Riggs to Carry Load

HERNDON, Va. â€”  A couple of assistant coaches walked up to Gerald Riggs in the Washington Redskins’ locker room during training camp. They wore concerned looks on their faces.

“The guy wants your insurance number,� one of them told Riggs.

“Huh,� Riggs said. “What guy?�

“The guy who owns the truck,� the coach said.

“That wasn’t my fault,� Riggs said.

“You caved in the whole side of his truck. He wants your insurance policy,� the coach said.

Riggs was getting worried. He then went up to Don Breaux, the backfield coach, to ask him if the guy was really looking for him.

Coach Joe Gibbs, who was telling the story with a twinkle in his eye, said, “Breaux didn’t have guts enough to continue it.�

He admitted the other coaches were pulling Riggs’ leg.

“That’s been the highlight of my training,� Riggs said with a smile of the night he banged into the truck.

The tape of Riggs banging into the door of a television truck parked near the sidelines during a scrimmage in Carlisle, Pa., has made all the highlight shows. The truck door was the loser. It suffered $1,300 worth of damage.

Riggs came out of it none the worse for wear, but he didn’t seem to think it was very funny at the time. His first reaction was that it was dangerous to have the truck parked so close to the sidelines.

In effect, though, that collision was his real introduction to life with the Redskins. He’s received more attention for hitting that truck than he did rushing for 6,631 yards in Atlanta.

Now, he can joke about it.

“If they start putting that on ESPN on bloopers or blunders or whatever, maybe I can get a little cut of that,� Riggs said.

In Atlanta, nobody cared whether he hit a truck or an opposing player. Riggs was a great back, but the team still lost. It was almost as if a Picasso were hanging in a coal bin.

“You just didn’t get recognized,� he said. “You go to the game on Sunday, and no matter what you do (you lose). People may say, ‘Gerald had a big game.’ That’s about it. Gerald shows up the next week and does the same thing. It was just monotonous to do that every week. It was getting to be no fun.�

Monday night, Riggs finally will start having fun.

He’ll be the trigger man for the Redskins’ offense when they play the New York Giants in the first Monday night game of the season.

In Atlanta, the Falcons haven’t played in a Monday night game since 1984. Riggs said he doesn’t even remember it. It just happened to be against the Redskins -- a 27-14 loss in a 4-12 season.

It was those kinds of numbers that made him eager to get out of Atlanta. Not that he takes any parting shots at the Falcons.

“I enjoyed working with the guys in Atlanta and I love them to death and I’m always going to be friends with those guys,� he said.

It was nothing personal. He just wanted a chance to play with a winning team. He’s got it.

“Now, it’s like if I’m doing well and everybody else is doing well, it’s almost guaranteed it’s going to be a win,� he said. “You feel like you can’t lose.�

Don’t tell that to Gibbs, who never says victories are guaranteed. But the Redskins are almost as excited about having Riggs as he is excited about wearing a Redskins uniform.

They look at Riggs and they see John Riggins.

It’s probably unfair to compare the two, but Riggins set the standard for Redskins running backs, and Riggs has to live with it.

“He did a great job for this team, but I don’t worry about what he did,� Riggs said.

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Noting he replaced William Andrews in Atlanta, Riggs said, “Everybody has their heroes. I’m not on the list, apparently.�

He may be added to the list if he takes Washington to the Super Bowl. Meawhile, the Redskins often compare him to Riggins.

“John was very aloof and didn’t say a whole lot, but when he got in the huddle, he could get the line to perform a little better than they thought they could,� offensive line coach Joe Bugel said. “Riggs is like Riggins in that sense. He says very little, but when he talks, they listen.

“He commands a lot of respect in the huddle. We didn’t have that last year. We didn’t have charisma guys. The only guy who had a lot of charisma was Kelvin Bryant. Other than that, we were null and void.�

When the Redskins opened the season a year ago, their running back was Timmy Smith, who, it turned out, was a one-game, Super Bowl wonder.

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Riggs is a proven commodity, already ranking No. 22 on the all-time NFL rushing list. Only Eric Dickerson has gained more yards than Riggs has the last five years.

That he’s compiled those numbers is one of the best-kept secrets in the game. The Falcons simply don’t get noticed. Now, it’s almost as if he’s moving from off-Broadway to Broadway. His name will be in lights.

In fact, it’s easy to think the Redskins will suit him up and ride him to another Super Bowl.

Well, not exactly. There is a nagging question or two.

The first one is his age. He turns 29 Nov. 6. Running backs are often an endangered species as they near 30.

Riggs, though, scoffs at concerns about his age, although he said with a smile that he shaved his beard so the gray wouldn’t show.

“I’m still young,� he said.

It’s obvious coming to Washington has been akin to finding the fountain of youth for Riggs.

He doesn’t appear concerned that George Rogers, the last man to try to replace Riggins, was finished at 29.

“Everybody is different,� Riggs said. “George was kind of burned out when he got here.�

Riggs said he’s far from burned out.

“I’m an inside guy,� he said. “I don’t mind the hits. It’s not a big deal to me to run inside. Not many guys like to do it 20 times a game out of 30 carries. I think I’ve shown that. We’ll see as the season goes.�

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He may feel a bit older after taking the pounding of a 16-game season. During the exhibition season, he didn’t hit much besides the truck. He carried only 28 times for 128 yards and sat out one game with a tight hamstring. It was just a test drive for Riggs. The Redskins now will see what he can do.

They paid a steep price for him -- a second-round pick this year and a first-round choice next year. Gibbs said he had no second thoughts about that price.

The Redskins’ whole season revolves around him. If he can be a consistent 1,000-yard rusher, he’ll take the burden off young quarterback Mark Rypien.

Rypien is counting on 5- and 6-yard gains on first downs from Riggs so the defense doesn’t know whether to expect run or pass on second down.

“When it’s second-and-4, the ball’s in your court,� Rypien said. “He’s the type of guy who can carry the ball 30 to 35 times a game and still be as fresh as he was in the beginning.�

It won’t take long for the Redskins to find out if they’re going to get big dividends on the Riggs trade. They’ve had trouble beating the Giants in recent years because they haven’t been able to run against them since Riggins’ heyday.