Ashburn, Va. – The Washington Redskins will welcome more than 100 Redskins alumni into town for the team’s annual Homecoming game (called the College Savings Classic presented by Virginia529) on Sunday, October 19 as they host the Tennessee Titans. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
As announced in August at the team’s annual Welcome Home Luncheon, the Redskins will induct Super Bowl XXVI’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Mark Rypien as the 46th member of its Ring of Fame. Rypien will be formally honored with induction at halftime of the homecoming game.
Rypien was with the Redskins from 1986 to 1993. He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 1989 and again in 1991, the year the team won the Super Bowl. Throughout that season, the Canadian native threw for 3,564 yards and 28 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. The team’s record was 14-2. In SB XXVI, played on January 26, 1992, he completed 18 of 33 passes for 292 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Rypien became the third signal-caller with whom Washington won a Super Bowl, the other two being Joe Theismann and Doug Williams.
Known for his deep passing accuracy, Rypien was also teased about his ugly throws. His head coach at the time, Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs once joked about it.
“Rypien’s sideline throws would wobble and didn’t look all that pretty,” Gibbs had said. “But that man could seriously throw the deep stuff.”
The gameday Homecoming celebration will also feature an alumni parade, which will begin at 10:15 a.m., with the Redskins Marching Band and Washington Redskins Cheerleaders, as well as the annual alumni group photo and pregame introduction of former players and coaches in attendance.Other alumni expected to attend include Darrell Green, Bobby Mitchell, Ken Houston, Sonny Jurgensen, Charley Taylor Ron Saul, Rick “Doc” Walker, Dexter Manley, Darryl Grant, Mike Bragg, Larry Brown, Pat Fischer, and George Starke among others.
Prior to Sunday’s game, more than 30 Redskins alumni will team up with the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation to give back to the community by joining wounded, ill and injured service members, active duty troops and their families at a military appreciation event on Saturday, October 18 at the USO Warrior and Family Center, located at the campus of Naval Support Bethesda, home of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Service members and their families will have the opportunity to enjoy a family-friendly fall afternoon with lunch, tailgating games and pumpkin painting with alumni. Alumni and their families will also assemble healthy snack packs to be distributed to children on the installation. This event is not open to the public.
Hail.