Redskins.com: Redskins Pay Visit to Hall of Fame

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Redskins.com: Redskins Pay Visit to Hall of Fame

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Redskins Pay Visit to Hall of Fame
By Gary Fitzgerald
Redskins.com
August 9, 2004

For Sam Huff, it was a trip down memory lane. For Jon Jansen, it was a chance to admire the accomplishments of Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs. And for Renaldo Wynn, it was an opportunity to pay homage to one of his boyhood idols.
The Redskins had a hour-long private tour of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Sunday evening. Among the players in attendance were Jansen, Wynn, Regan Upshaw, James Thrash, John Hall, Cory Raymer, Lennie Friedman, Chad Morton, Ron Warner, Fred Baxter, Sultan McCullough and Nic Clemons.

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Renaldo Wynn tours the Hall of Fame. (Photo by Gary Fitzgerald)

Most players and coaches, including Gibbs, were not able to attend the private tour due to scheduled meetings. Those who did were treated to a memorable visit.

"It's somewhere I've always wanted to go, ever since I was a little kid," Jansen said afterwards. "You get a chance to see all about the history of the NFL and you get a better glimpse of the history of the Redskins, too."

One of the top attractions was walking into the section of the museum with busts of the 221 Hall of Famers. Four more will soon be added to the room; John Elway, Barry Sanders, Carl Eller and Bob Brown were inducted into the Hall earlier on Sunday.

Of course, the bust of Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs was a must-see for players.

"Not many guys can say they've been able to play for a guy who's in the Hall of Fame," Jansen said. "It's exciting to be a part of his career and the story that he's still writing."

Added Wynn: "Playing for a coach in the Hall of Fame, you feel like you're making history happen right now."

Wynn, who grew up in Chicago, made a point to view the exhibits of Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton.

"The bust didn't look like the Walter Payton I remember," Wynn said, laughing. "Seriously, Walter Payton was someone I looked up to growing up. And I wanted to see Deacon Jones and Jim Brown. Just walking into the Hall and seeing all of the busts, it makes you realize that [getting inducted] is like getting enshrined into immortality."

For Raymer, it was his first visit to the Hall.

"You walk through there and see pictures of different players-some of whom you played with-and you get kind of caught up in it," he said. "You see the tribute to Pat Tillman and you get goose-bumps. You feel like you're a part of something that's pretty special."

Perhaps the most poignant moment of the tour came when Redskins great Huff arrived. The Hall of Fame linebacker who now serves as a Redskins Radio broadcaster, stopped to view his bust and watch video displays of his play in the 1960s. He was inducted into the Hall in 1982.

"It's always great to be back here," Huff said. "It's like visiting with old friends."


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