The Redskins brought James Thrash back from Philadelphia earlier this year because of his veteran leadership skills and because he can add a great deal to the team's depth at wide receiver. As it turns out, they may need even more from Thrash, the 6-0, 200-pound eight-year player.
Because of the injury suffered by Chad Morton, Thrash is expected to get more work in the Redskins' return game.
Against the Packers on Oct. 31, Morton injured a ligament in his left knee returning a kick in the first quarter. The following day, he was declared out for the remainder of the 2004 campaign and was placed on the injured reserve list.
For the Redskins to find a replacement for the remainder of the season, they figure to at least in part look in the direction of Thrash, back with the team following a three-year stint in Philadelphia. Ladell Betts is expected to serve on kickoff returns. Waiting in the wings is newcomer Antonio Brown, signed earlier this week.
Through Week 8, Morton led the team in both kickoff (16) and punt returns (13). Thrash had returned five punts, second on the team. He and Ladell Betts both had returned five kickoffs.
Whichever player emerges to handle the Redskins' return duties, the team is looking for a boost in that department.
In the summer of 1997, the Redskins signed a little-known rookie from tiny Missouri Southern State College named James Thrash as a possible complement to Brian Mitchell for punt and kickoff returns. Thrash had been cut by the Eagles earlier and hoped that his athleticism and speed would suit another NFL team.
In his first pre-season contest against the Buccaneers in Tampa Stadium in 1997, Thrash returned a kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown in the Redskins' 20-8 win. The following Saturday night he did it again, this time going 96 yards at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, helping the Redskins to an 18-12 win over the Tennessee Oilers.
After the Tennessee game, Thrash stunned even himself, saying, "I'm pinching myself. I'm so excited, I don't even know what I'm thinking right now." His nickname with the coaching staff quickly became "One-A-Day," for his propensity to make one great play a day.
Those pre-season performances had the effect of earning Thrash a four-year stint with the Redskins.
His playmaking skills struck for the first time in the regular season on Dec. 5, 1999, when Thrash returned his first career kickoff for a touchdown (95 yards) for the Redskins against the Lions in the Pontiac Silverdome during a 33-17 loss.
When Mitchell was signed by Philadelphia in 2000, Thrash got his opportunity. After returning a total of 20 kickoffs and no punts in his first three years combined, he returned 45 kickoffs for 1,000 total yards and 10 punts for 106 yards as the Redskins' primary return specialist in 2000.
In a twist of fate, Thrash rejoined Mitchell in Philadelphia in 2001. While his role as a wide receiver grew larger, he had to put his return duties on the back burner.
Mitchell left the Eagles after the 2002 season and Thrash became a return man once again. Last year, he returned 34 kickoffs for 815 yards for the Eagles. So, in his three years with Philadelphia, he helped the team reach the NFC Championship game each season.
In that Week 8 game, Thrash was cited for the much-debated motion penalty that cost the team a Clinton Portis touchdown and the possibility of a win over the Packers. Head coach Joe Gibbs called the officials' ruling an "inconsistent" one and even notified the league of his displeasure over the call. Thrash obviously was upset over the infraction and Redskins coaches and players were forced to move on. They prepared for the Detroit Lions in hopes of a more productive second half of the season.
"From the standpoint of another player being hurt, I'm not very happy," said Thrash. "Any time I can contribute to the success of the team, whether catching punts, passes or returning kicks, I look forward to the opportunity."
He adds: "To have the opportunity to use by God-given ability to play football is truly a blessing."
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