LaVar: From the bench to Captain.

JPFair · Post by **JPFair** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 9:33 am

I just read that LaVar Arrington has been named Defensive Captain for the Redskins for the rest of the season. If this is the case, LaVar must be doing something right in practice, cuz he had a great game against the e-girls, and he must finally be buying into GW's system. Could be interesting!

gay4pacman · Post by **gay4pacman** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 9:56 am

Yeah i think he has finally become the face of this defense again!

roybus14 · Post by **roybus14** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 10:06 am

This whole "Lavar Saga" now looks like a test of Lavar's heart and his character. The way this thing played out looks more like his knee was not 100% and the coaches wanted to see if he is really the face of the Redskins by the way he has handled this whole situation.

He handled it very professionally and it looks now like he has gotten the message. There were several plays Sunday night in which he held his position and made a play. I am sure that we can look at the defensive tape and see some mistakes but it was not anything that killed us. The only mistake we made was Springs not hearing the change of defense and that allowed Brown to get the big catch and run.

The one that GW needs to work on now is Sean Taylor. He has to start "turning the corner" in terms of becoming a "great" safety. He is still making too many mistakes, not enough to kill us but they could eventually. I know that he is only in his second year but GW and crew need to really work and get his head right...

Michaelf382 · Post by **Michaelf382** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 10:18 am

Ok on a serious note. Now with the dramatic turn that the Lavar story has taken. Will we see him in the Burg&Gold next year still?

runbillo · Post by **runbillo** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 10:30 am

Greetings from NYC: There is something amazing happening with our team this year! Between Lavar being named Captain and Patrick Ramsey hugging Mark after the game this Sunday, I truly believe we have the right type of players to make a run deep into the playoff's this year

Fios · Post by **Fios** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 10:50 am

Michaelf382 wrote:Ok on a serious note. Now with the dramatic turn that the Lavar story has taken. Will we see him in the Burg&Gold next year still?

Yes, I'm sure the coaches decided to have LaVar (succesfully) prove his worth as a Redskin only to trade one of the most physically gifted players in the league, someone with game-changing ability, for whatever they can get despite the enormous implications it would have for the team's salary cap. Come on people, stop reading rumors and think this through.

riggofan · Post by **riggofan** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 12:35 pm

I was really blown away by that shot of Ramsey hugging Brunell after the game too. It said alot to me that Ramsey isn't sitting on the bench sulking. We may need him down the stretch at some point, who knows? Hopefully he is biding his time and learning from Brunell.

hkHog · Post by **hkHog** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 12:55 pm

runbillo wrote:Greetings from NYC: There is something amazing happening with our team this year! Between Lavar being named Captain and Patrick Ramsey hugging Mark after the game this Sunday, I truly believe we have the right type of players to make a run deep into the playoff's this year

You hit the nail on the head. All year (except the NY game) these guys have really been a TEAM! They are real Redskins and they clearly love the coaching staff - remember the Gatorade shower after the Cowboys game? It's exciting, they're in it together.

Scooter · Post by **Scooter** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:02 pm

LaVar's still a young man - he's got loads of talent. When he inspires guys - ala Ray Lewis - he'll be a great player. He's well on his way... finally. LaVar will be with the team next year - and for at least 5 more after that, contract PLUS he's going to be the player we'd all hoped he would be. AWESOME!

ejay183 · Post by **ejay183** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:54 pm

runbillo wrote:Greetings from NYC: There is something amazing happening with our team this year! Between Lavar being named Captain and Patrick Ramsey hugging Mark after the game this Sunday, I truly believe we have the right type of players to make a run deep into the playoff's this year

Yeah I saw that, I always knew Patrick was a classy guy, even with the backup role, he is happy when we beat teams like the Eagles.

HEROHAMO · Post by **HEROHAMO** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:03 pm

Hooorahhh hooorahhh im giddy.

gay4pacman · Post by **gay4pacman** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 4:40 pm

....well he had never dome it so youd think he'd give brunell some props!

FanofallthatisGibbs · Post by **FanofallthatisGibbs** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 4:41 pm

I think Ramsey knows more than most QBs in this league, you're only one play away, and that is definitely true with an aging Brunnel despite his youthful display thus far this year.

I am so glad to have him on the team for depth. A very strong #2 IMO. He may see action before the year's out...

...along those lines, no talk of Jason Campbell? He'll have his day, but this year he's just got the best tickets to all the home and away games!

hatsOFF2gibbs · Post by **hatsOFF2gibbs** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:16 pm

In talk with mates, Arrington puts team above himselfESPN.com news services

ASHBURN, Va. -- If you think Washington Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington looks like a maniac on the football field, imagine the scene when he was watching his alma mater, Penn State, beat Wisconsin on Saturday.

Arrington

"Did you see that game? Oh my gosh. It was crazy," said Arrington, his eyes as wide as saucers. "I was so proud to be a Nittany Lion. That was unreal watching that on television. I felt like I was at the game. I'm sitting there running around my house. I'm pushing my brother out of the way and stuff like that, jumping up. I was calling out audibles and everything."

Then Arrington got to wondering: Why aren't NFL players able to retain the unbridled enthusiasm they felt as college players? That night, Arrington helped the Redskins address that very issue when the defense held a players-only meeting on the eve of Washington's game against Philadelphia.

It was assistant coach Gregg Williams who had suggested the meeting, telling his veterans it was a "good time for someone to step up and talk."

The curious fact is that Arrington chose to do so.

The three-time Pro Bowl linebacker had only recently worked his way back into the starting rotation after beginning the season disgruntled and on the bench. Arrington had no idea how much he would play against the Eagles, but the unlikely combination of Williams and Penn State triggered him to address his teammates for only the third time in his six-year career.

"It's from the heart if I give it," Arrington said. "It's not ceremonial."

Arrington covered several topics, including the saga of Eagles receiver Terrell Owens, whose suspension threatened to overshadow the game.

"You hear about all the things surrounding the guy from Philly," Arrington said. "It was like, the headline will read 'They couldn't do it without him' if we won, and 'They can do it without him' if they won. It's sad that for such a big game the attention was somewhere else. I wanted to make sure that as a unit it didn't distract us."

Arrington also used the forum to address his own situation, telling his teammates that he didn't want to be a distraction.

"Whether I start or whether I don't, it's about this team, it's about this unit, and we need to be together," said Arrington, who learned the next day he would be starting the game.

But the topic that seemed to stick with his teammates the most was Arrington's plea to bring back the college feel.

"When we were in college, everybody's jumping around," linebacker Marcus Washington said. "You're excited, you're playing because you love it, and you want to bring that same intensity to the game."

Asked why the college enthusiasm wanes once players get to the NFL, Arrington cited the big paychecks, the distractions of grown-up life and free agency, which has players bouncing from city to city with no chance to bond.

"Guys aren't sure they're going to be with a team," Arrington said. "It's hard to have the inner love for the franchise."

Arrington has done his best to make the Redskins his professional version of Penn State. He moved his family to the Washington area and signed a long-term contract, although his future seemed in doubt when he was riding the bench a few weeks ago.

Now he's firmly established himself back in the lineup. He tied for the team high with 10 tackles in the 17-10 win over the Eagles -- the number was increased from six after coaches reviewed the game tape -- and Washington's 5-3 record has him thinking about his playoff debut. The Redskins play Tampa Bay (5-3) on Sunday.

"I've never been over eight wins in the NFL," he said. "That's something I want to experience, to have a winning season and go to the playoffs."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2220154
Great to hear he's getting it all together. BTW, that's definitely not LaVar's picture is it? He doesn't look anything like him unless it was like a college picture or something.

skinsfan1 · Post by **skinsfan1** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:39 pm

That's not arrington. The dopes at espn used cedric benson's picture.

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 12:23 am

Suddenly, Arrington is a guy I want to see on the field, as opposed to just being a guy. Really. I'm on record as being completely open to trading him.
Gibbs handled him perfectly. He didn't respond to media/fan pressure by throwing him in there. He waited until LaVar learned his lesson, whatever that lesson was.
The man I see on the field now must not be the man I saw previously. The difference, I assume, will be apparent sooner or later.

gaffman44 · Post by **gaffman44** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 1:54 am

Lavar is back baby!