The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

May not be news but it is new to me..

Just heard Brian Mitchell on his radio show talking about how Joe wanted extra bodies during the season to go against the guys on the roster. Jack Kent Cooke supported his coach and put up the $$ to carry the extra players. The NFL thought this would constitute an unfair advantage for the Skins so they established practice squads league-wide.

Paul Brown pioneered the practice squad. He got extra players jobs at a taxi company so that the players could get paid and still practice with the Browns. Hence the name "taxi squad" that is sometimes used. Of course, it wouldn't suprise me if Gibbs was somehow involved in furthering the practice.

I read that in America's Game by Michael Maccambridge (a fantastic book, by the way). I can't find the book right now, or I'd give you the full excerpt.

Edit: Found it:

Brown had too many quality players for the thirty-three man roster. Rather than waive them to other teams in the AAFC, he devised a secret plan with owner McBride by which several players who had been cut would land jobs with Zone/Yellow Cab Co., with schedules arranged so that they could report to League Park in Cleveland, where the Browns practiced. Thus was born the "taxi squad" in pro football.

It appears this was in 1945. I don't know when the NFL implemented the practice squad league-wide, but I would be shocked if it hadn't happened by the time Gibbs became head coach.

Thanks for the update. I can only guess that B-Mitch just assumed Gibbs started the practice squads b/c they weren't prevalent at the time.

WuSkinsFan wrote:Thanks for the update. I can only guess that B-Mitch just assumed Gibbs started the practice squads b/c they weren't prevalent at the time.

Paul Brown pioneered it, Joe perfected it, the league copied it.

WuSkinsFan wrote:May not be news but it is new to me..

Just heard Brian Mitchell on his radio show talking about how Joe wanted extra bodies during the season to go against the guys on the roster. Jack Kent Cooke supported his coach and put up the $$ to carry the extra players. The NFL thought this would constitute an unfair advantage for the Skins so they established practice squads league-wide.

Joe still had the advantage. In years past three weeks into camp there was always a guy that everyone figured would make the team but had been outplayed all camp long and it would be only one roster spot availble. That guy always seemed to get hurt and put on IR.