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

With all this talk about safties and the secondary, I thought I would throw in a classic. Alvin Walton was one of my favorite players as a kid. That guy could hit and was a great run stuffer. He and Chuck Cecil could lay the boom back in the day. I have said this before but the best hit I have seen live...(besides Ferotte and the wall) was Cecil hitting Reggie Brooks in 94. It was scary

I too liked Alvin Walton for his hitting ability. Before we had Wilber Marshall, he was our Wilber Marshall. Not sure if you ever had a chance to see Kenny Houston, but he for my memory was our first really big hitter at safety. He was at least 6'4" and packed a punch. His most famous hit was stopping Walt Garrison of the Cowgirls at our one yard line at the end of the game to secure the win.

Finally, Mark Murphy and Bryant Salter were also pretty good at stopping the run.

Alvin Walton is a really nice guy too. When I won Super Fan of the Year in 1992 (Redskin Review) we were sent to VA Beach to party with the Redskins at an ESPN Jet Ski Competition - he was one of the Skins there and was really nice to us.

I saw him almost decapitate two players in the Canadian Footbal League after he left the Skins. He was a monster in the middle.

i would have to agree that Alvin Walton was one of my favorites too. But i truly believe that with Taylor and Iffy we will have a nice group in the secondary.

Alvin Walton and Todd Bowls- "the two man wrecking crew"

Yeah i see taylor as the safety the Skins haven't had since Walton left....
Now we only need Dave Butz

I too liked Alvin Walton for his hitting ability. Before we had Wilber Marshall, he was our Wilber Marshall. Not sure if you ever had a chance to see Kenny Houston, but he for my memory was our first really big hitter at safety. He was at least 6'4" and packed a punch. His most famous hit was stopping Walt Garrison of the Cowgirls at our one yard line at the end of the game to secure the win.

Yes, indeed, on the Houston-Garrison hit. Houston met tough-guy Garrison at the goal line, and picked up up, carryinh him back to save a TD and the game. All on MNF, with Howard Cosell waxing poetic.

But before we had Kenny Houston, we had Richie Petibon at strong safety -- the original strong safety, who originated the position. I think he was playing for the Bears in the early '60s, when George Allen was defensive coordinator and George Halas coached.

Now, when we talk about Gibbs as "old school", lets remember George Allen coaching the Halas defense in the '63 (or so) NFL championship. So if George Allen is Old Old School, George Halas is Older-thanold School...

One of the fine Redskin traditions: Halas hired George Allen, who coached Pardee and Petibon at the Rams, and brought them to DC in '71 to start a defense tradition here, a traditon that lasted until the Redskins fired Petibon and staff, most of whom were Gibbs assistants.

Alvin Walton was a great hitter and He was one of my favorites, but Ken Houston might be the best of all time for me. The hit on Garrison was his most famous but he had many more. My favorite one was 1979 game against Dallas, Houston blitzed and knocked Stabach out cold. I also rember a game against the Rams when Lawrence McCutchin was a big time back. Houston met McCuthchin at the line of scrimage 5 or 6 times each hit harder than the one before. Kenny also was a great pass defender and held the record for a while for most INT's returned a TD until Rod Woodson broke the mark.