'Lombardi's Redskins' Premieres Wednesday, December 14 at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network
"The true essence of Vince Lombardi can be found in this, the forgotten year. For the players, and even us fans of the 1969 Redskins, Vince Lombardi changed our lives for the better." – Dan Rather
The second season of NFL Network's Emmy-nominated documentary series The Timeline from NFL Films continues Wednesday, December 14 at 8:00 PM ET with Lombardi's Redskins, reflecting on the moment the game's greatest coach arrived in Washington and saved a struggling franchise – all in the midst of the cultural upheaval of 1969.
Hosted and narrated by legendary broadcast journalist Dan Rather, Lombardi's Redskins details Vince Lombardi's lone season as the head coach of the Washington Redskins. After five NFL championship titles with the Green Bay Packers, Lombardi came to the nation's capital, mirroring the arrival of Richard Nixon as President of the United States and amid political and social turmoil. The one-hour show tells the story of the 1969 Washington Redskins and features interviews with former players such as Sonny Jurgensen, Brig Owens and Bob Long, as well as Lombardi's children.
Among the topics discussed in Lombardi's Redskins are:
- Vince Lombardi's arrival in Washington as Redskins head coach coinciding with Richard Nixon's arrival as President
- Lombardi's acceptance of gay players Ray McDonald, Jerry Smith and Dave Kopay
- Bob Long joining the Redskins following a major car accident
- Starting the 1969 season 4-1-1 and then winning only one game in November
- Redskins players who served on National Guard duty during the NFL season and had to handle the largest anti-war protest in United States history
- Lombardi's failing health and passing away in 1970
To view a trailer for Lombardi's Redskins, visit:
Lombardi's Redskins includes interviews with the following people and more:
Dan Rather – Former Chief White House correspondent for CBS
Susan Lombardi – Lombardi's daughter
Vince Lombardi Jr. – Lombardi's son
Sonny Jurgensen – Former Redskins quarterback
David Maraniss – Lombardi biographer
Brig Owens – Former Redskins defensive back
Bob Long – Former Redskins and Packers wide receiver
Carl Kammerer – Former Redskins defensive end
Pat Richter – Former Redskins tight end
Dave Kopay – Former Redskins running back
Ray Schoenke – Former Redskins guard
Dwight Chapin – Nixon White House Special Assistant
Provided below are some select quotes from Lombardi's Redskins:
- "The year that Vince Lombardi was the general manager of the Green Bay Packers was the most frustrating of his career. He realized immediately that he had made a mistake." – David Maraniss
- "He was such a unifying factor because he was a winner. He knew what it took to win." – Sonny Jurgensen
- "For his era, he was well ahead of the national norm on racial tolerance, tolerance on gender issues, lifestyle issues. If you could play and play his way, he wouldn't care if you were green or what you did in your private life." – Dan Rather
- "I was very fortunate to have had him for any length of time." – Sonny Jurgensen
- "The true essence of Vince Lombardi can be found in this, the forgotten year. For the players, and even us fans of the 1969 Redskins, Vince Lombardi changed our lives for the better." – Dan Rather
- "He just was larger than life, certainly larger than football. I would have loved to have had him live to be able to see what he might have done." – Carl Kammerer
The second season of The Timeline concludes Wednesday, December 21 at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network with The Fog Bowl, reflecting on the moment the oddest weather event in NFL history decided a playoff game between two bitter rivals – the Bears' Mike Ditka and the Eagles' Buddy Ryan.
Each episode of The Timeline – as well as all NFL Network programming – is streamed live on the NFL Mobile from Verizon app (NFL.com/mobile) and via Watch NFL Network on tablet (NFL Mobile and Watch NFL Network apps), PC (NFL.com/watch), Xbox One and Xbox 360(NFL on Xbox app) and other connected TV devices (NFL app on Apple TV and Playstation 4).
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