Joe Gibbs

I was traveling near Mocksville recently and thought about Joe Gibbs. That’s where the Washington Redskins coach grew up. Gibbs’ father was the sheriff who chased moonshiners. It was 25 years ago this month when Gibbs took over as head coach of the Redskins. He led the team to four Super Bowls including three championships. He is clearly the most successful coach in the team’s history. Gibbs left coaching in 1992 to form his own NASCAR team but was lured back into coaching two years ago. A strong finish this season put the Skins back in the NFL playoffs. When I was a kid I could play the Redskins fight song on my cornet. All of the kids in my neighborhood loved the Skins. This was before Atlanta had the Falcons and long before Charlotte became the home of the Panthers. Washington was the closest NFL team to Morganton where I lived. And it didn’t hurt that Redskins quarterback Sonny Jurgenson was a Wilmington native and Duke grad and tenacious linebacker Chris Hanburger had starred on the gridiron at UNC. So, I'm pulling for the Skins and Joe Gibbs again this weekend! You have already gone further than expected. Joe, the strong work ethic you learned as a child in Mocksville continues to pay off.