The Washington Redskins on Saturday announced that former general manager Bobby Beathard will be inducted into the team's Ring of Fame this November.
The architect behind one of the best dynasties in NFL history, Bobby Beathard is joining the Redskins' Ring of Fame.
Beathard will become the 49th member of the Ring of Fame and will be formally honored with induction at FedExField during halftime of the Redskins' game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 13.
Beathard joined the Redskins as the team's general manager on Feb. 24, 1978, after stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins in various roles.
Beathard guided the organization to three Super Bowl appearances, including victories in Super Bowls XVII and XXII. Despite leaving the Redskins in 1988, many of the players Beathard aquired during his tenure helped the Redskins claim a third Super Bowl title when Washington beat the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI on Jan. 26, 1992.
In Beathard's 11 seasons with the Redskins, Washington averaged nearly 10 regular season wins per year while racking up a regular season record of 105-63. During that span, the Redskins' winning percentage of .625 was tops in the NFC and second-best in the NFL.
The Redskins would also post the best postseason mark during that time period, going 11-3 in postseason play.
Two of those victories, of course, came in Super Bowl appearances.
In Super Bowl XVII, the Redskins squared off with the Miami Dolphins at the Rose Bowl. Through a majority of the contest, neither team gained much of an upper hand.
That all changed in the fourth quarter, though, when John Riggins' iconic 43-yard touchdown run put Washington up for good. At final whistle, the Redskins scored a 27-17 victory and the first of the team's three Super Bowl titles.
The next season, the Redskins stormed through the regular season schedule, posting an NFC-best 14-2 record behind the contributions of seven first-team All-Pro players including Joe Theismann, Joe Jacoby, Russ Grimm and Mike Nelms among others.
After powering past the Los Angeles Rams 51-7 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Redskins defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game to earn a second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl.
In 1987, Washington would return to the top of the NFL behind a roster put together by Beathard. After finishing first in the NFC East with an 11-4 regular season record, the Redskins moved past the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears to earn a date with the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII.
Despite falling behind 10-0 by the end of the first quarter – which at the time was the largest deficit in Super Bowl history – the Redskins exploded in the second quarter, putting up 35 points to propel the franchise to a 42-10 victory.
Beathard worked with 23 of the existing 48 members of the Redskins' Ring of Fame in various capacities during his career and was responsible for the acquisition of 12 players or head coaches in that membership.
He was also named by a blue ribbon panel as a member of the 80 Greatest Redskins in 2012 during the team's 80th Anniversary celebration.
