On a hot Saturday in September, the Redskins' locker room was crowded with men excited to step onto FedExField but at the same time nervous about the challenges just ahead.
These men were being proactive about their health.
Theismann encouraged those in attendance to extend the message to family and friends.
September, or "Prostate Health Awareness Month," prompted the Redskins as an organization to look for ways to take action against prostate-related illnesses.
With that in mind, the Redskins provided their most health-conscious fans an opportunity to make health a main priority.
On Sept. 27, the team cosponsored "Timeout for Men's Health," a prostate health screening event in conjunction with GlaxoSmithKline, the Men's Health Network, the Prostate Cancer Education Council and the American Urological Association Foundation.
So, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the locker room at FedExField was used as the setting to give men free prostate screenings.
Those in attendance were able to get insights into their personal health profiles. They also had an opportunity to meet former Redskin quarterback and football analyst Joe Theismann and Congressman Albert R. Wynn of the fourth Congressional District of Maryland.
It was an occasion to make a commitment to improved health, as was underscored by Theismann, the NFL's most valuable player during the 1983 season.
"I understand the importance of getting annual prostate exams," said Theismann, who went on to tell those in attendance to extend the message to their friends and families.
More specifically, Theismann encouraged males 40 years of age and older to get an annual prostate exam and to ask questions about prostate care with their physicians.
At FedExField, doctors were on site to administer Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) tests along with optional digital rectal exams (DRE).
A total of 81 men received each test.
