Concluding a homecoming weekend, former Redskins greats celebrated Alumni Day at FedExField Sunday with a parade around the stadium and a reunion on the sidelines.
Gary Clark calls it a family reunion.
"They're like your own blood," he said.
He wasn't far off. Many of the 145 Redskins alumni that celebrated Homecoming weekend – those that participated in a playground build, swapped a stories at a reception and waved to fans in a parade around the stadium – had shared blood, sweat and tears with each other years ago.
Sunday morning, after a night eating and drinking together, many of their memories came back to them taking a bus to FedExField, then getting on some new ones to drive by surrounding tailgates, waving and responding to the cheers of fans who quickly gathered by the curb to salute the marching band, cheerleaders and their Redskins legends.
"This is awesome," Clark said, standing on the sidelines with generations of Redskins. "I look forward to this day every year. It's the only opportunity to take a break and slow it down. To just see the guys that you played with, the guys who played before you, and also an opportunity to meet the guys who came after you. It's just a great day and great event."
After the former players exited their tour buses, which were open on top to allow fans to see them, they funneled into FedExField for a group photo and then mingled on the sidelines as current Redskins warmed up.
Some of those in attendance included Pro Football Hall of Famers Russ Grimm, Ken Houston, Sonny Jurgensen, Bobby Mitchell, Charley Taylor, Redskins Ring of Fame members Larry Brown, Clark, Pat Fischer, Ken Harvey, Billy Kilmer, Brian Mitchell, Moseley, Brig Owens, and members of the 80 Greatest Redskins Mike Bragg, Terry Hermeling, Ron McDole, Raleigh McKenzie, Mike Nelms, and George Starke.
"It's always great to get back together," former quarterback Jay Schroeder said. "Football is a unique game. We get back together and it was like we were never apart. It's just that locker room. We're up there cutting up jokes and everybody's having a good time. You catch up, find out about people's families and what they're doing."
For MVP kicker Mark Moseley, the day brings back the camaraderie that is left in the locker room, the things that he made all the years in the league memorable.
"I was here for 14 years, you know, with the same guys day in and day out, and when you leave it's a big adjustment," Moseley said. "To come back here just brings back all the good memories and the great things and you get to share all the stories and tell a few lies, you know, that kind of stuff. It's fun."
The Homecoming weekend has been a staple for many Redskins alumni, but it was a first for Rock Cartwright and Ladell Betts, who represented some of the younger alumni of the group.
"I always think about the good times we had out here," Betts said. "Some of those runs we had in 2005, 2007. We routed off four or five wins at the end of the season to make it to the playoffs. You know, playing the Cowboys and the Giants in December, those kinds of things I remember- those are good feelings."
After the mingling ended and the game approached, players lined up down the sideline, each being introduced in front of the fans before slapping fives with current players during their introductions.
Former offensive lineman Fred Dean, echoing Clark, was just happy to see his family again.
"You know a lot of teams don't do what we do, bring everybody back," Dean said. "Not only do you see the players that you played with, some before and after you. You see people talking around here, man, everybody having a good day."
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