It was a night to celebrate the Washington Redskins' rich history before tomorrow's Alumni Homecoming Game at FedExField, as the team held their annual Alumni Homecoming Reception on Saturday evening. Redskins owner Dan Snyder along with his wife, Tanya, and President Bruce Allen and his wife, Kiersten, on Saturday night were joined by former players whose careers collectively span more than six decades at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C., for the team's Alumni Homecoming Reception.
The event was filled with a who's who of gridiron legends, with Pro Football Hall of Famers, some of the 80 Greatest Redskins and soon-to-be Redskins Ring of Fame inductee Jeff Bostic.
As they swapped stories of their days strapping on a Redskins helmet, comparing Super Bowl teams and just catching up about how each other's year has gone since the last Homecoming, it was clear that each and every alum is proud to be part of this ongoing tradition.
"We always call you the gold of the burgundy and gold," Allen told the crowd. "You created a franchise of great fans, great history, great games and winning."
Bostic – who will be honored during halftime of tomorrow's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – played for the Redskins for 14 seasons, manning center duties at times for all three of the franchise's Super Bowl victories.
"This is truly a special honor," Bostic said. "I can't say enough to Dan Snyder and all the Redskins ownership for honoring me with this award."
Bostic then harkened back to his playing days, reflecting on the teamwork and family backbone it took to achieve continued excellence on the field.
"No player gets here by himself," Bostic said. "Tomorrow is going to be a special day for the Bostic family. But as I look around this room, I see so many teammates and team members of teams that I was on. Everybody that I've seen throughout the course of this evening had said this is your weekend. They said, 'This is all about you.' It's not about me, it's about we. That's what made our teams great."
Bostic finished by giving Snyder a signed helmet from the famed Hogs offensive line.
Charley Taylor is also being celebrated as the 2015 Redskins homecoming king. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler during his time with the Redskins and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984.
Despite retiring in 1977, Taylor remains the franchise leader in receiving touchdowns (79) and is second all-time in Redskins history in receptions (649) and receiving yards (9,110).
All the alumni present at tomorrow's game will be introduced during a special pregame ceremony.
The Redskins have won their last two homecoming games, as they defeated the San Diego Chargers 30-24 in overtime in 2013 and scored a last-second 19-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans last year.
"We have won our last two Homecoming games, so we need your karma tomorrow," Allen said.
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