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"Redskins Past To Present" is a new series for The Redskins Blog during the offseason that catches up with Redskins alumni – some famous, some forgotten – that have spent time, long and short, in the Redskins organization.
With their time removed from the game, we hope to highlight the many former players and coaches that once wore the burgundy and gold -- we'll talk about their memories, their experiences and what they're up to today, in no particular order, to give a snapshot of their lives as ex-football players.
Greg Scott attended Hampton University and was a seventh round draft pick by the Redskins in 2002. He played defensive end in Washington for one season before migrating to the Bengals for three years. He went back to coach Hampton, and eventually defensive lineman Chris Baker, after his football career ended. He now runs the Cover 3 Foundation in Franklin, Va.
You went to Hampton University and then were drafted by the Redskins in 2002. How meaningful was that for you?
Man, it was a dream come true. It couldn't have worked out any better. I wasn't too far away from home from my family. To be able to put on a Washington Redskins helmet and uniform, on of the most treasured franchises in the NFL, it was just a dream come true. I was honored to just be a part of that. I was in awe for a little while. It took a little while for it to sink in. But after two or three months, I finally found out I was a Washington Redskin.
Growing up in Virginia were you a Redskins fan?
Well, that's the thing. Growing up I was a Chicago Bears fan. I loved Walter Payton. But the Redskins would always whoop us, so I didn't like the Redskins growing up, but I had I had a certain change of heart April 22, 2002, when Marvin Lewis asked me when I wanted to be a Redskin. I fell in love with them from that moment [laughing].
There were a lot of veterans on that 2002 team. As a defensive end, what was it like playing with Bruce Smith?
That was truly a dream come true, with Bruce being from Virginia. I had the chance to watch him growing up all those years and then actually having a chance to back this guy up. It was just wonderful. I was like a sponge. I tried to learn a lot from him. Dan Wilkerson. We had a lot of guys that we could definitely learn from…that prepped me for my short four and a half, five year career, but I'm thankful for the time I got to spend around those guys in a Redskins uniform.
Was there anything in particular that stays with you from that season?
I would say more than anything, the camaraderie with the guys. I met some great guys during that time. Of course some of those guys, once I left Washington, went over to Cincinnati for those three and a half years – of course Coach Lewis pulled some of those guys over there from Washington. It was a dream come true, man, because I got to be around familiar faces for three or four consecutive years and that's sort of unheard of in the NFL.
You also played in Europe and in the AFL at the back end of your career. What were those two years like – one in Germany, the other Grand Rapids?
The Rhein Fire was a wonderful experience. Going over to spend two or three months in Dusseldorf, Germany and practicing, and just being in another country in that time period, still working on your craft, playing the game of football trying to get better. The Arena was pretty cool to me, too. I really liked the Arena. I didn't like the indoor turf, the wall. But at that time in my life I was just trying to make sure I could continue feeding my daughter. It was nothing like the NFL in my opinion.
Was it tough to take those roles?
It wasn't tough for me to take those roles, it's just that all along you want to play in the NFL. You're in Arena football, you're working to get back the NFL. The main goal is to always be relevant in the NFL. Those times, they've helped me become the man that I am, so I'm thankful for them.
You run the Cover 3 Foundation. Could you explain the organization's goal and how it started?
The Cover 3 Foundation was founded in 2009and I founded it out of compassion, I wanted to make sure that we we're doing all we can to make sure that kids are not out here hungry. I was doing some research during my time at Hampton University about kids going home hungry. I had a mentor, who was doing something about it, and a lot of the schools around me qualified for this program, so I immediately applied to get my non-profit license. In 2010, we started with three schools, fast forward to now, we have 58 schools that we are responsible to getting healthy, nutritious food and snacks to every day. We feed about 3,500, 4,000 kids today. To see it grow from what it has become, it's truly rewarding because my whole purpose was about helping children, and we've been able to do that. We also have a football league that I was the commissioner of for the past two years, but we just decided to discontinue that league due to lack of support and fundraising. It's cemented this place here in Southampton County and Franklin and surrounding counties.
Was working with kids something you always wanted to do?
It's something I've always wanted to do. I love kids. I have a passion for kids. I always thought, I once was that kid dreaming to do something special. I was able to do that simply because I had a strong support staff, my mother, my father, we had four older brothers, and simply because I had some coaches and teachers in high school that believed in me. Them breathing that life in me was part of the reason I was able to go off to college and maintain myself and accomplish that. It was a wonderful thing having them around.
What did you make of the Redskins this past year?
I definitely think the Redskins had a decent year. I was very happy with the way they played, how they continued to come on strong. I was happy that Kirk was able to step up and do the things he needed to do. They had a good year. Is there room for improvement? Of course. We were division champs. I actually had the privilege of having one of the former players I coached [at Hampton Unviersity], Chris Baker, so I definitely kept up with him.
And what was it like coaching Chris Baker?
He was a very good football player. He was always a special character, always had a smile on his face, always kept us going, pretty much like he is now. He's very intelligent young man that likes to see people smile. It's nice to see him carrying that enthusiasm over to the Redskins.
[This interview was condensed and edited]
Other Redskins Past To Present Interviews:
-- Dexter Manley
-- Joe Jacoby
-- Jeff Bostic
-- Mark Murphy
-- Jean Fugett
-- Mike Bragg
-- Andre Lott
-- Ross Tucker
-- George Nock
