On Thursday, April 23, 2020, Redskins Salute & Women of Washington teamed up with USAA to host a virtual tailgate that would kick-off the 2020 NFL Draft. The evening was hosted by WoW Podcast Personality, GeNienne Samuels, who took all guests and participants through the USAA Salute to Service Moment, Draft Discussions with Redskins greats Santana Moss and Mike Nelms, facilitated live and type-in Q&A's with the alumni, and concluded the night with historic HTTR competitions with Redskins guests and super-fans!
The night began with the USAA Salute to Service Moment allowing Redskins Salute to highlight our partners for feeding National Guard members on the front lines at FedExField and asking all participants to join us in thanking those serving at the COVID-19 testing clinics all over the country.
Redskins Alumni Participate in Draft Discussion and Live Q&A
The night then featured former Washington Redskins Wide Receiver Santana Moss and Defensive Back Mike Nelms for Draft Discussions and live Q&A's. The alumni discussed the 2020 Washington Redskins, Head Coach Ron Rivera, 2020 Draft Predictions, and put us in the shoes of an NFL Draft Prospect. Nelms shared his thoughts on what the Redskins organization and fan base has been through in seasons leading up, and why we now have reason to be excited with a new coaching staff to work with the young talent. Moss lead us through successful college programs (and his hopes for new light in Florida collegiate programs) and what it was like to be selected in the first round back in 2001. Both agreed the Redskins had one option, Chase Young. They then both shared incredible stories about their Draft Nights, Super Bowl experiences, and unlikely scenarios in the NFL!
Redskins Caps the 2020 Pre-Draft Party Off with Live Competitions
The night concluded with live HTTR singing competitions with Redskins Salute member, Rich Crites, stealing the show with a family sing-along that blew the crowd away (video and live reaction below). Additionally, trivia, polls, and more fun concluded the night with 100 of the most engaged, fun Redskins fans in the country! We'd like to thank everyone that participated and continued positive comments and support throughout the ZOOM-based event. Fans engaged and shared where they were tuning in from - which included participants from Texas, Florida, California, Colorado, Maine, and even Ireland!
At the conclusion of the event, Redskins Salute and Women of Washington thanked all participants and directed them to ESPN and ABC to watch the draft live while tuning to Redskins social media channels for live updates and reactions from our organization. Check out the entire Pre-Draft Party, we thank USAA for the opportunity to connect with our community and stay engaged through this pandemic!
