For today's Throwback Thursday moment presented by
Mark Moseley was Mr. Clutch, kicking a series of game-winning field goals in his 13 seasons in the nation's capital. But one stands out in his mind because of what a teammate told him before the kick.
In a Monday night game at Veterans Stadium on Sept. 27, 1976, the Redskins and Eagles were tied at 17 with 2:11 left in overtime. With the ball on the Eagles' 12-yard line, Moseley prepared to kick a 29-yard field goal and end a game that had lasted nearly four hours. Players on both sides were exhausted and beat up, as the clock approached 1 a.m.
Then, offensive tackle Terry Hermeling gave Moseley an ultimatum:
"I saw in the huddle that these guys were bleeding and everything else," Moseley remembered. "I looked over and Terry looked at me and said in a gravely voice, `Moseley, if you miss this field goal, I'm going to kick your butt all the way back to Washington. You'd better make it.' "
True to form, Moseley converted the kick, closing the chapter on a game known as "The Bedtime Story."
Moseley yearned to perform under pressure and was as unflappable as concrete, characteristics he relied on to convert an abundance of kicks that put the dagger in opponents. Whether with seconds left in the fourth quarter or in overtime, whether in the regular season or the playoffs, Redskin coaches knew whose number to tap: No. 3.
"I wasn't one of these kickers that doubted myself," Moseley said. "I liked to be under the gun. I was always underneath the coaches' arms, begging them to let me go out and kick field goals. I wanted it to come down to me because I felt I was best prepared to go and win the game for us. I accepted the role of having the game on my shoulders."
Moseley's clutch-kicking is a cornerstone of his legacy as the greatest placekicker in Redskins history and one of the NFL's best ever. A two-time Pro Bowler, he re-wrote the Redskins' record books with many all-time scoring and kicking marks that stand, including most career points (1,206). He set NFL records, too.
"Mark was mentally tough," said Mike Bragg, a Redskins punter who played with Moseley for six seasons. "He went through so many things that would derail the average guy. When they called timeout on him, I don't think it really mattered."
SUBWAY® Restaurants 6inch sub coupon!*
