Here are some of the highlights from Saturday afternoon's practice:
Play: Fans gave Darnerien McCants the loudest ovation of practice after the lanky receiver leaped high in the air for a reception, deftly maneuvered past a defender and raced down the sideline for a score.
Player: Marcus Washington flashed his athleticism during 11-on-11 drills. On a pass play, the 6-3, 247-pound linebacker dropped back into coverage and leaped high in the air to tip a Mark Brunell pass. He lunged for the ball and narrowly missed an interception.
Quote: "I think the most impressive thing of the day was our fans. I haven't been here when we've had this kind of get-together. It was kind of amazing, to think that they would stand out there in the heat like that. I really appreciate them. I wish we could spend more time and sign all the autographs, but it's hard right now because we're on such a tight schedule. Hopefully on Fan Appreciation Day we'll get a lot more of that done. I really appreciate them." -- Joe Gibbs, discussing the 10,000 fans who turned out on the first day of training camp.
Atmosphere: The afternoon practice heated up and players were visibly sweating. No matter--fans were still energized by seeing Gibbs and the Redskins. After the second practice, LaVar Arrington signed autographs for those groups of fans who yelled the loudest. The commotion caused Shawn Springs to stop an interview with reporters and go over to watch Arrington's interaction with fans.
Notes:
-- As Matt Bowen walked off the field, he was handed a news report of the blockbuster baseball trade in which the Chicago Cubs acquired shortstop Nomar Garciaparra. Bowen, a huge Cubs fan, said: "Wow, they did it."
-- Offensive linemen Kenyatta Jones and Brandon Winey sat out practices on Saturday with ankle sprains.
-- Former Redskins tight end Rick 'Doc' Walker was among the speakers during a team meeting on Friday night at the National Conference Center. Several Redskins, including Arrington, said the speech made an impression on them.
-- Arrington on Gibbs' practice methods: "I think Coach is a master at managing practices. He manages how you hit, he manages how much you hit. And I think you get a lot accomplished during his two-hour practices."
