At some juncture over the past six to eight seasons, they all believed what Reed Doughty did in 2007. London Fletcher. Chris Cooley. Santana Moss. Lorenzo Alexander. Kedric Golston. Chris Wilson.
The holdovers, the last remnants of Joe Gibbs's final team — loyal amid the losing, always believing in a better day.
"I would say we're survivors," Alexander said. "We survived, what, three different head coaches? We survived by just going out there, playing good football, playing blue collar. We survived by proving we can fit in any scheme that's put in place."
You want to know the real reason, after Robert Griffin III, why the Redskins can claim their first NFC East title in 13 years Sunday night?
The Surviving Seven still believe.
Stars and role players alike, they have outlasted coaching regimes, seven starting quarterbacks before Griffin, most cut-down days and the wrath of fans forever waiting for a night like Sunday at FedEx Field against the Cowboys.
All of them — Cooley (first signed in 2004), Moss (2005), Doughty, Golston (2006), Fletcher, Alexander and Wilson (2007) — remember what it was like to play in the postseason with Washington (Cooley and Moss actually played in three playoff games for the Redskins). Two have been cut and re-signed (Cooley and Wilson). Four have been selected to the Pro Bowl (Cooley, Moss, Fletcher and, just this week, Alexander). And all can claim they once played for a man with a bronzed bust in Canton (Gibbs) and lasted long enough to perhaps play with a future Hall-of-Fame quarterback.
But the tie that really binds is persevering in a time of disappointing and sometimes downright awful football. The Surviving Seven has:
● Played on 5-11 and 6-10 teams for former Super Bowl-winning coaches (Gibbs and Mike Shanahan).
● Known the embarrassment of a 4-12 campaign.
● Dealt with the organization foisting Jim Zorn, Albert Haynesworth and Donovan McNabb upon them.
● Played for three head coaches, three defensive coordinators and one bingo caller.
● Known (after Cooley and Moss) one winning season since they've been here. But even that 2007 year remains a fog because of Sean Taylor's tragic death.
● Were a combined eight games under .500 before this season.
But here's the crazy thing: None feels cursed or regretful. Instead, they make it clear that the pain of the past makes today feel that much more earned and treasured.
"To me it's something that you can learn in life, when stuff's not going your way if you stick to your gut, stick to what you feel is right, eventually you'll get to where you're trying to get to or make something out of it," Moss said. "That's what this season has been like. For all the seasons I done came up short — not have a chance to go to the playoffs and not have the chance to be in this situation right now . . . just grinding, man, even though the team hasn't been doing good — I've been putting my all into it. And eventually you get rewarded for it."
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