John Riggins is going to be the third player in Washington franchise history to have his jersey retired. Better late than never.
The Commanders announced Wednesday that Riggins’ No. 44 will be retired during their Week 9 game against the Los Angeles Rams this season. That means one of the greatest Super Bowl performances in NFL history is finally getting the permanent tribute it should have received two decades ago.
Some background for anyone who did not grow up watching Riggins carry the ball. He was the MVP of Super Bowl XVII in January 1983, running for 166 yards on 38 carries in a win over the Miami Dolphins. The touchdown he scored on 4th-and-1 in the fourth quarter, a 43-yard breakaway where he ran through Don McNeal like the guy was not there, is one of the most iconic plays in Super Bowl history.
Riggins ran for 11,352 yards in his career, most of it in Washington. He had 100-yard games in four straight postseason contests during the 1982 playoff run to Super Bowl XVII. He led the NFL in rushing touchdowns twice. He was a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee in 1992.
The only two players with retired numbers in Washington franchise history are Sammy Baugh (No. 33) and Sean Taylor (No. 21). Adding Riggins to that list is the right call, and probably one that should have happened when the original Washington ownership regime was still in place.
New team ownership under Josh Harris has been busy over the last two years reconnecting with the franchise’s history. That includes bringing back alumni for training camp events, celebrating Super Bowl anniversaries, and doing right by players who spent their careers in the burgundy and gold. The Riggins ceremony fits that pattern.
Riggins himself has always been a character. He famously fell asleep during a black-tie White House dinner in 1985 and told Sandra Day O’Connor to “loosen up, Sandy baby.” He ran off the field during Super Bowl XVII saying “the President may be Ronald Reagan, but for today at least, I’m the king.” He has never done anything on the small side.
The Week 9 game against the Rams is going to bring a big Washington crowd and, if the Commanders can get to that game with a winning record, it will be a real event. Head coach Dan Quinn has the team believing again. Jayden Daniels is one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the league. The atmosphere for a jersey retirement of a Riggins-caliber player should be huge.
For fans who grew up watching him, this is overdue closure. Riggins is now 77 years old. Doing this while he can still enjoy it, still walk onto the field, still hear the crowd say his name, is the point. The alternative is doing it posthumously and giving fans a chance to say goodbye instead of thank you.
The Commanders got this right. No. 44 goes up in November. It should have been there for the last 30 years. At least now it will finally be where it belongs.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
