The pickup games on East Capitol Street started shortly after Redskins games ended. Byron Leftwich would pretend to be a different Redskin. Sometimes he’d be Mark Rypien; other times Darrell Green; or Earnest Byner or Doug Williams.
He mimicked their movements. He never thought he’d duplicate their status.
“As a kid, you wished that,” said the H.D. Woodson graduate, “but growing up in D.C., I never thought I would have a chance to play in the NFL.”
Now he’s not only in his fourth NFL season, he’ll play in his hometown Sunday when Washington (1-2) hosts Jacksonville (2-1) at 4:15 p.m. Leftwich, who along with his older brother often cried after Redskins losses, bought 90-95 tickets for the game.
It’ll also be a reunion of sorts for he and Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell. Leftwich replaced Brunell in Jacksonville. That meant he had to succeed the Jaguars’ most popular player, one who led them to two AFC Championship Game appearances.
“He deserves for the fans to love him and the city to still love him,” said Leftwich, who as a rookie replaced an injured Brunell. “That doesn’t mean they don’t love me, too. It took time for them to get used to me because they were so used to Mark being the quarterback.”
While there, Brunell worked with Leftwich, filling him in on the do’s and don’ts of being an NFL player. He knew Leftwich would have it tough.
“If I put myself in his shoes, or if you came after a Troy Aikman, it would be real difficult,” Brunell said. “I’m not comparing myself to Troy — I’m a few Super Bowls short — but it would be difficult.”
Leftwich has had his ups and downs. This season, he has a passer rating of 70.7 and he’s never thrown more than 15 touchdown passes in a season (he’s also never started all 16 games).
“He’s gotten better each year,” Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. “He’s gotten stronger [and] better fundamentally. He’s poised to have a big year.”
And Leftwich hopes to have a big game against his hometown team. Leftwich vividly recalled sneaking into RFK Stadium around 10 times — a sympathetic ticket taker told him if he ran by him, he wouldn’t be chased — and watching Joe Theismann break his leg on a Monday night, when Leftwich was only 5. His older brother Kevin, then 10, filled him in on the backup, Jay Schroeder.
“I was a true fan,” he said. “It’s special anytime you play at home.”
Week 4 Notes
» Quarterback Mark Brunell did not practice for a second straight day Thursday because of a laceration on his left elbow. But he threw several 20-yard passes after practice and is expected to practice today, according to director of sports medicine Bubba Tyer.
» Brunell suffered a similar injury in 2003 with Jacksonville. The laceration became infected and caused him to eventually need surgery, effectively ending his career with the Jaguars. But Brunell said he made sure his latest laceration was sufficiently cleaned up before receiving stitches.
» Cornerback Shawn Springs, who already ruled himself out for Sunday, is now in doubt for the Oct. 8 game at New York as well, because of his groin injury. Springs visited Wednesday with Dr. William Meyers, who performed the surgery on his pelvis in August. Springs said Meyers told him he’s recovered from the surgery.
But it’s the groin injury he suffered in practice last week that has set him back, a possible crushing blow given New York’s passing attack.
» Running back Clinton Portis said the offense has a different energy with him in the game.
“I give it my all every play and guys feed off that energy,” said Portis, once again not dressed in costume. “Ladell [Betts] is acapable guy with a lot of talent, but he’s not rowdy and won’t get in the defense’s face like, ‘You don’t want to see me.’ We have different attitudes on the field.”
