The Washington Redskins announced the organization will present replacement players from the 1987 team with Super Bowl rings. (Reuters)
The Washington Redskins announced Wednesday that the organization will present replacement players from the 1987 team with Super Bowl rings.
The organization announced it would honor the work of the replacement players, who went 3-0 during the NFL strike. Washington went on to finish out the season 11-4, win the NFC East and defeat the Denver Broncos, 42-10, to win Super Bowl XXII.
The story of the replacement players was chronicled in ESPN’s “30 for 30” documentary titled “Year of the Scab,” which aired in September 2017.
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The replacement players were called into play after many NFL players went on strike arguing free agency rules. Many of the replacements were taunted on the field by fans, ESPN reported.
Many of the players were cut from the team following the strike after six weeks while a few stayed for the playoffs.
Tony Robinson, a former quarterback and Anthony Sagnella, a former defensive lineman, are two of the replacement players who will receive rings.
“Tears were in my eyes,” Robinson said after hearing the news. “Thirty-some years later, but, hey, better late than never. It’s a good feeling, a real good feeling. To be called Super Bowl champion, a lot of people can’t say that. And a lot of people can’t say they have a Super Bowl ring. It’s a big accomplishment. I was just so happy and blessed to be a part of that. I’ll cherish it for the rest of my life. It’s a great honor.”
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Skip Lane, a former replacement safety, said in “Year of the Scab” that it was the owner’s decision not to give us a ring.
“I don’t have a ring,” Lane said. “It was an owner’s decision, and he decided not to give us a ring. You know the guy who parks the cars at Redskins Park got a ring? The girl who answers the phone up front got a ring.”
Eric Coyle, a former replacement center, said in the documentary that he met with former President Ronald Reagan after the Super Bowl win but never received a ring.
The replacements players filled in for NFL athletes during the 1987 strike. (Reuters)
“I was at the White House. I shook Ronald Reagan’s hand,” Coyle said. “I had no reason to believe I wasn’t getting a ring, until the ring fittings had come and gone and nobody checked me.”
The replacements were given a share of money following the team’s championship, The Washington Post reported.
Owner Dan Snyder says the replacement players' ''contributions are part of Redskins history and represent an integral reason why a Lombardi Trophy from the 1987 campaign resides in our facility.'' The Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution Tuesday commending the replacement players on the 1987 team.
An exact date for the celebration of the replacement players' contributions is yet to be announced.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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