Richie Petitbon

Last updated

Richie Petitbon
No. 17, 16
Position: Safety
Personal information
Born: (1938-04-18) April 18, 1938 (age 85)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:206 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school: Jesuit
(New Orleans, Louisiana)
College: Tulane (1957–1958)
NFL draft: 1959  / Round: 2 / Pick: 21
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
  • Washington Redskins (19781980)
    Defensive backs coach
  • Washington Redskins (19811992)
    Defensive coordinator
  • Washington Redskins (1993)
    Head coach
Career highlights and awards
As a player
As a coach
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions:48
Interception yards:801
Fumble recoveries:13
Defensive touchdowns:3
Head coaching record
Career:4–12 (.250)
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR
Coaching stats at PFR

Richard Alvin Petitbon (born April 18, 1938) is an American former football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). Petitbon first attended Loyola University New Orleans on a track and field scholarship and left after his freshman year to play college football for the Tulane Green Wave. [1] After playing as a quarterback at Tulane, [2] he played as a safety for the Chicago Bears from 1959 to 1968, the Los Angeles Rams in 1969 and 1970, and the Washington Redskins in 1971 and 1972. Petitbon recorded the second most interceptions in Bears history with 37 during his career, trailing Gary Fencik. [3] Petitbon also holds the Bears' record for the longest interception return, after scoring on a 101-yard return against the Rams in 1962. [4] As of 2019, he also holds the Bears record for the most interceptions in a game—3 against the Green Bay Packers in 1967—and most interception return yards in a season (212 in 1962). [5]

Contents

Coaching career

He returned to the Redskins in 1978 as the defensive backs coach under Jack Pardee. From 1981 to 1992, he was the Redskins' defensive coordinator under head coach Joe Gibbs, either alone or sharing the job with Larry Peccatiello. During this time period, Petitbon was considered one of the top coordinators in football. When Gibbs initially retired in 1993, Petitbon was named his successor. He did not find the same success as a head coach, lasting only one season. Aging and underachieving, the team finished 4–12 and Petibon was dismissed by Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke in favor of archrival Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Norv Turner. Following his firing, Petitbon never took another job in the NFL.

Personal life

His brother, John Petitbon, also played in the NFL. Both Petitbon brothers are members of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame. [6]

Head coaching record

TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
WonLostTiesWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
WAS 1993 4120.2505th in NFC East

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl VII</span> 1973 Edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl VII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Miami Dolphins and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1972 season. The Dolphins defeated the Redskins by the score of 14–7, winning their first Super Bowl, and became the first and still the only team in modern NFL history to complete a perfect undefeated season. They also remain the only Super Bowl champion to win despite having been shut out in the second half of the game. The game was played on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, the second time the Super Bowl was played in that city. At kickoff, the temperature was 84 °F (29 °C), making the game the warmest Super Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Commanders</span> American football team based in the Washington, DC, area

The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Commanders Field in Landover, Maryland; its headquarters and training facility are in Ashburn, Virginia. The team has played more than 1,000 games and is one of only five in the NFL with more than 600 total wins. Washington was among the first NFL franchises with a fight song: "Hail to the Commanders", played by their marching band after every touchdown scored by the team at home. The Commanders are owned by a group managed by Josh Harris, who acquired the team from Daniel Snyder in 2023 for $6.05 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darrell Green</span> American football player (born 1960)

Darrell Ray Green is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins from 1983 to 2002. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest cornerbacks to have ever played in the NFL. Green was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Gibbs</span> American race team owner and Pro Football Hall of Fame coach

Joe Jackson Gibbs is an American auto racing team owner and former football coach. He served two stints as the head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL), from 1981 to 1992 and then 2004 to 2007. Gibbs led them to nine playoff appearances, four NFC Championship titles, and three Super Bowl wins over 16 total seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonny Jurgensen</span> American football player (born 1934)

Christian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983. Jurgensen was also a longtime color commentator for Washington's radio broadcast crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Williams (quarterback)</span> American football player, coach, and executive (born 1955)

Douglas Lee Williams is an American football executive and former quarterback and coach. Williams is best known for his performance with the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos, making him the first black quarterback to both start and win a Super Bowl. He was named Super Bowl MVP after breaking two Super Bowl passing records: 340 yards total, and being the first to throw four touchdowns in a single quarter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Archuleta</span> American football player (born 1977)

Adam Jason Archuleta is an American former professional football player who was a safety for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils, and was selected in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams with the 20th overall pick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Gray</span> American football player and coach (born 1962)

Jerry Don Gray is an American football coach and former player who is the assistant head coach/defense for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). Gray played college football at the University of Texas at Austin, where he garnered All-American honors. Thereafter, he played professionally for the Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.

Wilber Buddyhia Marshall is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for five teams from 1984 until 1995. Marshall played college football for the Florida Gators, was twice recognized as a consensus All-American, and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charley Taylor</span> American football player and coach (1941–2022)

Charles Robert Taylor was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for 13 seasons with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils, he was selected by Washington in the first round of the 1964 NFL draft. With Taylor, the Redskins made the playoffs five times and reached the Super Bowl once (VII), after the 1972 season. A six-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl selection, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984.

Dennis Lee Thurman is an American football coach and former player. He is a former coach in the National Football League (NFL) for the Phoenix Cardinals, the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets, and in the Alliance of American Football (AAF) for the Memphis Express. He played as a cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys and the St. Louis Cardinals. He played college football for the USC Trojans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Doll</span> American football player and coach (1926–2010)

Donald LeRoy Doll, also known as Don Burnside, was an American football player and coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russ Grimm</span> American football player and coach (born 1959)

Russell Scott Grimm is an American former professional football player who was a guard for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He has also served as an assistant coach for the Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, and Tennessee Titans. As a professional, Grimm had multiple selections to both the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Grimm played 11 seasons for the Redskins and was a first-team selection to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Washington Commanders</span> Sports team history

The Washington Commanders are a professional American football franchise based in the Washington metropolitan area. They are members of the East division in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). The Commanders were founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves, named after the local baseball franchise. The franchise changed its name the following year to the Redskins and moved to Washington, D.C. in 1937. In 2020, the team retired the Redskins name after longstanding controversies surrounding it and briefly became the Washington Football Team, before choosing the Washington Commanders as their permanent name in 2022.

Patrick Fischer is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1961 to 1967, and the Washington Redskins from 1968 to 1977.

Roosevelt "Rosey" Taylor was an American professional football player who was a safety for the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Grambling State University. Part of Grambling's initial SWAC championship defense in 1960 – the group included four future All-Pros – Taylor went on to lead the NFL with nine interceptions in 1963, on the way to 32 career picks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1969 Minnesota Vikings season</span> NFL team season

The 1969 season was the Minnesota Vikings' ninth season in the National Football League (NFL) and their third under head coach Bud Grant. With a 12–2 record, the best in the league, the Vikings won the NFL Central division title, to qualify for the playoffs for the second year in a row. This was the first of three consecutive seasons as the best team in the NFL for the Vikings. They beat the Los Angeles Rams in the Western Conference Championship Game, and the Cleveland Browns in the final NFL Championship Game before the merger with the American Football League. With these wins, the Vikings became the last team to possess the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy, introduced 35 years earlier in 1934.

LaVern Earl "Torgy" Torgeson was an American football player and coach. He played college football for Washington State from 1948 through 1950. Torgeson played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, principally as a linebacker, for the Detroit Lions from 1951 to 1954 and for the Washington Redskins from 1955 to 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Smith (defensive back, born 1925)</span> American football player (1925–2002)

James Robert "Bob" Smith was an American football defensive back, halfback and punter. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions from 1949 to 1954. He played for NFL championship teams in Detroit in 1952 and 1953 and was selected as a first-team All Pro after the 1952 season. He also played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for the Buffalo Bills (1948), Brooklyn Dodgers (1948), and Chicago Hornets (1949). Smith played college football for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks (1944), and the Iowa Hawkeyes (1946–1947).

Joseph Brodsky was an American football coach. He won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) and two national championships at the University of Miami. He played college football at the University of Florida.

References

  1. "Richie Petitbon". lasportshall.com. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  2. "Gridiron great". Tulane News.
  3. Mayer, Larry. "Tillman repeats stellar performance". Chicago Bears. Archived from the original on 2012-10-11. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
  4. "Reed rumbles 108 yards for NFL record | Longest interception returns by team". Pro Football Hall of Fame . 2008-11-24. Retrieved 2014-06-02.
  5. "NFL Interception Return Yards Single-Season Leaders". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  6. NOLA.com