To the Washington Redskins and West Virginia Mountaineer community, Sam Huff is a living legend. On Saturday, Sept. 15th 2012 at Fed Ex Field, the legend continues with what West Virginia is calling ‘Sam Huff Day.’ On September 15th the Mountaineers square off against James Madison University and will pay tribute to Huff’s lifetime achievements in football, as well as commemorate his years of dedication and commitment to the Redskins and Mountaineers.
The WVU-JMU game adds to a superb lineup of events at FedEx Field as part of the Redskins’ commitment to provide diverse entertainment options including premier college football games, world-class performers, international matches and more.
Huff will be the Mountaineers’ honorary captain and recognized at halftime. He will also be honored pregame, on the video boards and at special events at FedExField throughout the day.
WVU Director of Athletics, former pro football player, and father of Andrew Luck – Oliver Luck released a statement, “Sam Huff is one of the all-time great Mountaineers, and this will certainly be a special day playing in the home of the Washington Redskins and honoring one of the NFL’s greatest legends. We have a great fan base in the D.C. area, and we are certainly looking forward to honoring Sam for his major contributions to the game of football as a Mountaineer and Redskin.”’
Huff is a West Virginia native, and is one of only two former Mountaineer greats to have his number retired by the University. He was a four-year letter winner and a three-year starter who helped lead the Mountaineers to a combined four-year mark of 31-7 and a berth in the 1954 Sugar Bowl. As a co-captain in 1955, Huff was named first team All-American by the NEA Service, Look Magazine, Jet Magazine and NBC-TV. He was selected to play in the North-South Game, the Senior Bowl and the College Football All-Star Game played in Chicago. He also earned first team Academic All-America honors.
“The Washington Redskins are honored to join WVU in celebrating one of our most talented alumni by devoting an entire day to celebrate his tremendous accomplishments,” said Redskins Executive Vice President/General Manager Bruce Allen. “Sam embodies what it means to be a Redskin and we are excited to thank him, along with his college alma mater, for his years of service and commitment to both the Redskins and Mountaineers.”
After an All-American career at West Virginia, Huff entered the NFL in 1956. A member of the NFL’s 1950’s All-Decade team, Huff played in five Pro Bowls, six NFC Championship games, was named All-NFL three times and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982. In 2002, he was honored as one of the 70 Greatest Redskins.
“Sam Huff was the embodiment of toughness and aggressiveness,” said Redskins legend, Joe Theisman. “It is great that he is being honored. Being a part of the Redskins family he speaks to the great traditions that we have both as a team and organization. This is one of many honors he not only deserves, but earned.”
By Emmanual Benton