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Washington Redskins

Whatever Happened to … A.D. Whitfield

When a casual Redskins fan is asked to name former running backs with the team he would probably call out Larry Brown, John Riggins, Earnest Byner, Steven Davis. Many may not remember A.D. Whitfield.
When a casual Redskins fan is asked to name former running backs with the team he would probably call out Larry Brown, John Riggins, Earnest Byner, Steven Davis. Many may not remember A.D. Whitfield.

Whitfield played for the Skins from 1966 through 1968. Although he didn’t carry the ball often, he did have a 5.1 yard per carry average in 1966 (93 carries gaining 472 yards) and was involved in some of the most exciting Redskins games including the 72-41 whopping of the New York Giants on November 27, 1966 and a come from behind victory over the Dallas Cowboys that same year. In 1967 Whitfield was a formidable receiver coming out of the backfield with 36 catches for 494 yards and a 13.7 yard per catch average. Possible potential that may have been mismanaged by head coach Otto Graham.

Whitfield was born in 1943 and raised in the tiny town of Rosebud, Texas. He started playing football when he was a sophomore at Wilson White High School in Rosebud.

According to Whitfield, no one actually encouraged him to play football. Instead, he got his inspiration by watching football games on television in the late 1950s. He was especially impressed by the University of Oklahoma football team.

Whitfield played halfback and fullback in high school and made the All-District team.

He attended North Texas State University where he played halfback all four years of his eligibility. He was honorable mention All-American and All-Conference in the Missouri Valley Conference his sophomore and junior years.

He was signed as a free agent by the Dallas Cowboys in 1965. “I called the NFL office after I wasn’t drafted and a Dallas Cowboy scout came out the next day and signed me,” said Whitfield. That first contract was for $10,000 and there was no signing bonus.

Whitfield remembered that he played one down during the `65 season and it was against the Redskins.

He was traded to the Skins in 1966 in the deal that sent Jim Steffen to the Cowboys and Whitfield, Brig Owens, and Mitch Johnson to the Redskins.

Whitfield was not your prototypical back. He was 5 feet 10 inches and weighed barely 200 pounds. Graham liked the big backs in the range of 6 feet 3 inches or 6 feet 4 inches and about 220 to 240 pounds, noted Whitfield. So when Whitfield joined the Skins, they already had big backs like Joe Don Looney and Steve Thurlow. Whitfield believes that he didn’t play much because of the size factor. Graham used the strategy of running back by committee.

That doesn’t mean that Whitfield didn’t leave his mark. In the 72 to 41 victory over the Giants, Whitfield remembered that he carried the ball only four times. Yet, he scored three touchdowns, one on a 63 yard run and one on a pass from Jurgensen. He noted that he had been injured in the previous game against the Cleveland Browns and had to be helped off the field by Jurgensen and Charley Taylor. He didn’t know if he’d be able to play against the Giants.

The Redskins played the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas the next game after the win over the Giants. It was Whitfield’s first game in Dallas after being traded. “It was my first time back home and my family was there to watch me play,” he remembered. He recalls that he had two big runs in that game and that one run set up the game winning field goal with just seconds on the clock.

In 1967 the Redskins drafted running back Ray McDonald in the first round and that reduced Whitfield’s playing time even more. McDonald was a big back who fit better into Graham’s idea of how big a running back should be. Still, Whitfield carried the ball 91 times and gained 384 yards for a 4.2 yards per carry average. He was used even less in 1968 because, he said, he was negotiating a new contract and Graham didn’t want to play him. Still, he carried the ball 37 times for 125 yards for a 3.4 yards per carry average and caught 13 passes for 107 yards for an average of 8.2 yards per catch.

He attended training camp in 1969, Vince Lombardi’s year as head coach of the team. Future great Larry Brown and Charlie Harraway had been added to the roster and, as a result, Whitfield was cut.

So in his four year career in the National Football League with the Cowboys and Redskins, Whitfield carried the ball 222 times and gained 981 yards for a 4.4 yard per carry average. He caught 67 passes for 702 yards for a 10.5 yard per catch average.

He went north and played for the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League in 1970, `71, and `72.

When the World Football League was formed in 1974, Whitfield signed with the Florida Blazers franchise. On the team with him were former Redskins Rickie Harris and Mitch Johnson. The roster also included former Cleveland Browns star Gary Collins and the head coach was Jack Pardee. The Blazers made it all the way to the championship game — known as the World Bowl. The Blazers lost to the Birmingham Americans 22-21. After half the season was completed in 1975, the World Football League folded and A.D. Whitfield retired.

He worked for the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company in Maryland as a marketing and merchandising representative during the off season when he played with the Redskins and in 1973 between stints in the Canadian Football League and the World Football League.

He returned to Texas in 1975 and has been working for New York Life Insurance, Company for the last 29 years.

He lives with his wife in Cedar Hill, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. He has a son who is 37 years old and a daughter who is 35 and both live in Texas.

He was an advent tennis player, but three years ago he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and, as a result, has not been involved in recreational sports.

He is amazed at the salaries paid to today’s players. He noted that the first year he played for the Redskins he made $13,000. Each year his salary was elevated up to $17,000 his last year with the Skins.

He has no regrets. “I still wonder though if I got the ball 200 times or so a year, what I could have done,” he concluded.  

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