Favorite Late-Round Redskins Draft Pick: Gus Frerotte

Ok, first of all, pick yourself off the ground, and stop laughing. I’m serious, it’s really pissing me off. I have all day to wait for you. You’re good? Alright, let’s begin. Gus Frerotte was never meant to be an NFL starting Quarterback. Drafted in the 7^th round, one could argue that this Quarterback from Tulsa should’ve been cut after a few weeks of camp, but he wasn’t. In fact, Heath Shuler was selected in the same draft but 194 picks before Gus. However, by the next season, Gus was the starting quarterback for the Washington Redskins.

In 1997, Frerotte was sent to the Pro Bowl. Hey, someone had to go, why not him? Aside from the fact that he decided to head butt a wall on national television, Gus actually had a not too bad season if you ignore the injury. However, Gus became a piece of glass from then on out, and made way for Trent Green, who eventually made way for Brad Johnson. Gus went on to play for 6 different teams from then on out, which included the Vikings, Lions, Bengals, Dolphins, Broncos, and Rams.

My point to be made is that Gus Frerotte was supposed to be a nobody, and became something decent for the NFL. In his career, he threw for over 100 touchdowns and over 20,000 yards. If you were drafted that late, and your name isn’t Tom Brady, that isn’t bad at all. Think of all the failed quarterbacks who have been taken earlier than Gus (starting with Shuler), Joey Harrington, Ryan Leaf, etc. Maybe I see Gus and think success because he wasn’t meant to be anything in the league. Did Gus deliver a Super Bowl to Redskins fans? No, but he kept the team competitive at times, and even though he thought he could go toe to toe with a wall, who doesn’t laugh at the thought?

Gus was the epitome of a backup in the NFL; a guy who could come in, and for a short period of time, give the team a shot in the arm. Look at how he performed after he left the ‘Skins, never starting too much, but always performing pretty well when called upon. With the Redskins, he threw 48 touchdowns and 44 interceptions while passing for nearly 10,000 yards. Mediocre? Maybe, but what were people truly expecting from a Quarterback drafted in the 7^th round from Tulsa? Like I said, Frerotte was not the solution, but neither was Shuler. The pressures of a starting quarterback in the NFL have always been gigantic, and in DC, even more so.

When I look at value for the Redskins after the 5^th round in drafts, it’s extremely difficult to find a name that means anything. Brian Mitchell was obviously great, but there’s a million of those articles written already. How about Todd Husak? Err, Frank Wycheck? I mean, he had that one great play for the Titans, right? No, my friends, value can be seen in playing time and accomplishment, and Gus Frerotte provided us with a bit of both.