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Washington Football Team facts for kids

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Washington Football Team
Current season
Washington Football Team logo
Washington Football Team wordmark
Logo Wordmark
Washington football team unif.png
Uniforms
Basic info
Established July 9, 1932; 92 years ago (1932-07-09)
Colors Burgundy, gold
         
Fight song Hail to the Redskins (as the Redskins)
Personnel
Owner(s) Daniel Snyder
President Jason Wright
General manager Ron Rivera (de facto)
Head coach Ron Rivera
Nicknames
  • The Burgundy and Gold
  • The 'Skins (as the Redskins)
Team history
  • Boston Braves (1932)
  • Boston Redskins (1933–1936)
  • Washington Redskins (1937–2019)
  • Washington Football Team (2020–present)
Home fields
League / conference affiliations
National Football League (1932–present)
  • Eastern Division (1933–1949)
  • American Conference (1950–1952)
  • Eastern Conference (1953–1969)
    • Capitol Division (1967–1969)
  • National Football Conference (1970–present)
    • NFC East (1970–present)
Championships
League championships: 5
Conference championships: 5
  • NFC: 1972, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1991
Division championships: 14
  • NFL Eastern: 1936, 1937, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945
  • NFC East: 1972, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1991, 1999, 2012, 2015
Playoff appearances (24)
  • NFL: 1936, 1937, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2015

The Washington Football Team is a professional American football team. They are based in the Washington, D.C. area. The team plays its home games at FedExField in Landover, Maryland. Their main office and training area are in Ashburn, Virginia. They are part of the National Football League (NFL). Specifically, they play in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC).

The team started in Boston in 1932. They were first called the "Boston Braves," named after the city's baseball team. Soon after, they changed their name to the "Redskins." When the team moved to Washington, D.C., they kept this name. Over time, some people felt that naming a team after a specific group of people was not appropriate. This led to discussions and calls for the team to change its name.

In 2014, the United States Patent and Trademark Office decided to cancel the team's trademarks. They said the name was disrespectful to Native Americans.

In 2020, the team announced they would review their name. On July 13, 2020, the team officially stopped using the "Redskins" name. They then became the "Washington Football Team" while they worked on choosing a new, permanent name.

Team History and Achievements

How the Team Started

The team began in Boston in 1932. They were first known as the Boston Braves. After one year, they changed their name to the Boston Redskins. In 1937, the team moved to Washington, D.C., and became the Washington Redskins.

Winning Championships

The team has won several important championships. They won two NFL Championships before the Super Bowl era. These wins were in 1937 and 1942.

They have also won the Super Bowl three times:

  • Super Bowl XVII in 1982
  • Super Bowl XXII in 1987
  • Super Bowl XXVI in 1991

Conference and Division Titles

The team has won the National Football Conference (NFC) championship five times. This means they were the best team in their conference. They also have 14 division titles. These titles show they were the best team in their specific division for those years.

Playoff Appearances

The team has made it to the NFL playoffs 24 times. The playoffs are special games at the end of the season. Only the best teams get to play in them.

Where the Team Plays

The team has played in several stadiums over the years:

FedexField photo by Flickr user dbking
FedExField has served as the team's stadium since 1997

Important Players and Moments

Famous Quarterbacks

The team has had many great players. Quarterbacks like Joe Theismann helped lead the team to Super Bowl wins. Later, players like Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins also made a big impact. Robert Griffin III won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2012. Kirk Cousins is one of only three quarterbacks for the team to throw for over 4,000 yards in a single season.

Joe Theismann1983
Joe Theismann at the Washington Football Team training camp in 1983
RG3 2014
Quarterback Robert Griffin III won the league's offensive rookie of the year award in 2012.
Kirk Cousins throwback uniform 2015
Kirk Cousins is one of only three quarterbacks in franchise history to throw for over 4,000 yards in a single season.

Team Legends

Many players have become legends for the team. Mark May, an offensive lineman, was named one of the "70 Greatest Redskins." These players are remembered for their skill and dedication to the team.

May, Mark (USAF)
Mark May, offensive lineman for the Washington Football Team between 1981 and 1989.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Washington Commanders para niños

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