George Preston Marshall made two great personnel decisions during his nearly four decades as owner of the Washington Redskins. He made SMU quarterback star Sammy Baugh the No. 1 pick when the Redskins moved to D.C. from Boston in 1937. And he traded his 1962 No. 1 draft choice, Ernie Davis, in 1962 to the Cleveland Browns for star receiver and kick returner Bobby Mitchell.
One was a no-brainer. The other Marshall was forced to do.
Both moves, in their own ways, were game-changers for football in Washington.
Baugh would lead the Redskins to the NFL championship in his rookie season and win one more league title, putting NFL football on the map in the nation’s capital.