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"If I were still coaching I’d still be stressing fundamentals. You’ve to block and tackle and play defense. It’s a specialist’s game now but it’s still a game of fundamentals. That’s how you win.”
(Gonzaga)...Raymond Paul Flaherty. . .Compiled 80-37-5 coaching record. . .Won four Eastern division, two NFL titles with Redskins, two AAFC divisional crowns with Yankees. . . Introduced behind-the-line screen pass in 1937 NFL title game. . .Two-platoon system with one rushing, one passing unit also a Flaherty first. . .Played end with Los Angeles Wildcats (first AFL), New York Yankees, New York Giants. . . All-NFL, 1928, 1932. . .Born September 1, 1903 in Spokane, Washington. . . Died July 19, 1994, at age of 90.
Ray Flaherty put himself squarely on the spot in one of his first public utterances after being named head coach of the Boston Redskins in 1936. On hearing of the signing of Wayne Millner, Ray wired his boss, George Preston Marshall: "With that big Yankee playing end, please accept my resignation if we do not win the championship this year!"
History shows, however, that while the Redskins did not win, neither did Flaherty resign. Instead he stayed on with the Redskins, who moved to Washington in 1937, for six more years. In all, he led the team to two NFL championships and four divisional titles.
He guided the Redskins during the period that the Chicago Bears dominated pro football. Yet, Flaherty's Redskins defeated the Bears two out of three times in NFL title showdowns. Two important football innovations are credited to Flaherty and each played an important role in his two NFL championships.
In 1937, Ray introduced the behind-the-line screen pass against the Bears. Redskins quarterback Sammy Baugh threw three touchdown passes against the unprepared Chicago defenses for a 28-21 victory. Later, Ray developed a 1940s version of the two-platoon system. Both units played both ways but one unit emphasized the passing offense while the second platoon featured the ground game. This substitution plan was particularly effective in the 1942 championship year, Ray's last season in Washington.
When Ray returned to civilian life after World War II, he opted to join the New York Yankees of the newly formed All-America Football Conference and there he won two straight divisional crowns. He closed out his coaching career in 1949 with the AAFC’s Chicago Hornets. For his entire coaching career, Ray's record shows 80 wins, 37 losses and five ties, for an excellent .676 lifetime winning percentage. Ray was also an outstanding end for nine seasons, most of them with the New York Giants, before he started coaching.
Full Name: Raymond Paul Flaherty Birthdate: September 1, 1903 Birthplace: Spokane, Washington Died: July 19, 1994 High School: Gonzaga Prep (Spokane, WA) Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame: January 17, 1976 Enshrined into Pro Football Hall of Fame: July 24, 1976 Presenter: James R. Barber, Former Redskins Player Other Members of Class of 1976: Len Ford, Jim Taylor