Washington football legend John Riggins’ jersey will be retired this November.
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The Washington Commanders said they will retire Riggins’ No. 44 jersey during the game with the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 8.
Riggins, nicknamed “Riggo” and “Diesel,” helped “define one of the most successful eras in the team’s history,” the Commanders said in a news release.
“There are certain players whose impact goes far beyond statistics, championships and accolades; they become woven into the identity of a franchise. John Riggins is one of those players,” Commanders owner Josh Harris said in a statement on X.
“He played the game with a rare combination of physicality, fearlessness and personality that captivated fans and inspired his teammates.”
Commanders Team President Mark Clouse told WTOP that when he told Riggins the news, the former running back was skeptical at first, but turned into excitement about the reactions of fans.
“The fans were so important to him, and what a great representative for our franchise, and for the history of our team,” Clouse said, adding that this is the latest action to connect the past with the present. “We couldn’t be more excited to be celebrating John on that night. … I guarantee it’s going to be a night to remember for all of our fans.”
The running back played in Washington from 1976 to 1985 after spending his first five seasons in the league with the New York Jets. While in the nation’s capital, he led the league in rushing touchdowns twice — including a then-NFL record 24 touchdowns in 1983. Riggins also won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award and was a first-team All-Pro player.
One of his most memorable moments came in Super Bowl 17 against the Miami Dolphins. With Washington trailing 17-13 in the fourth quarter and having a fourth-and-one near midfield, Riggins took a handoff from quarterback Joe Theismann and took it 43 yards for the go-ahead touchdown that would eventually clinch the Burgundy and Gold’s first Super Bowl title.
He would be named Super Bowl MVP because of his performance, in which he had 38 carries for 166 yards.
In 1990, he was voted into Washington’s Ring of Honor along with Theismann. During the ceremony, he came out onto the field of RFK Stadium with his uniform, shoulder pads and game pads on to the delight of the crowd.
“I knew this was going to work. It was going to work and the fans just erupted,” Riggins said in a video of the Commanders’ announcement on X. “In those moments, they have the memories. I have the memories of that great moment where the fans acknowledge you. … And I say this with all sincerity, the fans were my oxygen.”
Riggins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992. He is Washington’s all-time leading rusher — 7,472 of his 11,352 career yards came while wearing the Burgundy and Gold.
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