Ol' Ricky's Redskins Tales - Brett Conway & George Gone at RFK

Ol’ Ricky knows a good prank, but paybacks are even better. And, it took a kicker to deliver the best one ever at Redskins Park.

Brett Conway spent 1998-2002 with the Redskins as a decent kicker troubled by leg injuries. After the Redskins clinched the 1999 NFC East title in San Francisco, the team flew overnight to Washington. Conway slept so he could drive to his girlfriend’s home in Pennsylvania straight from the airport.

Oh, bad mistake. Never fall asleep on a team plane. Bad things happen. Even worse, Conway took a sleeping pill so he was dead asleep like “Weekend at Bernie’s.” Conway showed up at his gal’s home unaware that he was sporting a full beard, scars and ear rings thanks to a sharpie drawn by offensive tackle Jon Jansen, center Cory Raymer and fullback Mike Sellers.

Bet that was a helluva scene at the door.

Conway would later say never mess with a kicker because they have more time to plot revenge. He vowed to get all three. Jansen was first a few days later. Conway needed to be quick as there was only one game remaining before the playoffs.

Jansen lived far from Redskins Park near the West Virginia border. Drove a Ford F-150 truck like most linemen still do. It’s the vehicle of choice among 300 pounders. He gave Cory Raymer a ride home when hearing fans honk as they passed. They just figured it was Redskins fans saying hello.

Finally, a driver yelled, “Hey, you have a sign on the back of your truck” so Jansen stopped to see what it said.

“I like big hairy men.”

Sellers was next. Conway stuffed a big rat and 20 mice in the tight end’s locker. When Sellers opened it after practice, the rat came right out followed by the mice. Sellers tripped over a bench and was on the floor as teammates howled. Coach Norv Turner wasn’t happy about a rat unleashed in the building. Not a real one, at least.

Raymer was last man standing. Conway filled Raymer’s truck with Styrofoam peanuts. A white trail followed his exit from Redskins Park.

Tomorrow: Ol’ Ricky remembers Lone Star Dietz. Lots of stories in my book and these are the types of tales I’ll tell on my “Pizza and Pigskins Tours” later this summer.

Rick Snider is an award-winning sports writer who has covered Washington sports since 1978. He first wrote about the Redskins in 1983 before becoming a beat writer in 1993. Snider currently writes for several national and international publications and is a Washington tour guide. Follow Rick on Twitter at @Snide_Remarks.