WaPo – Jansen Is Dirtbag Number 1
Jon Jansen wore a white cut-off practice jersey, burgundy shorts and a stubble as the 6-foot-6, 306-pounder trudged off the field following yesterday’s practice at Redskins Park. The right tackle’s massive arms were dirtied from spending a few minutes in the 90-minute session fending off defenders pursuing quarterbacks Mark Brunell and Patrick Ramsey.
Jansen’s appearance was little different from the one he had in the Washington Redskins’ first minicamp in May: His grim exterior, soiled jersey and blue-collar approach spurred assistant head coach-offense Joe Bugel to concoct a nickname for the offensive linemen: Dirtbags. “I think he definitely deserves more praise than what he gets,” Redskins’ Chris Samuels, a two-time Pro Bowler said of fellow tackle Jon Jansen, above, who has yet to make a Pro Bowl. “He’s just a dirtbag. He’s into every play, going hard, hustling. He’s just a leader on this team.”
“Take a look at Jon Jansen,” explained Bugel, who created the “Hogs” moniker for his famed line during the 1980s because of the unit’s girth. “Tell me what you see.”
Hmm. While “Hogs” wasn’t exactly flattering, “Dirtbags” seems much, much worse. Originally, it was a slang term for a condom. Dictionary.com gives its meaning as “A filthy or vile person.” Even in its more generic use, it connotes sloth, not a work ethic.
