Robert John Riggins (born August 4, 1949), nicknamed "Riggo" and "Diesel", is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
player who was a
fullback in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
(NFL) for the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
and
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...
for the
Kansas Jayhawks
The Kansas Jayhawks, commonly referred to as simply KU or Kansas, are the athletic teams that represent the University of Kansas. KU is one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a mem ...
. He was known for his powerful running style and productivity well into the latter years of his career: in 1983 at age 34, he rushed for an NFL single-season record 24 touchdowns and again led the league in rushing touchdowns the following year at age 35. Although he earned only one
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
appearance in his career, Riggins had his greatest success in the
postseason and was named the
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a partic ...
of
Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Miami Dolphins and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
where he scored one touchdown and rushed for 166 yards in a 27–17 win for the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
over the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
. Riggins was inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...
in 1992.
Early life
Riggins was born in
Seneca, Kansas
Seneca is a city in and the county seat of Nemaha County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,139.
History
Seneca was founded in 1857. It was named after Seneca County, Ohio. The first post offic ...
, of partial
Czech ancestry and attended Centralia High School in
Centralia, Kansas. While there, he was a three-sport athlete, earning high school
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n recognition in football, all-state honors in basketball and twice winning the Class B
100-yard dash state title.
Riggins' high school is now located on John Riggins Avenue, which runs through a main part of Centralia.
On October 12, 2012, John with his brothers Frank (Junior) and Bill Riggins were on hand to dedicate the Centralia High School football field renaming it Riggins Field in honoring their parents, Franklin Eugene and Mildred Riggins. The Pro Football Hall of Fame dedicated a plaque and NFL Films was there to film the event. The Riggins brothers took center field for the opening coin toss and the Centralia High School Panthers went on to beat the Troy (Kansas) High School Trojans with a final score of 55–0.
College career
Riggins attended the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...
and played for the
Jayhawks, where he was an
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n
and two-time All-
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football. It was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Associati ...
first-team selection.
Riggins led the Jayhawks to a
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football. It was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Associati ...
championship win in 1968. The team then went to the
1969 Orange Bowl, which they lost to
Penn State, 15–14.
During his senior season in 1970, Riggins rushed for 1,131 yards and scored a then school-record 14 touchdowns.
He finished his career with 2,659 rushing yards,
which broke
Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers (May 30, 1943September 23, 2020) was an American professional football player who was both a halfback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). In a relatively brief but highly productive NFL career, Say ...
's career rushing record for the school
Riggins is now ranked fifth for Kansas' all-time rushing leaders and 14th for total yards.
While at Kansas, Riggins majored in journalism.
Professional career
New York Jets
Riggins was the first running back selected in the
1971 NFL Draft at 6th in the first round by the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
. As a rookie he became the first Jet to lead the team in both rushing and receiving.
On October 15, 1972, the Jets set a team-record of 333 rushing yards against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, beating them 41–13.
Riggins, who had 168 yards, and
Emerson Boozer, who had 150 yards, became the only
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Th ...
tandem in franchise history who both rushed for 150 yards in a game.
Although he missed the final two games in 1972 because of knee surgery, Riggins rushed for 944 yards, four yards less than
Matt Snell's franchise record.
Riggins was among the top ten rushers in the
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest professional level of American football in the United States. The AFC and its counterpart, the National Football Conference ...
in
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
despite missing four games with a shoulder injury.
After only four years with the Jets, he was already the fourth-leading rusher in team history with 2,875 yards.
In
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, Riggins became the first player in franchise history to rush for 1,000 or more yards in a season.
On December 21, 1975, he ran for 121 yards against the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
which gave him 1,005 for the season.
In what turned out to be his last season with the Jets, Riggins made his only appearance in the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
.
Riggins was named the Jets' MVP (now known as the Martin Award) in
1972 and
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
.
Washington Redskins
In
1976, Riggins signed as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who i ...
with the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
,
who offered him a five-year, $1.5 million contract, compared to the $63,000 he earned in his final year with the Jets.
He was used mostly in short-yardage situations in his first season with Washington and missed much of the
1977 season with a knee injury.
However, he gained more than 1,000 yards each of the next two seasons and was a major part of the Redskins' offense.
Contract dispute
During
training camp in July 1980, Riggins requested to renegotiate his $300,000-per-year contract and the Redskins refused.
He then chose to leave camp and the Redskins placed him on the left camp-retired list, a move that made him ineligible to play for any other team in the league.
Riggins sat out the
1980 season and did not rejoin the Redskins until
1981, when new Washington head coach
Joe Gibbs traveled to Kansas to make a peace offering.
"He had a
camouflage
Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...
outfit on", Gibbs recalled.
Riggins' return also came at the suggestion of
Ed Garvey, who was the executive director of the
NFL Players Association
The National Football League Players Association, or NFLPA, is a labor union representing National Football League (NFL) players. The NFLPA, which has headquarters in Washington, D.C., is led by president J. C. Tretter and executive director De ...
.
Eleven months after he left, Riggins returned to training camp in 1981 with a new contract,
telling the media "I'm bored, I'm broke, and I'm back."
Return to the Redskins
Upon Riggins' return in
1981, he managed just 714 rushing yards but scored 13 touchdowns.
During the
strike-shortened 1982 season, Riggins led the team with 553 rushing yards, but averaged just 3.1 yards per carry.
He was much more successful during the
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...
, during which he gained 444 yards in victories over the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
,
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
(where he had a franchise playoff record 185 yards), and
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
, and helped the Redskins reach
Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Miami Dolphins and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
.
Riggins rushed for a then-Super Bowl record 166 yards on 38 carries as the Redskins beat the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
27–17.
He was then named
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's (NFL) championship game. The winner is chosen by a panel of 16 football writer ...
.
A play that was designed for gaining short yardage called "70 chip" turned out to be the key play of the game. With 10 minutes remaining, Riggins took a handoff on 4th-and-inches,
stiffarmed cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
Don McNeal and ran for a 43-yard touchdown. The Super Bowl win was the Redskins' first championship victory since
1942.
Riggins' total of 610 yards amounted to 43 percent of Washington's offense in the four playoff games.
His four consecutive playoff games with over 100 yards was an NFL postseason record.
On December 6, 2007, Riggins' run was voted by fans as the Redskins' Greatest Moment.
The 610 rushing yards and 625 yards from scrimmage he gained in the 1982 playoffs are both single NFL postseason records.
In
1983, Riggins rushed for 1,347 yards, scored a then-NFL record 24 touchdowns, won the
Bert Bell Award
The Bert Bell Award is presented by the Maxwell Football Club to the player of the year in the National Football League (NFL). The award is named in honor of Bert Bell
De Benneville "Bert" Bell (February 25, 1895 – October 11, 1959) was the ...
,
and was named All-Pro for the first time in his career.
Riggins went on to have another outstanding postseason, rushing for 242 yards and five touchdowns in their two playoff games, extending his NFL record of postseason games with at least 100 rushing yards to six.
However, he only rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown in the Redskins' 38–9
Super Bowl XVIII loss against the
Los Angeles Raiders.
Two other career milestones happened in the 1983 season for Riggins. On November 20, 1983, he set an NFL record by scoring in his 12th consecutive game during a 42–20 win over the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...
. His record would end at 13 consecutive games the following week.
Then on December 17, 1983,
Mark Moseley
Mark DeWayne Moseley (born March 12, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played for Philadelphia Eagles (1970), the Houston Oilers (1971–72 ...
set an NFL kicking record by scoring 161 points in a season, which also made him the league leader in scoring that season. Riggins, who scored 144 points, was second on the season scoring list. This was the first time since
1951
Events
January
* January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950).
* January 9 – The Government of the United ...
that the top two scorers in a season played on the same team.
Riggins gained 1,239 yards in
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
and tied for the league lead in rushing TDs (14), despite a bad back.
In
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
, he rushed for more than 100 yards in three of his last four starts before being replaced by
George Rogers as the starter.
He retired after that season.
Riggins played 175 games in 14 seasons, had 13,442 total yards (
11,352 rushing and 2,090 receiving) and 116 total touchdowns (104 rushing and 12 receiving).
Riggins rushed over 1,000 yards five times in his career and over 100 yards in 35 games, including a then-record six in post-season. He rushed 251 times for 996 yards in the playoffs. He also had 12 touchdowns in nine post-season contests, good for fourth all-time tied with
Terrell Davis
Terrell Lamar Davis (born October 28, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2001. He is the Broncos all-time leading rusher and ...
and
Marshawn Lynch.
He was the second player ever to rush for over 100 touchdowns in NFL history, and the first to do it since
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel Brown (born February 17, 1936) is a former American football player, sports analyst and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 through 1965. Considered to be one ...
reached the milestone in
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in for a full term ...
.
NFL records
* Most rushing attempts and rushing yards in a single postseason: 136 attempts, 610 yards; 4 playoff games (1982)
* Oldest player to rush for 150+ yards in a game: 35 years, 71 days
* Oldest player to rush for 3 touchdowns in a game: 36 years, 70 days
* Oldest player to have a game with 100+ rushing yards & 1 rushing touchdown: 36 years, 84 days
* Oldest player to have 30+ rushing attempts in a game: 36 years, 84 days
* Oldest player to rush for 100+ yards in a playoff game: 34 years, 157 days (breaking his own record he set one week earlier)
* Oldest player to rush for 150+ yards in a playoff game: 33 years, 179 days
* Oldest player to rush for 175+ yards in a playoff game: 33 years, 164 days
* Most 100-yard rushing games after 35th birthday: 8
* Most games with 20 rushing attempts after 35th birthday: 11
* Oldest player to have 300+ rushing attempts in a season: 35
* Oldest player to have 1,200 rushing yards in a season: 35
* Oldest player to have 10+ rushing touchdowns in a season: 35
* Oldest player to score 20+ touchdowns in a season: 34
* Oldest player to have 350+ rushing attempts in a season: 34
* Oldest player to have 1,300 rushing yards in a season: 34
* Oldest player to have 20+ rushing touchdowns in a season: 34
* Most rushing attempts after 30th birthday: 1,510
* Most rushing touchdowns after 30th birthday: 71
* Most games with 20 rushing attempts after 30th birthday: 36
Honors
On October 21, 1990, Riggins and
Joe Theismann
Joseph Robert Theismann (born September 9, 1949) is an American former professional football player, sports commentator, corporate speaker and restaurateur. He rose to fame playing quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) and Can ...
were inducted into the
Redskins' Ring of Fame. As Riggins' name was called, he ran onto the field in full Redskins uniform, including pads, and was received by the crowd at
RFK Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, commonly known as RFK Stadium and originally known as District of Columbia Stadium, is a defunct multi-purpose stadium in Washington, D.C. It is located about due east of the U.S. Capitol building, near the ...
with thunderous applause. Riggins later explained that he "just had to hear
the roar of the crowd">/nowiki>the roar of the crowd/nowiki> one more time".
In 1992, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...
.
On October 13, 2007, Riggins was inducted into the University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...
' Ring of Honor at Memorial Stadium.
After football
Acting
In 1994, he began acting lessons and has since starred in off-off-Broadway
Off-off-Broadway theaters are smaller New York City theaters than Broadway and off-Broadway theaters, and usually have fewer than 100 seats. The off-off-Broadway movement began in 1958 as part of a response to perceived commercialism of the pro ...
productions of the plays ''Gillette'' and ''A Midsummer Night's Dream
''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict a ...
'' (in which he played Bottom). His television credits include ''Guiding Light
''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...
'', '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' and '' One Tree Hill''.
Riggins' acting career began at Centralia High when a teacher cast him as the lead role in his junior play. His career as a professional actor started in 1992 when he appeared in "Illegal Motion" at the Olney Theatre Center for the Arts. He starred as a beleaguered head football coach accused of inappropriate recruiting practices.
Commentating
Since retiring from professional football, Riggins has worked as a sports commentator on television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
and radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...
.
In 1998, John and Chris Russo hosted ''Riggins and Russo'' on Sundays during the football season. The show was aired on WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV (channel 2) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside Riverhead, New York–licensed independent station W ...
in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, focusing primarily on the Jets' and Giants' upcoming games.
Since 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...
, Riggins has served as color commentator
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main ( play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and ...
on Westwood One for the network's weekly national radio broadcast of ''Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football may refer to:
* ''NBC Sunday Night Football'', the Sunday night broadcast of American NFL games by NBC since 2006
* ''ESPN Sunday Night Football'', the Sunday night broadcast of American NFL games from 1987 to 2005 by ESPN
* ...
''.
On July 18, 2006, Triple X ESPN Radio was launched with Riggins hosting ''The John Riggins Show''. Riggins could be heard in the Washington, D.C. area weekdays from 4-7pm on 94.3 FM, 92.7 FM & 730 AM, WXGI 950 AM in Richmond, Virginia
(Thus do we reach the stars)
, image_map =
, mapsize = 250 px
, map_caption = Location within Virginia
, pushpin_map = Virginia#USA
, pushpin_label = Richmond
, pushpin_m ...
and WXTG-FM 102.1 FM in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...
and WXTG (AM) 1490 in Hampton, Virginia
Hampton () is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 137,148. It is the List ...
. The last show of the series aired on its second anniversary, July 18, 2008. With the merger of Triple X into WTEM
WTEM (980 AM) is a commercial sports radio station licensed to serve Washington, D.C. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station services the Washington metropolitan area as the flagship station of the Washington Wizards. WTEM is also the co-flagship ...
to form ''ESPN 980'', Riggins' afternoon show was replaced by WTEM's afternoon drive show, ''The Sports Reporters''. Riggins stayed with ESPN 980 as a commentator at large.
On January 3, 2008, Riggins co-hosted the 74th Orange Bowl pre-game show. That same night, the Kansas Jayhawks
The Kansas Jayhawks, commonly referred to as simply KU or Kansas, are the athletic teams that represent the University of Kansas. KU is one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a mem ...
defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies 24–21. It came 39 years after Riggins and the Jayhawks last played in the game in 1969. He offered congratulations to his Alma Mater in his closing comments, saying "The KU ship's been out at sea since '48. It finally came to port tonight!"
In September 2008 it was announced that Riggins would co-host the program "Sirius Blitz" with Adam Schein on Satellite Radio Stations Sirius 124 and XM 105. Following his involvement with "Sirius Blitz" Riggins began hosting his own show, The John Riggins Show, which simulcasts on television and radio on MASN-TV and WTOP-HD3, which airs each weekday afternoon. Riggins has been critical on his radio shows of the current management of the Washington Redskins under owner Dan Snyder.
Previously, he had been a panelist on ''Redskins Report'' until that show was canceled in December 2008 due to budget cuts.
In 2016, Riggins returned to ESPN 980 Redskins radio in a variety of roles. Weekly appearances consisted of a one-hour appearance on Tuesdays with Bram Weinstein, a Thursday appearance on moving drive with Kevin Sheehan & Chris Cooley and a Friday appearance on Inside The Locker Room with Doc Walker, Brian Mitchell and Scott Jackson. Additionally, Riggins co-hosted the Washington Redskins Radio Network pregame show with Kevin Sheehan before every Redskins game.
Personal life
Riggins has been married twice and has six children Robert, Portia, Emil, Liberty, Hannah and Coco. He now resides in Cabin John, Maryland near the Potomac River with his wife Lisa Marie.
It was at the 1985 National Press Club
Organizations
A press club is an organization for journalists and others professionally engaged in the production and dissemination of news. A press club whose membership is defined by the press of a given country may be known as a National Pre ...
's Salute to Congress that Riggins drunkenly told Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26, 1930) is an American retired attorney and politician who served as the first female associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. She was both the first woman nominated and th ...
to "loosen up, Sandy baby" because she was "too uptight" when the two met at dinner. Riggins then fell asleep under the table. The next time Justice O'Connor and John Riggins met at a function years later, he gave her a dozen roses.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riggins, John
1949 births
Living people
American Conference Pro Bowl players
American football fullbacks
American people of Czech descent
American sports announcers
Kansas Jayhawks football players
National Football League announcers
New York Jets players
People from Seneca, Kansas
Players of American football from Kansas
Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
Super Bowl MVPs
Washington Redskins players