American Football: Washington Redskins

Gibbs opens first 'Skins camp in a dozen years

Joe Gibbs kept his coaching staff up until 1 a.m. ET, telling old stories and nervously making sure everything was perfect on the eve of his first training camp in 12 years.

After a little sleep, the coaches made the early morning drive to Redskins Park -- only to find that the fans had beat them there.

"I got here about 6:15; the parking lots were full," assistant coach Joe Bugel said. "They were catching football. It was game day. Then I really started getting nervous."

By 9 a.m. Saturday, thousands had assembled to watch Gibbs return to the practice field, applauding the return of the Hall of Fame coach who won three Super Bowls with the Washington Redskins. The morning and afternoon practice each attracted about 5,000 fans, according to team officials.

First-round draft pick safety Sean Taylor, who is recovering from a knee sprain, sat out practice and declined interviews.

Gibbs gave the first session a mediocre grade. There were too many botched snaps and poorly run pass routes to make him happy.

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[Edited on 8-1-2004 by ProudAmerican]