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Richie Petitbon

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Richie Petitbon
No. 17, 16
Position:Safety
Personal information
Born: (1938-04-18) April 18, 1938 (age 86)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:206 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:Jesuit
(New Orleans, Louisiana)
College:Tulane (1957–1958)
NFL draft:1959 / round: 2 / pick: 21
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
  • Washington Redskins (1978–1980)
    Defensive backs coach
  • Washington Redskins (1981–1992)
    Defensive coordinator
  • Washington Redskins (1993)
    Head coach
Career highlights and awards
As a player
As a coach
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions:48
Interception yards:801
Fumble recoveries:13
Defensive touchdowns:3
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Head coaching record
Career:4–12 (.250)
Record at Pro Football Reference

Richard Alvin Petitbon (born April 18, 1938) is an American former football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). Petitbon first attended Loyola University New Orleans on a track and field scholarship and left after his freshman year to play college football for the Tulane Green Wave.[1] After playing as a quarterback at Tulane,[2] he played as a safety for the Chicago Bears from 1959 to 1968, the Los Angeles Rams in 1969 and 1970, and the Washington Redskins in 1971 and 1972. Petitbon recorded the second most interceptions in Bears history with 37 during his career, trailing Gary Fencik.[3] Petitbon also holds the Bears' record for the longest interception return, after scoring on a 101-yard return against the Rams in 1962.[4] As of 2019, he also holds the Bears record for the most interceptions in a game—3 against the Green Bay Packers in 1967—and most interception return yards in a season (212 in 1962).[5]

Early life

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Petitbon was born in New Orleans on April 18, 1938 to a French immigrant father and American mother.[6][7] He attended Jesuit High School in New Orleans, where he played on the football team, winning a state championship.[8] In a 1954 game against rival Holy Cross, Petitbon threw an 88-yard touchdown pass to Billy Ladner, the longest completion in school history.[9]

Petitbon initially went to Loyola University in New Orleans on a track scholarship, in 1957. After his freshman year, Petitbon transferred to Tulane University, where he became the Green Wave's quarterback under coach Andy Pilney. In 1958, Petitbon was named All-Southeastern Conference quarterback. In 20 games, his completion percentage was 47.3, with five passing touchdowns, five running touchdowns, thirteen interceptions, and 336 rushing yards. He also averaged 27.6 yards per kickoff return that year, second best in school history. His Tulane career average of 24.3 yards per kick return set a school record, which has since been surpassed.[8][1][10]

NFL playing career

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Petitbon was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 1959 draft, the 21st player taken overall. In his first year, he played cornerback, with three interceptions and one touchdown return on an interception. In 1960, hall of fame coach George Halas switched Petitbon to safety, where he would play the next 13 years. One of his defensive coordinators with the Bears was future hall of fame coach George Allen. Petitbon also played under defensive coordinator Clark Shaughnessy with the Bears, whom Petitbon considered a genius.[11][12][7]

In 1962, he returned an interception against the Los Angeles Rams 101 yards for a touchdown, the longest return in Bears' history. He had six interceptions that year, and a league leading 212 return yards on interceptions.[11][12]

In 1963, Petitbon had eight interceptions.[7] In the 1963 NFL championship game, Petitbon intercepted Y. A. Tittle's last second pass into the endzone, securing a 14-10 victory for the Bears as NFL champions. He had recovered a fumble earlier in the game.[11][1]

He played 10 years total with the Bears. His 38 interceptions with the Bears ranks second in team history.[12][7] He also had three interceptions in a single game against the Green Bay Packers in 1967.[11]

In 1969, when Allen became head coach of the Rams, he traded for Petitbon. Allen traded for Petitbon again two years later when he became head coach in Washington.[12] In his first game with Washington in 1971, against the St. Louis Cardinals, Petitbon had three interceptions.[11] Washington reached the Super Bowl in 1972, losing to the Miami Dolphins 14-7, in the year the Dolphin's were a perfect 17-0.[11] Petitbon retired at the end of the year.[13]

In his career, Petitbon had 48 interceptions, recovered 13 fumbles, and scored three defensive touchdowns.[12] He appeared in four Pro Bowls during his time with the Bears, and was first team All Pro in 1963.[7]

Coaching career

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Petitbon was an assistant coach with the Houston Oilers for four years.[8] He returned to the Redskins in 1978 as the defensive backs coach under Jack Pardee.[7][12] In 1981, future hall of fame coach Joe Gibbs became head coach, and he made Petitbon defensive coordinator.[12] From 1981 to 1992, Petitbon was the Redskins' defensive coordinator and/or assistant head coach/defense under Gibbs, either acting as coordinator alone or sharing the job with Larry Peccatiello.[13][14] During this time period, Petitbon was considered one of the top defensive minds and innovators in football.[13][6] He led Washington's defense while Gibbs led the offense. During his tenure in Washington, the team won Super Bowls XVII, XXII, and XXVI.[12][13] Petitbon and Peccatiello created a blitz scheme on the day of Super Bowl XXVI that led to an interception later in the day on the first play of the second half.[6]

In 1982, Washington had the first ranked defense, allowing only 14.2 points per game. In 1983, his team forced 61 turnovers. In Washington's 1991 Super Bowl year, the defense allowed the second fewest points of any defense in the NFL, holding opponents to 14 points or less 10 times.[6]

When Gibbs initially retired in 1993, Petitbon was named his successor.[7] He did not find the same success as a head coach, lasting only one season. Aging and underachieving, the team finished 4–12 and Petibon was dismissed by Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke in favor of archrival Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Norv Turner.[15] Following his firing, Petitbon never took another job in the NFL.

Personal life and family

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Petitbon's older brother, John Petitbon, also attended Jesuit High School and led it to the Louisiana AA football championship in 1946. John attended Notre Dame for college, and played in the NFL. His NFL career was interrupted by his service as a marine in Korea, winning an NFL championship in 1955 with the Cleveland Browns after his return from the war.[11]

Petitbon's son, Richie Petitbon Jr., played football for the University of Maryland Terrapins in the 1980s, and Petitbon Jr.'s son, Carson Petitbon, played quarterback at St. Mary's High School in Annapolis, Maryland, his home town.[16] He is a current player for the Terrapins.[17] Carson's brother, Richie Petitbon III played offensive line at the University of Illinois,[18] and his other brother Luke is an offensive lineman at Wake Forest University.[19]

Honors

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Both Petitbon brothers are members of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame, and the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame.[8][1][11] Richie was inducted into the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980.[10] He was inducted into Washington's Ring of Fame in 2015.[6]

As of October 17, 2024, Petitbon was among 12 candidates selected for possible induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025, as a coach.[20]

Head coaching record

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Team Year Regular season Postseason
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
WAS 1993 4 12 0 .250 5th in NFC East – – – –

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Richie Petitbon". lasportshall.com. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  2. ^ "Gridiron great". Tulane News.
  3. ^ Mayer, Larry. "Tillman repeats stellar performance". Chicago Bears. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  4. ^ "Reed rumbles 108 yards for NFL record | Longest interception returns by team". Pro Football Hall of Fame. November 24, 2008. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  5. ^ "NFL Interception Return Yards Single-Season Leaders". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Flashback: Petitbon Honored With Ring of Fame Induction". www.commanders.com. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "#41 Richie Petitbon - North Shore". digitaledition.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d "Richie Petitbon – Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame". Sugar Bowl. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  9. ^ "Ladner the Legend..." Jesuit High School of New Orleans. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Trahan, Ken (April 7, 2020). "Tulane Football: Quarterback position has often been rich with talent". Crescent City Sports. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h "John Petitbon – Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame". Sugar Bowl. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h Gosselin, Rick (June 24, 2022). "State Your Case: Richie Petitbon". Rick Gosselin. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d "Flashback: Petitbon A Master of Adjustments". www.commanders.com. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  14. ^ "1991 Washington Redskins (NFL) Scores, Roster, Stats , Coaches, Draft". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  15. ^ Bogaczyk, Jack (January 5, 1994). "Firing Stinks Worse Thank Skins Year". The Roanoke Times.
  16. ^ Melnick, Kyle (November 3, 2022). "From football family, Carson Petitbon found happiness traveling own path". Washington Post.
  17. ^ "Carson Petitbon - Football". University of Maryland Athletics. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  18. ^ "Richie Petitbon - 2019 - Football". University of Illinois Athletics. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  19. ^ "Luke Petitbon - Football". Wake Forest University Athletics. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  20. ^ "Blue-Ribbon Committee narrows coaching nominee list to 12 for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025". NFL.com. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
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