Former Washington general manager Charley Casserly played a pivotal role in molding the franchise’s golden years, and now he is being honored for his accomplishments. Casserly, who spent most of an NFL career spanning nearly three decades with Washington in various positions, has been named as one of the inductees into the DC Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions to professional sports in the DC area.
After starting his professional career as an unpaid intern under Hall of Fame coach George Allen, Casserly rose through the ranks to become a scout, assistant general manager and eventually general manager, a position he held with the team from 1989-99.
Casserly’s input and leadership in crafting Washington’s rosters over the years led to the franchise acquiring some of its all-time great players. He advocated for players like Joe Jacoby and Jeff Bostic, two of the famous Hogs offensive line. He led the effort in putting together a team of replacement players during the 1987 strike — a monumental effort that was done in less than a week — that went 3-0, including a Monday Night Football win over the Dallas Cowboys.
“We go into Dallas and we’re a huge underdog,” Casserly said. “It’s Monday Night Football. They were starting Tony Dorsett, Randy White, Danny White, Too Tall Jones…and we got a bunch of guys who are on the streets.”
Casserly also played a key role in building all three of Washington’s Super Bowl-winning teams. The 1991 team, the last Washington team that won a championship, went 17-2 and is still considered one of the best teams ever. USA Today ranked it as the best team in the first 50 years of the Super Bowl era.
As a general manager, Casserly orchestrated some of the biggest trades in franchise and NFL history. He led the effort to acquire all the New Orleans Saints’ 1999 draft picks along with their 2000 first- and third-round picks in exchange for Washington’s fifth overall pick.
Casserly wasn’t done dealing, though.
“I then immediately got on the phone to try to trade back up,” Casserly said. “I got Chicago on the phone at seven, and we could make a deal to come back.”
Washington used the No. 7 overall pick to draft Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey, who spent the first five seasons of his career with Washington. This was the largest exchange of picks in the 1st round in Washington football history.
Casserly’s moves had a long-lasting impact on the team after his final draft with the team in 1999. Washington finished first in the NFC East with a 10-6 record and won a home playoff game over the Detroit Lions. Casserly acquired eight of the nine players on the ’99 team who either went on to earn a Pro Bowl selection. Those players included draft choices Hall of Famer Champ Bailey, Brian Mitchell, the all-time leader in punt and kickoff return yards in NFL history, Stephen Davis, who ranks fourth all-time in rushing yards for a Washington player, and Brad Johnson, who he traded for in the offseason and threw for 4,005 yards.
Casserly left the team with three first-round draft picks in 2000. It was the first time in club history that the franchise had three first-round picks in one draft.
Former owner Jack Kent Cooke, who hired Casserly, supported him throughout their time together, even when he made decisions that were deemed unpopular. After one instance, Cooke gave Casserly a call to give him a saying that he still remembers: “Criticism is like being in the rain. Once you’ve been wet, what’s another drop, anyway?”
Off the field, Casserly dedicated his time and resources to providing opportunities for others hoping to start an NFL career. He reinstated the team’s intern program, which was discontinued after Allen’s departure after the 1977 season, once he was named the assistant general manager in 1982. Several participants went on to have successful careers, including Steve Spagnuolo, the current defensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Casserly credits Washington’s Super Bowls as some of his biggest accomplishments, but he places the intern program, which still exists today, right behind them.
“Somebody gave me a chance off a letter and an interview,” Casserly said. “I wanted to give other people the same chances that somebody gave me, and it meant a lot to me to do that.”
Casserly’s life changed because of his work as an intern with Allen. He met his wife, Beverley, through the organization. She was also hired by Allen and worked in the finance department. Casserly credits marrying Beverley as his best pick. He and Beverley have one daughter, Shannon.
But Casserly got to learn valuable lessons from Allen, who taught him about the importance of having a strong work ethic, attention to detail and making sure his staff felt like they were part of the process. Gibbs, another Hall of Fame head coach, influenced his approach to preparation and surrounding himself with people he could trust. From Bobby Beathard, he learned to be inclusive in decision making as well not letting others influence your decisions and sticking what you see on the tape and the field.
Allen had a sign with a phrase that read, “Is what you’re doing now going to help us beat the Cowboys” Later, Casserly modified the phrase to say, “Is what you’re doing now going to help us win?”
“Is what you’re doing now worthwhile?” Casserly said. “If you’ve got five things to do, what’s the most important one? You do that one, and you then if you assign somebody something, is that going to help us win, or is that busy work for them? I’ve used that one all my life.”
