Haskins is Ready to Roll

It's Dwayne Haskins time to shine and you want to do it when you're 0-0, not 1-6. It starts Sunday against the Eagles

When Dwayne Haskins takes the field this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, he will do so as a captain and undisputed leader of this team.

This is a far cry from where he stood a year ago, when he was placed in one the least constructive situations in the league. The signal-caller was essentially forced upon a coach who needed to “win now” and did not see the need to invest in a rookie QB. Haskins rarely took a snap with the first-team offense during practice, and at times, was thrown into games unprepared.

You would think that this would have crushed the psyche of a player, but what we have found is that Haskins has some grit and the determination to prove his worth.

The signal-caller used last year as a learning experience and decided to change himself, both from a physical and mental perspective. He even was receptive to tough criticism.

“When [Head Coach Ron] Rivera called me and challenged me and said some things that I needed to hear, that’s just something I needed, the extra motivation this offseason to push myself to be that for him and for myself and for my teammates,” Haskins shared in an interview yesterday. “It’s something that I take pride in, being accountable and knowing that when someone asks me to do something I’m going to do it the best I can and I’ll give it my all.”

This accountability pushed Haskins to lose roughly 15 lbs this offseason and reduce his body fat percentage to seven percent. He also has focused on leadership. One of his criticisms last year was his body language, and often being distant from coaches during instruction. He is now making a concerted effort to be attentive, and lead by example, for he now feels a sense of ownership to this team.

“It’s funny because I was talking to [offensive line coach] John [Matsko] about this after practice, just saying going into the first week of me starting last year versus Buffalo compared to now, just the control of the offense, the energy that I feel I bring to practice is way better than it was last year,” Haskins said. “Just my demeanor overall, just me having more confidence in myself to go do what I need to do to be the leader of this football team and this offense and having a coach that believes in me is something that’s propelled me to have even more confidence out there on this field.”

This newfound confidence comes from a strong support system and a coach that believes him. Haskins had a strong mentor at Ohio State with Urban Meyer and he now sees something similar with Coach Rivera.

“That’s one thing I can say about Coach Rivera. He’s always somebody that whenever you see him, he’s going to give you the same respect and give you an opportunity whether it’s for five seconds or 15 minutes. He’ll sit down with you and give you his undivided attention. So, I definitely appreciate that from Coach.”

Ultimately, Haskins is in a much better situation this year and has been given every opportunity to succeed. He has reshaped his body, been given all of the first-team reps, and has a coach who is willing to foster his growth.

How would Haskins define a successful season?

“Success for me is helping this team have a better overall demeanor on the field. Success for me is finding ways to lead and be a presence. That’s something that I’m just looking forward to doing and being quite successful at it because I know that I can do it and my guys can do it. I’m looking forward to leading these men.”

The focus on leadership and being a positive presence is just a testament to Haskins’ growth. 

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George Carmi joined "Washington Football" on SI.com in April. He is also an editor/contributing writer to FullPressCoverage.com or @FPC_Redskins. He is a native of the DC metropolitan area and is an avid fan of DC Sports. A former journalism major at the University of Maryland, his focus is now in public education. His earliest memories consist of Darrell Green, "The Posse" and Super Bowl XXVI. Follow him on twitter @Gcarmi21