The man who succeeded Gregg Williams as the Redskins’ defensive coordinator reportedly didn’t like the bounty program that Williams instituted and made it clear to his players that it needed to come to an end.
Greg Blache arrived as defensive line coach in Washington in 2004, the same year Williams arrived as the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. When Williams left the Redskins after the 2007 season, Blache was promoted to defensive coordinator. And Mike Wise of the Washington Post reports that Blache immediately ended the system of bounties that had been part of the defense during Williams’ four years running things.
According to the report, two players have said this weekend that Blache did not approve of bounties and made that clear to several players.
For his part, Blache, who is now retired from coaching, told the Washington Post, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Although it’s admirable that Blache discontinued the bounties once he took over the defense, he apparently didn’t do anything about it -- like tell head coach Joe Gibbs -- while he was an assistant under Williams. Gibbs says he knew nothing about any bounties, and the Post reports that other players back that up.
And that may be how Williams was doing this undetected for so long: Some people who knew about it were eager participants, and those who disapproved said nothing.