Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/18/sports/football/18baugh.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss


Sammy Baugh, the Washington Redskins quarterback who was one of football’s greatest passers and a pivotal figure in transforming the National Football League from a plodding affair into a high-scoring spectacle, died Wednesday in Rotan, Tex. He was 94..................


.................... For all of Baugh’s exploits, a tale from his rookie season endures. It is evidently apocryphal, but its telling reflects the awe in which Baugh was held for his uncanny passing skills and self-confidence.

Baugh was taking the field for his first practice session with the Redskins when his coach, Ray Flaherty, handed him the football.

“They tell me you’re quite a passer,” Flaherty is said to have remarked.

“I reckon I can throw a little,” Baugh replied.

“Show me,” Flaherty said. “Hit that receiver in the eye.”

To which Baugh supposedly responded, “Which eye?”