Editing Washington Commanders (section)

====Integration controversy====
[[File:Keep-redskins-white.png|thumb|left|1961 placard denouncing Marshall's integration of black players]]
During most of this unsuccessful period, Marshall continually refused to integrate the team, despite pressure from the [[U.S. government]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lecture: Lynn Povich and George Solomon |url=http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/bullpen/lynn_povich_and_george_solomon/lecture/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080623223042/http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/bullpen/lynn_povich_and_george_solomon/lecture/ |archive-date=June 23, 2008 |access-date=April 5, 2008 |work=[[New York University]]}}</ref> Two months into the [[Kennedy administration]] on March 24, 1961, [[United States Secretary of the Interior|Secretary of the Interior]] [[Stewart Udall]] warned Marshall to hire black players or face federal retribution.<ref name="udall" /> For the first time in history, the federal government had attempted to desegregate a professional sports team.<ref name="integrate">{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Thomas G. |title=Civil Rights on the Gridiron |url=https://www.espn.com/page2/wash/s/2002/0305/1346021.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080403130913/http://espn.go.com/page2/wash/s/2002/0305/1346021.html |archive-date=April 3, 2008 |access-date=April 5, 2008 |publisher=[[ESPN]]}}</ref> The Redskins were under the threat of [[civil rights]] legal action by the Kennedy administration, which would have prevented a segregated team from playing at the new federally-owned [[D.C. Stadium]], managed by the [[U.S. Department of the Interior]].<ref>{{Cite journal |date=November 7, 2013 |title=That Time Nazis Marched to "Keep Redskins White" |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/11/nazis-desegregating-washington-nfl-football-team/ |url-status=dead |journal=Mother Jones |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727064049/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/11/nazis-desegregating-washington-nfl-football-team/ |archive-date=July 27, 2019 |access-date=July 27, 2019}}</ref> The Redskins' previous venue, [[Griffith Stadium]], was owned by the Griffith family, owners of the [[1960 Washington Senators season|Washington Senators]], who moved and became the [[Minnesota Twins]] in [[1961 Minnesota Twins season|1961]].

In [[1962 Washington Redskins season|1962]], Washington became the final professional American football franchise to integrate. First, the Redskins selected running back [[Ernie Davis]] of [[1961 Syracuse Orangemen football team|Syracuse]] with the [[List of first overall NFL draft picks|first overall pick]] in the [[1962 NFL draft]]; Davis was the first black player to win the [[Heisman Trophy]] and the first to be the top selection in an NFL draft.<ref name="udall">{{Cite news |date=December 4, 1961 |title=Washington Picks 1st Negro on Team |pages=4 |work=Petaluma Argus-Courier |agency=AP |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65545937/ |url-status=live |access-date=December 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101230303/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65545937/ernie-davis-washington-redskins/ |archive-date=January 1, 2021}} {{open access}}</ref><ref name="trade to Browns" /> Washington also took [[Fullback (American football)|fullback]] [[Ron Hatcher]] of [[1961 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan State]] in the [[1962 NFL draft#Round eight|eighth round]], who became the first black player to sign a contract with the team.<ref name=integrate/><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 10, 1961 |title=Redskins sign up first Negro |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fnRQAAAAIBAJ&pg=3137%2C7388401 |website=Milwaukee Sentinel |page=7, sports |agency=Associated Press}}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In December 1961, Marshall announced he had traded the rights to Davis to the [[1962 Cleveland Browns season|Cleveland Browns]], who wanted Davis to join the league's leading rusher, [[Jim Brown]], in their backfield.<ref name="trade to Browns">{{Cite news |date=December 23, 1961 |title=Ernie Davis Joins Cleveland Browns |page=9 |work=[[Syracuse Post-Standard]] |location=Syracuse, New York |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65545308/ |url-status=live |access-date=December 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101230306/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65545308/ernie-davis-joins-cleveland-browns-post/ |archive-date=January 1, 2021}} {{open access}}</ref> Davis was traded for veteran running back [[Bobby Mitchell]], who became a [[wide receiver]] in Washington, D.C., and 1962 first-round draft choice [[Leroy Jackson]] of [[Western Illinois Leathernecks football|Western Illinois]].<ref name="integrate" /><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=August 10, 1962 |title=August 1962 Scoreboard |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,873711,00.html |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219065054/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,873711,00.html |archive-date=February 19, 2011 |access-date=April 6, 2008}}</ref> The move was made under unfortunate circumstances – as it turned out that Davis had [[leukemia]], and died without ever playing a down in professional football.<ref name="integrate" /> The Redskins ended the [[1962 Washington Redskins season|1962 season]] with their best record in five years: {{Win-loss record|w=5|l=7|t=2}}. Mitchell led the league with 11 touchdowns, and caught 72 passes and was selected to the [[1963 Pro Bowl|Pro Bowl]]. In time, Mitchell would be joined by other black players like receiver [[Charley Taylor]], running back [[Larry Brown (running back)|Larry Brown]], [[defensive back]] [[Brig Owens]], and guard [[John Nisby]].<ref name="integrate" />