Special to the Gazette-Journal

The last time the Washington Redskins won the Super Bowl, Bill and Hillary Clinton hadn’t yet become household names in America. The date was Jan. 26, 1992 when the Redskins defeated the AFC champion Buffalo Bills, 37-24. Then Redskins coach Joe Gibbs became only the third head coach to win three Super Bowls.

Fans have waited for a return to those glory days, and nearly 20 years later, it just might take a Mathews County native to help turn things around. "This is the strongest team I’ve ever been a part of," Malcolm Blacken said.

Blacken, a 1984 graduate of Mathews High School, was hired by new Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan in February as the assistant strength and conditioning coach, his second stint with the team. A text message made it all possible.

"It was the second week in February," Blacken said. "We wanted to get out of the house and so we went on a three-day trip to Chicago." Blacken text m...