Mike Bass NFL Career Highlights

In 2002, after being out of professional football for 26 years, Mike Bass received the honor of a lifetime when he was named a member of the 70 Greatest Redskins of All Time. An exceptional defensive back during his playing days in the 1960s and 1970s, Mike was informed of the honor through a letter from Washington Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder, who wrote that the 70 Greatest Redskins of All Time was formed to commemorate the franchise’s 70th anniversary. Bass is most remembered for recovering a fumble by the Miami Dolphins’ kicker Garo Yepremian and returning it for a touchdown in Super Bowl VII, one of the most memorable plays in NFL history.

A special Blue Ribbon Selection committee, headed by former CNN anchor Bernard Shaw, accepted fan votes and selected the 70 Greatest Redskins of All Time. The list was a prestigious one, including Turk Edwards and Cliff Edwards from the inaugural 1932 team, coaches Ray Flaherty, George Allen, and Joe Gibbs, quarterbacks Doug Williams, Mark Rypien, and Joe Theismann, and running back John Riggins, among many other talented players.

The 70 players were honored in style Oct. 25-27, including a special halftime ceremony of the Redskins’ 26-21 victory against the Indianapolis Colts in a nationally-televised game.

The 70 Greatest Redskins are a unique group, including players from the franchise’s groundbreaking days in Boston in 1932 to the present Washington program.

Members of The 70 Greatest Redskins were exceptional talents, both on the sidelines and on the field. Flaherty guided the 1937 and 1942 teams to NFL championships, while Gibbs won three of his four Super Bowl appearances during a 10-year span from 1982-1991. Allen had the distinction of leading the 1972 Redskins team to the NFC title and a spot in Super Bowl VII, which was won by the unbeaten Miami Dolphins, 14-7. The Dolphins finished 17-0, a record that still stands.

Three Super Bowl Most Valuable players also made the list – Riggins (1982), Williams (1987) and Rypien (1991). Additionally, all three join the remaining Redskins on the list as members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and every player and coach on the list is in the team’s Ring of Fame at FedEx Field, making the group a heralded one.

Impressively, the players combined for 92 Super Bowl appearances, with 45 playing in more than one and 29 possessing a championship ring. Of the players who competed in the pre-Super Bowl era, there were 18 World Championship appearances, with six competing in the Redskins’ victories in 1937 and 1942.

Mike Bass is among the 23 Redskins on the list who primarily played defense. A total of 41 mostly played on the offensive side of the ball, while three others were on special teams.