WASHINGTON—Mike Onufrychuk couldn’t believe it. When an employee on the popular show “The Junkies,” on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C., told him he was a winner, elation and shock quickly came over him.
The prize: Free passes to “The Official NFLPA Tailgate.” Forgive the die-hard Redskins fan for his enthusiasm. He’s never gotten through to the station as a caller.
“I was so surprised,” Onufrychuk, 26, from Arlington, Va., told Pro Player Insiders Wednesday evening. “It was awesome. I’ve been looking forward to it since I won the tickets.”
Attending the special event at NFLPA headquarters has been the highlight of the week for Onufrychuk, who was let down when the team released one of his favorite players, Chris Cooley, on Tuesday. Surrounded by a crowd featuring a handful of Robert Griffin III jerseys, Onufrychuk paused, then said he predicted an 8-8 season for the Redskins.
“I’m a little disappointed Chris Cooley got let go yesterday; he’s one of my favorite players,” Onufrychuk said, adding that he ordered a Griffin jersey immediately after he was drafted. “But we have my favorite player, RG3, and I also like Ryan Kerrigan, Brian Orakpo and the whole defense. I’m excited to see what we’ll do this year.”
The open house featured a buffet with tailgate fare and special activities for attendees. As many as 200 people attended the event, which was open to the public through a limited giveaway on 106.7 The Fan. Specially invited VIPs and local former players also attended, a rare treat for the radio contest winners.
“It’s really about reintroducing people to the NFL Players Association,” union spokesman George Atallah told the crowd, before introducing NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith.
Smith thanked Scott Green of the NFL Referees Association, who was in attendance, and said the players will continue to stand by the locked-out referees.
“The people who actually keep our players safe on the field are the guys in the stripes,” Smith said. “We’re going to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you until the NFL makes a decision to have the real guys on the field, not the fake guys.”
Fourteen former NFL players attended the tailgate, which Cato June called “a great event.” June said he enjoyed the chance to catch up with his fellow former player brethren and reminisce about their years playing the country’s most popular sport. Several ex-players signed autographs for fans and posed for photographs with them during the unique occasion.
Abdul-Karim Al-Jabbar said, “The fans are what drive the game. Without them, there would be no game. It’s awesome to be able to interact with them like this.”
By Khalil Garriott
