In his Sept. 27 sports column, “Another football season, another rude awakening,” Thomas Boswell painted the picture of Washington’s woebegone NFL team, but I was bemused by safety Ryan Clark’s quote that the team “couldn’t have beaten William and Mary” after losing 45-14 to the New York Giants on Sept. 25, as if there was no worse fate.

William and Mary sports a strong football legacy. Jimmye Laycock is in his 34th year as head coach, with 225 career wins and nine NCAA playoff appearances, a stability and success unfamiliar to Redskins fans.

He has done this while maintaining a high graduation rate at one of the country’s top universities and producing several NFL players and coaches, including Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, Lions secondary coach Alan Williams and Dolphins linebacker coach Mark Duffner.

The Redskins would do well to emulate the excellence of William and Mary football.

Buzz Hawley, Arlington