Happy Birthday Leigh Torrence

Still should be here

Please join me in wishing former Redskins cornerback Leigh Torrence a happy birthday, Leigh turned 27 on 4 January.

Leigh was an undrafted free agent out of Stanford in 2005, he was signed and then cut by Green Bay, then signed by Atlanta, seeing action in ten games that year. In 2006 the Redskins signed Leigh and put him on the practice squad, he was signed onto the regular roster before the final game that season against the Giants, Shawn Springs finally went onto injured reserve with a broken shoulder to go along with his abdominal recovery to make room.

Leigh played in all sixteen games in 2007 and made the roster as fourth cornerback in 2008 behind Shawn Springs, Carlos Rogers and Fred Smoot despite the Redskins spending a fourth round pick on cornerback Justin Tryon. Four days after the game nine debacle against the Steelers, Washington cut Leigh unexpectedly, he had become a popular player and regular special teams contributor. Leigh's release you would have thought foreshadowed more playing time for Justin, and in fact he appeared in the next three games then did not appear in the final four, his performance spoke for itself and the need to evaluate Shawn Springs and DeAngelo Hall for next season took precedence.

It is a shame that Leigh will always be remembered for giving up the 43 yard pass in game six from Marc Bulger to Donnie Avery of the Rams on third and thirteen with 1:13 left in the game and the Redskins leading 17-16. Three plays later Josh Brown was kicking a 49 yard field goal and the Redskins were losing to a previously 0-4 team. While it is true that Leigh was obviously the least talented of Washington's top four cornerbacks, the player they kept in his place, Justin Tryon could not get on the field with his level of play. I guess that is how the business goes.

Leigh was signed by New Orleans two days after being cut by Washington and appeared in every one of the Saints' remaining seven games. It is an irony of football that if Leigh makes the Saints' roster in 2009 he will once again be playing for Gregg Williams, just signed as defensive coordinator in New Orleans after not being renewed at the same position in Jacksonville, Saints head coach Sean Payton even allegedly gave up a quarter million dollars of his own salary to assure New Orleans could land Gregg.

Happy birthday and good luck to Leigh!



Leigh Torrence giving up the fateful 43 yard catch to Donnie Avery in game six against the Rams: Nick Wass / AP Photo from here.