When the Washington Commanders signed future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner in March, they signed him for his production on the field and to teach others how to be a pro.
It’s a role the 13-year veteran embraced. Wagner shared that he reached out to Washington great London Fletcher as a young player for advice. Fletcher obliged.
So, throughout his career, Wagner has tried to be that same type of mentor for others. Rookie linebacker Jordan Magee is his latest understudy. Magee said he wanted to sit under Wagner’s learning tree.
While some veteran players scoff at being seen as a mentor, that’s not Wagner. He explained why this week to Scott Abraham of ABC 7 in Washington.
“I think you just share the knowledge,” Wagner said. “I was very fortunate to have the people that I reached out to give me that knowledge back. So, I think it’s only for me to do the same for the people coming up after me. So, anybody that reaches out and wants advice, I’ll give it to them because that’s what they did for me.”
What a terrific perspective. You don’t need to be a linebacker to benefit from Wagner’s knowledge and experience. Others, including rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, have looked to Wagner for help, and Wagner said he and the team will do everything to get Daniels ready.
The Commanders haven’t had great linebacker play in years. While Wagner may not be the same player he was five years ago, he was still phenomenal last season. That tells you how great he was in his prime. The combination of Wagner and Frankie Luvu at linebacker are game changers for Washington.
