Gather round, it's time for Ole Ricky's Redskins stories. Today, I remember deep snapper Dan Turk, one of the wackier players whose botched snap maybe cost a 1999 playoff win and died later that year of prostate cancer. 1/

I always love deep snappers because they're often the smartest and most interesting players hiding in plain sight. They tend to stick around a while, too. Trevor Matich and now Nick Sundberg are great guys, too. Nick is doing incredible things with his charity in schools. 2/

I’ve covered hundreds of Redskins players. My last count was 400 and that was probably a decade ago so maybe 750+ along with 10 coaches. Dan was unique – an old veteran who loved to prank people, say things to incite everyone and even owned a nearby hot dog stand. 3/

Dan was a 1985 fourth-rounder by Pittsburgh, who only played 1 game that season because of a broken wrist, but started 4 games in 1986 before traded in 1987 to Tampa Bay for a sixth-rounder. 4/

That strike season, Dan was the only Bucs player to cross the picket line for the three scab games. Really spoke to his mindset of not caring what others thought. He moved to Oakland in 1989 as a free agent where he played 8 seasons. Dan really was a Raider for life. 5/

But Dan signed with the Redskins in 1997 because he wanted to play with his little brother “Mattie,” who was the Redskins punter. The two were six years apart and never played together so Dan felt like it was a dream to re-unite. Indeed, they were inseparable. 6/

The amazing thing was Dan was Matt’s agent and the latter held out one training camp while Dan reported. He talked contract with Charley Casserly after practice. Then Dan would talk to reporters, which drove Charley crazy. It was a fun few days. 7/

True to his Milwaukee roots, Dan opened a hot dog stand nearby Redskins Park with great brauts. Teammates would come by. Gus Frerotte would clear picnic tables of trash. It really created some double looks by customers. Was that the Redskins QB bussing tables? 8/

Dan loved pranks and just causing fun chaos in the locker room, though some teammates didn’t see it that way, which just made Dan laugh more. He would bump me hard walking past in hallways just to say hello. I couldn’t flinch, but damn that hurt sometimes. 9/

One time, the Redskins took a train out of Union Station downtown to the Phillly game. The Turks drove their oversized truck into the garage and got wedged on a ramp. The two had to catch the train and left truck to another brother to retrieve. Took air out of tires. 10/

In a 1999 playoff game at Tampa Bay in the final seconds, Redskins attempted a game-winning 51-yarder, which really was a 50/50 deal at best. Turk muffed the punt. Only time I saw him do that. I caught him walking to the bus and he was manic, mumbling he couldn’t believe it. 11/

Turk decided not to get on the bus and instead spent the night walking the streets of Tampa where he once played. He flew back the next day. Never played again. Matt’s contract was up and Snyder didn’t want to re-sign the Pro Bowler. 12/