A couple hours before kickoff today, Commanders' coach Dan Quinn, Falcons' head coach Raheem Morris and many other staffers from both teams will be found working out. This warm-up, unlike others that take place pregame, won't occur on separate sides of the field – or on the field at all. Instead, it will happen, together, on the stadium stairs, in honor of a man who meant so much to members of both organizations.
"Knapper was not only a great coach who I had the pleasure of working with on multiple teams, he was a great mentor to all of his QBs, many rising coaches and touched the lives of all that knew him," Quinn said ahead of the Week 4 matchup. "He is the definition of a great teammate and to this day, I run the stairs before games since doing it with him years ago. The Commanders coaches and staff are pumped to join the Falcons for the climb once again this year. "
Nicknamed "Knapper," Greg Knapp was a husband, father and longtime NFL coach whose life was tragically cut short by a distracted driver in 2021. Since Knapp's passing, a movement has taken shape in his honor as teams around the country participate in the Knapp Stair Climb. The now-annual event benefits the Coach Knapp Memorial Fund and aims to increase awareness around the dangers of distracted driving.
Known as a "quarterback whisperer," Knapp had a one-of-a-kind way of coaching signal-callers with kindness, humor and trust. Quinn and Knapp had stints at three different franchises together, the first of which was nearly 25 years ago when Knapp was an offensive coordinator and Quinn was a defensive quality control coach at the San Francisco '49ers. It was there that the current Commanders head coach first became acquainted with Knapp's stadium stair climb ritual, a pregame routine he kept his entire career.
The last time Knapp and Quinn were on staff together was in Atlanta, alongside then defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, a marker that perhaps gives an extra layer of significance for today's joint stair climb.
Established by his loved ones shortly after Knapp's passing, the Coach Knapp Memorial Fund works to reduce crashes and save lives with education and advocacy. Distracted driving doesn't just mean texting and driving; it includes any activity – ranging from fiddling with the stereo to eating and drinking – that causes a driver to take their eyes off the road. It is estimated that up to 80% of car accidents are caused by a driver being distracted, and distracted driving is responsible for thousands of deaths each year.
To learn more and donate, please visit the Commanders' fundraising page for the climb HERE.
