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Eddie LeBaron Cast A Shadow In a 'Big Man's Game'

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Redskins great quarterback Eddie LeBaron passed away Wednesday, April 1, 2015, at the age of 85. Take a look through some of the nostalgic photos of his career in Washington.

Eddie LeBaron laced up his size eight cleats like he had ever since he was 12 years old. But this time, it was on a bigger stage than his playing days at Oakdale (Calif.) High School. He tied them up for his coach Larry Siemering, a former Washington Redskins halfback.

At the College of the Pacific he played 32 games (1947-49), passing for 3,361 yards with 39 touchdowns. LeBaron was a near-unanimous vote for the team's first-team, all-time football squad in 1956. To end his college career, he was awarded the William M. Coffman Award as the best player in the East-West Shrine Game.

LeBaron, a famed Redskins quarterback, passed-away on April 1, 2015. He was an only child who grew up ranching with his father. This was only to blossom into a storied career in the NFL later on. In between college and the NFL, LeBaron took a two-year hiatus.

LeBaron had awards that shined a little brighter than the ones from college. They California sun didn't even have to hit these awards just right for them to shine.

He was more than a quarterback on the playing field but a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, who took to the battlefield during the Korean War. LeBaron, who was wounded twice, was awarded two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and rewarded with a Letter of Commendation from the Commandant for his extensive leadership.

His accolades were all because LeBaron was a whopping 5-foot-6, 168-pound; his comrades called him "Little General." Even so, he stood much taller for his presence and influence.

LeBaron brushed the dust off those old cleats when he was discharged. The former college standout was the 123rd pick (10th round) in the 1950 NFL Draft. He played for the Redskins between 1952-53 and 1955-59. As for the two years in between, he played in the Canadian Football League.

In 12 games in his final year with the Redskins, he recorded 1,077 passing yards with eight touchdowns.

His stand-out game that year was against the Baltimore Colts on Nov. 8, when he threw for 208 yards and two touchdowns.

When former Redskins General Manager Richard P. McCann was informed of LeBaron's honor as part of the college's all-time roster, he couldn't help but to look at more than his career in football. This was in 1956, when LeBaron was in his second stint with Washington.

He wrote, "[The] College of the Pacific can justly be proud of Eddie. He not only is one of the most exceptional athletes I have ever seen perform, but he also is one of the finest characters."

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