Ziggy Hood Redskins defensive end discarded a year ago now starter

ASHBURN — Ziggy Hood had never been cut from a team before, which made absorbing the cruel reality that he had been discarded twice in the span of two months that much more difficult.

The defensive end signed a four-year, $16 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014 but was released last October after he tore the plantar fascia in his left foot during the preseason. He quickly signed with the Chicago Bears, but played in just two games and was waived in December

“First time I had been through it, that was real adversity I didn’t have to face before,” said Hood. “It was bad.”

Back then, Hood’s playing career was shrouded in uncertainty, a feeling that has dissipated since he signed with the Washington Redskins in February and impressed the coaching staff enough throughout the preseason to be named the starting defensive end opposite Chris Baker.

The fact that he will be on the field at all on Monday, let alone in a significant capacity, after going through an offseason filled with doubt holds more significance than anything else for the 29-year-old, even playing against his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. After the Steelers drafted Hood in the first round in 2009, he went on to play 80 games, including 46 starts, and recorded 94 tackles.

“It really is just my first time playing officially as a Redskins [player], as far as coming back from last year and just having the opportunity to play,” Hood said. “I’m blessed and fortunate enough to make the roster and now it’s time to go through the live bullets and put up production. I played those guys once when I was in Jacksonville and the team isn’t the same. Some of the guys I came with, maybe a few are there, and I still got friends over there, but other than that it’s just a new team to me and a new team to prepare for.”

Hood’s presence on the Redskins defensive line marks the transformation the unit underwent in the preseason as the organization sought more consistency and production when rushing the passer. The Redskins chose not to re-sign veteran defensive end Jason Hatcher and nose tackle Terrance Knighton. Baker, Kedric Golston and defensive end Ricky Jean Francois are the only holdovers from the 2015 unit after the Redskins decided to release Stephen Paea last week as they trimmed the roster to 53 players.

In addition to Hood, the Redskins brought in Kendall Reyes and undrafted rookie Anthony Lanier, who played his way onto the roster with his strong performance toward the end of the preseason.

Both Baker and Jean Francois said they’ve been impressed with Hood’s work ethic since he joined the Redskins, which is a characteristic Hood said he forged during his time with the Steelers.

“Just hard work, coming from that city and that team, you know how to win,” Hood said. “You know what the expectations are. You never want to ride too high from your victories and ride too low on your losses, and you just take it with a grain of salt and get better because you never know when you’re number is going to be called and you need to showcase your skills.”

Baker said Hood has been a strong influence on the younger players, but he’s inspired more than just the rookies with his performance in the preseason.

Jean Francois, who is entering his eighth season, said he was pleased with the level of his play when he entered training camp. That changed once he watched Hood, who initially caught the attention of the Redskins coaching staff with his efficient techniques during one-on-one pass rushing drills.

“His grind, man, he don’t want to be back on that couch, guessing where his next check or that next meal is going to come from,” Jean Francois said. “He wanted to come here and make a statement and he did just that, grinding off the streets, to the third team or whatever he was to a starter and now playing.

“I’m happy for him. At the same time, when I see a guy grind like that, it made me want to do a lot more than what I did. I thought I was doing what I needed to to become that player. Then I saw Ziggy Hood, I liked the way he grinds and the way he does things. He just set an example and I followed behind him and started grinding a lot more than I was. I had to work on my pass-rush technique, my hands, just seeing Ziggy Hood, realized I had to work as hard as he does.”