Dexter Manley

Dexter Keith Manley, nicknamed the "Secretary of Defense (born February 2, 1959 in Houston, Texas) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Phoenix Cardinals, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an eleven year career from 1981 to 1991. He also played in the Canadian Football League for the Ottawa Rough Riders. Manley played college football at Oklahoma State University.

Early career

Manley grew up in Houston, Texas and played high school football at Yates High School. He then accepted a scholarship to play college football at Oklahoma State University.

Professional career

Manley was drafted in the fifth round (119th overall) of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins, where he would play for nine seasons. During his career with the Redskins, Manley won two Super Bowl titles and was a Pro Bowler in 1986 when he recorded 18.5 sacks. He then played for the Phoenix Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 1989, Manley failed his third drug test and was banned from the NFL for life, with an opportunity to apply for reinstatement after one year. However, after he failed his fourth drug test, he was permanently banned from the National Football League for life on December 12, 1991.

Officially, Manley had 97.5 quarterback sacks in his career. His total rises to 103.5 when the six sacks he had his rookie year of 1981, when sacks were not yet an official statistic, are included. After his career in the United States ended, he revealed that he was functionally illiterate, despite having studied at Oklahoma State University for four years.

Manley also played two seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1993 and 1994 after being banned from the NFL. In 1995, Manley was convicted of cocaine possession and was sentenced to four years behind bars and served two.

Surgery

Manley underwent 10½ hours of brain surgery June 21, 2006, to treat a colloid cyst, and as expected, is experiencing minor, isolated memory loss. He first learned about the cyst in 1986, when after an all-night drug spree, he collapsed in a Georgetown department store. His prognosis is for a relatively full recovery, although doctors have said that memory loss is a common side effect of the operation. Manley lives in suburban Washington with his wife and family.

In 2002, he was selected as one of the 70 Greatest Redskins of All Time.

References

1. Dexter Manley Arrested Again Washington Post, March 5, 1995, retrieved March 7, 2006
2. Dexter Manley Given 4-Year Sentence Washington Post, August 5, 1995 retrieved March 7, 2006
3. Prognosis good for Manley following brain surgery

External links

• Career Statistics