Some Washington Commanders fans would rather forget the years Daniel Snyder owned the team. From 1999 to 2023, the franchise made just six playoff appearances. Beyond the team’s struggles on the field, Snyder was also accused of meddling in football operations, a practice that reportedly frustrated fans, players and coaches alike.
One of those coaches was Terry Robiskie, who took over as Washington’s interim head coach in 2000 after Snyder fired Norv Turner midseason. During a recent appearance on the “Family Business Podcast” with Norv and Stephanie Turner, the now 71-year-old Robiskie recalled how Snyder allegedly instructed him to keep fullback Larry Centers from reaching a performance-based incentive bonus.
Centers’ Request Versus Snyder’s Demand
Centers needed six catches to trigger a contract incentive reportedly worth between $250,000 and $300,000. He asked Robiskie to help him reach the mark and jokingly offered him $1,000.
Robiskie later received a note from Snyder instructing him not to let Centers get the six receptions. But Robiskie ignored the order and made a point of targeting the fullback, throwing him seven passes in the first quarter alone to help him secure the bonus.
Robiskie Tells How Snyder Tried to Manipulate Play Calls to Halt Centers’ Bonus
“I’ll never forget it. We were playing Arizona, which was Larry’s old team. Larry came to my office, sat down at my desk, and said, ‘Coach, you know, I didn’t make that much money this year on my salary. But I need six catches in this game,’” Robiskie said.
Contemporary NFL box scores paint a slightly different picture than Robiskie’s personal recollection. Entering the season finale against Arizona, Centers actually sat at 73 receptions — meaning he needed seven catches, not six, to reach his 80-reception bonus milestone. Centers initially finished the game with seven catches before a post-game review by the Elias Sports Bureau added an eighth reception, pushing his season mark to 81.
Robiskie also recalled his reaction when Centers revealed how much the incentive was worth.
“And Norv would always get him seven, nine catches. He said, ‘I need six catches in this game. If I get those six catches, man, I got a $300,000 bonus.’ And I turned and looked at him. I said, ‘Three hundred? Are you crazy? I don’t make but $140,000. I’m the head coach!’” Robiskie recalled.
“He said, ‘Coach, man, I gotta get these six catches for this $300,000, man. I’ll give you a thousand.’ I said, ‘Okay, good. Give me a thousand!’ But right then, that guy wanted to know, ‘Coach, do you really care about me?’ And I know that I got a little note from the owner of that team saying, ‘Don’t let that guy get them six catches,’” Robiskie recalled.
Fans Chime In
“Snyder has no redeeming value in any way — I can’t believe we lived through that guys ownership — still feels haunting,” a fan said.
“Dan Snyder was so terrible,” another fan said.
“He’s a multi-billionaire! He’s looking at the books that hard (all the players contracts for incentives)! What a piece of scum!,” a fan mentioned.
“1st class move by Robiskie,” another fan replied.
“This is why I will always side with the players. Don’t put an incentive in a contract and try to stop me from making it,” a fan commented.
“$300k for six catches and the owner tried to block it is insane but coaches like this are why players run through walls for certain guys. The thousand dollars never coming is the funniest part,” a fan quipped.
