1940’s Era Redskin Get Jersey Back

[Sammy Baugh Fan]

This is another strange story that only happens to me. As many of you know I am not just a devoted Redskins fan but a fan of the old time players from back in the late 1930's-50's. Last year a lady tracked me down because I was a Sling'n Sammy Baugh Fan and sent me her Lady's Belt that Sammy had signed for her when she was a young girl back in the 1940's when she worked here at Woodward and Lothrups. That was too cool.

Well, as a fan of the old guys I had tracked down and bought a hard to find Replica or Throwback Jersey from 1945. The jersey has the #45 on it I guess for the year.


It's very nice and costs about $150.00 but I got it on ebay cheaper but still brand new in the bag.

Being the historian that I am I was curious as to who wore the #45 back in 1945. I came up with a guy named Ted Lapka who played for the Redskins in 1943, 1944 and.......1946. What? He was gone in 1945 and I found he had gone over for the end of World War II like other NFL Players did. Heck I found a photo of Ted Lapka in action in a 1946 game against the Packers. Story Over.

Until...last week I got an email from a lady who wrote:

Hi Mike H. Guess what, while searching the web for info on Ted Lapka, I came across your email on Boasting Rights....(Gotta love Google...) and jeez, you have MY FATHER'S jersey!!!!! Awesome...... My dad is Ted Lapka, #45, Washington Redskins. He's very much alive and living in Olympia Fields, IL. I'm just curious, where did you get his jersey? I have a photo of him in it from back then.

My name is Betsey Cassell (formerly Lapka) and I'd love to hear from one of his fans. He'd love to hear from one of his fans. I've been to several of the Redskins homecomings (long ago) and he's been very instrumental in getting recognition for the past Redskins and support for the alumni fund. I hope to hear from you sometime and maybe he could even autograph it for you. Or if you'd like to sell it, his birthday is coming up....April 20th. It would make his day.

I wrote her back to explain that what I have is not her Father's original jersey but a replica. We've written back and forth a couple of times and she gave me her Father's phone number and address and said the old timer would love to talk to a fan and he asked me for Sammy Baugh's mailing address which I have so I gave that to him too.


With his birthday coming up and her not being able to find another jersey like it I packed mine up the other day and mailed it to the old guy. He's like 86 years old and I figured I could put a big smile on his face by putting his old number on one more time.

How Cool Is That?!!?!?!

I asked her to send me some picture of him in the jersey and will give him a call this week after he gets it. She said he would send me some photos of him and Sammy Baugh and the guys to add to my collection of Redskins Memorabilia.

She's emailed me back saying:

You are so kind. My brother Tom has some amazing photos. He said he'd try to scan them or whatever and send them to you. Thanks again for your kindness. We'll take some current photos of him in it. He's quite a guy. Thanks for the info on Sammy Baugh too.
Dad will appreciate that info also. Cheers, peace and Hail Redskins! Betsey.

She went on to say how her Mom met Ted Lapkas:

She met my Dad while working as a Nurses Aide at some big hospital in DC, and they wheeled him in one afternoon after a game, with a broken leg. One rainy night, after he had been discharged, he returned to the hospital front desk to see if one of the "cute nurses" was there, to see if they would like to go out to dinner. "The Redhead was at the front desk...." Her version is that, "I felt so sorry for him.....hobbling in the rain on crutches...he looked so forlorn....so I took him home to meet Aunt Lanie and Uncle Tom".
And the rest, as they say, is history.

When I get some pictures I'll share.

peace and HAIL SKINS
mike