A couple hours before kickoff today, Commanders’ coach Dan Quinn, Falcons’ head coach Raheem Morris and many other staffers from both teams will be found working out. This warm-up, unlike others that take place pregame, won’t occur on separate sides of the field – or on the field at all. Instead, it will happen, together, on the stadium stairs, in honor of a man who meant so much to members of both organizations.
“Knapper was not only a great coach who I had the pleasure of working with on multiple teams, he was a great mentor to all of his QBs, many rising coaches and touched the lives of all that knew him,” Quinn said ahead of the Week 4 matchup. “He is the definition of a great teammate and to this day, I run the stairs before games since doing it with him years ago. The Commanders coaches and staff are pumped to join the Falcons for the climb once again this year. “
Nicknamed “Knapper,” Greg Knapp was a husband, father and longtime NFL coach whose life was tragically cut short by a distracted driver in 2021. Since Knapp’s passing, a movement has taken shape in his honor as teams around the country participate in the Knapp Stair Climb. The now-annual event benefits the Coach Knapp Memorial Fund and aims to increase awareness around the dangers of distracted driving.