When Samu Qureshi sits in the middle of his 4,100-square-foot “museum” in Bethesda, he is surrounded by his life’s work: countless helmets, jerseys and collectibles adorning the walls in customized and carefully curated displays.
After amassing what he estimates is at least $6 million worth of memorabilia collected over 42 years, the self-described Washington football superfan is ready to part with his treasure, albeit with a few conditions.
First and foremost, he wants to sell it all to the team he loves so the franchise can start a museum honoring the team’s storied history — the good, the bad and the ugly.
The memorabilia includes the rare (a one-of-a-kind ball signed by the 1937 Redskins team that won the NFL championship), the nostalgic (seats from Griffith Stadium, RFK Stadium and Northwest Stadium) and the absurd (Hall of Famer John Riggins’ jockstrap).
The collection has been moved from a basement to a nondescript office building. It has attracted high-profile players.
Washington football legends, including Chris Cooley, Pat Fischer, LaVar Arrington and Mark Rypien, signed the guest book with effusive praise.
PHOTOS: Inside the expansive collection of Washington football memorabilia
Even those who haven’t seen the full displays in person have glancing interactions with the memorabilia. Super Bowl champion Doug Williams was transported back to his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he held his old shoulder pads that had found their way into Mr. Qureshi’s stock.
Former Redskins defensive tackle Dave Butz was mesmerized when Mr. Qureshi reunited him with a wooden duck that the two-time Super Bowl champion had carved.
Mr. Qureshi’s museum is terminally 99% complete. He thinks he is finally ready for the finishing touches but realizes that the lights don’t work in the integration exhibit and that the storage space outside the coaches exhibit could use extra adjustments.
“It’s a constant work in progress,” he said.
As he spoke with The Washington Times, Mr. Qureshi paused to reapply tape to keep artifacts on the makeshift walls of pallets, but running this museum can be costly.
“It’s not stuff I bought in the team store that was made in China last year,” he said, noting that his collection isn’t just a man cave. “This is my life.”
That life has come with sacrifices. Mr. Qureshi’s wife supports his collection, and the two have collaborated to write articles about it, but she is a minimalist. Mr. Qureshi is the opposite.
“I’m a maximalist, if that’s a thing,” he said with a smile.
The 250 pallets he has used to create the makeshift museum hold only about 25% of his collection. He acknowledges that it has been impossible to catalog everything, including hundreds of game-worn jerseys, thousands of trading cards and binders of historical correspondence.
“I’m approaching 61 years old, and I’ve spent my whole life collecting,” the D.C. native said. “It’s just all a bit much for me now.”
If you build it …
Like most other Washington football fans, Mr. Qureshi saw the ownership group that purchased the team last year as a light at the end of the tunnel after decades of misery under Dan Snyder.
The collector also saw an opportunity to pass along his collection for preservation.
Mitchell Rales, the top limited partner with the new ownership group, is an avid collector. He was president of the National Gallery of Art from 2019 until October of this year, and he established Glenstone, a private art museum, with his wife in 2006.
Mr. Rales said he now hopes to bring his knack for curation to the Commanders.
“I have this vision where every third- or fourth-grader within 100 miles should come to a Hall of Fame that we’re going to build that will become part of our stadium complex or part of our new practice facilities. …” he said on “The Art of Investing” podcast in May. “Hopefully, we build fans for life.”
Mr. Rales’ plan sparked an immediate response from Mr. Qureshi.
“I was like, ‘Bingo, I’ve got it, buddy. I’ve got everything but the statues and the busts,’” he said. The collector opted against starting a museum in a stand-alone building.
He said he could open a GoFundMe account to get it off the ground, but a museum built properly would need significant financial backing.
Mr. Rales and primary owner Josh Harris, the billionaire owners of the Commanders, would have the capital to make that happen.
Mr. Qureshi moved his collection to an office to draw in one of the Commanders’ owners for a tour that could lead to a purchase.
“There’s huge upside. There’s so many disgruntled fans, but people love the history,” Mr. Qureshi said. “They’re very attached to that great history, teams and players. A museum is an incredible opportunity to bring old fans back, show them the history of the team and attract new fans.”
Controversial history
Mr. Qureshi isn’t a professional historian. He is interested in the subject and has contributed to books and articles, but he is a real estate agent by trade.
He has put plenty of thought into the layout of his private museum, which typically includes a personalized tour. It takes visitors decade by decade from the Boston Braves in the 1930s to the controversial renamings of the 2020s.
Mr. Qureshi doesn’t shy away from the controversies. The Commanders, then known as the Redskins, were among the last NFL teams to fully integrate and support Black players.
The makeshift museum dedicates a sizable section to those disheartening years and highlights the Black players who helped integrate the team in the 1960s.
Another exhibit, “What’s in a name,” tackles the American Indian controversies that plagued the team for decades.
In 1933, after one season, team founder George Preston Marshall renamed the Boston Braves as the Boston Redskins. The moniker stuck for 87 years, even after the franchise moved to the nation’s capital in 1937.
Coach William “Lone Star” Dietz claimed to be an American Indian and occasionally wore headdresses on the sidelines. Modern historians believe the coach faked his heritage to avoid military service.
Dietz and Marshall hired American Indian players for the team, but the “Redskins” roots remain controversial.
The National Congress of American Indians called the name demeaning, harmful and dehumanizing. The Native American Guardians Association said it could keep American Indians at the forefront of the culture in a positive way.
Mr. Qureshi won’t hesitate to wear the old team name on a shirt, but he is not pushing for its return.
“It’s uncool to call somebody by the color of their skin,” he said.
His collection finds no issue with how Washington’s football team represented American Indians throughout the years. Mr. Qureshi said the logo most commonly associated with the team, a realistic portrait of a tribal chief, is not a caricature. His collection supports that. Official team publications avoided stereotypically racist depictions of American Indians and opted for photographs or tasteful drawings in game day programs.
Opponents didn’t follow the same guidelines. A Philadelphia Eagles program from 1960 in the collection shows a shirtless “redskin” with a concerningly large nose and cartoonishly scarlet skin.
“We were the one team that had a logo that was in no way stereotypical or disparaging,” Mr. Qureshi said. “It’s not Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians or the screaming Indian of the Atlanta Braves. It was always, I think, very respectful.”
The classic Redskins logo was designed by Walter “Blackie” Wetzel of the Blackfeet Tribe. The franchise abandoned the design in 2020 after outcries of racism during the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
Sen. Steve Daines, Montana Republican, brought renewed attention to the Wetzel family this year when he announced that he would not support legislation to allow a new NFL stadium in the District of Columbia until the Commanders acknowledge Wetzel’s contributions.
“The logo isn’t offensive & it isn’t derogatory. It’s an honorable & realistic depiction,” Mr. Daines wrote on X this month. “It’s a tribute & appreciation of Native American history.”
Mr. Daines and Mr. Qureshi share a goal: preserving history for the next generation, even if it is controversial.
“I honestly feel that it’s a terrible thing that we’re sweeping Native American culture away and that people, kids today, are not exposed to it,” Mr. Qureshi said.
Shepherd of history
Mr. Qureshi estimates that he has invested more than $2 million in his private collection. That doesn’t account for the countless hours spent chasing down autographs, scouring eBay for new pieces and building out displays.
Although the value of many pieces has appreciated, Mr. Qureshi insists he is not worried about the money. He has had huge financial offers.
Another private collector offered him $20,000 for a bloodstained jersey that Sean Taylor wore during a 2006 game against the New Orleans Saints.
Hall of Fame coach Don Shula tried to buy an autographed Wheaties box that featured Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus, Redskins quarterback Sammy Baugh, Bears running back Walter Payton and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice.
Mr. Qureshi turned them down each time.
“I could just sell, but I feel a responsibility as a shepherd of this collection,” he said.
The die-hard Washington fan worries that he is running out of time. The Commanders might not want to open a team museum until 2030, when they expect to play in a new domed stadium. Mr. Qureshi doesn’t know whether his collection will remain intact by then.
“I don’t want to break up the collection unless the team shows they’re not interested,” he said. “But I can’t wait forever.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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