Hunley: Cops, pols and footballs

WASHINGTON—The local guys didn't win, but they were among the stars of the game at the D.C. Armory.

Better yet, they got to do what a lot of people around the country wish they could: Stick it to Congress.

Well, OK, they didn't really "stick it" to anyone. It was flag football. No tackling, no sacks, no blocks in the back.

But Tim Cullen, Frank Quick and Irv Washington gave several members of the House of Representatives all they could handle Tuesday night.

The three Prince William County residents are U.S. Capitol Police officers, and they played in the fourth "Longest Yard" Congressional Football Game, a charity event that benefited the Capitol Police Memorial Fund, which assists families of fallen officers, and the Washington Literacy Council, which aims to raise the literacy level in the nation's capital.

Max Muscle Sports Nutrition of Manassas got into the act, too, as store owners Corry Matthews and Kristin Wood were volunteer nutrition coaches for both teams, the police "Guards" and the congressional "Mean Machine," a bipartisan squad with players such as Republican Duncan Hunter from California, and Democrats Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois and Frank Kratovil of Maryland.

Rep. Glenn Nye, a Democrat who represents Hampton Roads and Virginia's Eastern Shore, traded a dress suit for shorts and a jersey, too.

The politicians won in overtime, 32-26. It was the first time a congressional team had ever defeated the cops.

But, because I was rooting for the local guys, I would like to point out that the House members' team also included former NFL players such as ex-Redskins Ken Harvey and Ricky Ervins.

And their quarterback? None other than Rep. Heath Shuler, who was a Washington Redskin before he was a North Carolina Democrat.

Shuler put on a show for the crowd, and he wasn't even the most famous person at the armory. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was there, as was House Minority Leader John Boehner, and the coin toss was conducted by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Those big names didn't have anything on Quick, though.

The Bristow resident hauled in five receptions, two for touchdowns. On the first one, his wife, Katie, leapt to her feet in the stands.

But even if Quick hadn't had his own cheering section, he still would have had a great time. Where else can you join NFL players on the gridiron?

"You can't beat that," Quick, who's been on the Capitol force for seven years, told me after the game.

Cullen's been a Capitol policeman for two decades. He's a K-9 technician, but Tuesday, his job was to be the Guards' center.

He was sorry his team lost, but he really appreciated the congressmen taking the time to participate. He told me that before and after the game.

"It means a lot to us with their schedule,"said Cullen, who lives in Gainesville.

Washington, meanwhile, was the pride of Woodbridge. He made two key tackles in the fourth quarter and accomplished his goal of pestering Shuler on defense.

"We kept the pressure on them," he said.

Washington apparently drinks frequently from the fountain of youth. He's been on the Capitol police force for 22 years, but his brothers in blue told me before the game that he can outrun even teenagers if they misbehave and try to get away.

Maybe he could be a spokesman for Max Muscle. Matthews said that her brand got a lot of exposure as a Longest Yard sponsor.

But a fleet-of-foot veteran police officer who plays football with NFL types and hangs out with congressmen?

You don't find that every day.

Jonathan Hunley is a staff writer at the News & Messenger. Contact him at 703-369-5738 or at .