Former Redskin Kaufman Dies

Mel Kaufman, a linebacker who played in three Super Bowls with the Washington Redskins and was a former scout for the NFL team, has died. He was 50. Kaufman died in his Santa Margarita home Saturday night, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo announced Monday. An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.

A team captain and defensive leader Kaufman started 78 of his 91 games. He played on Washington's victorious Super Bowl teams in 1983 and 1988, and in the 1984 title game, when the Redskins lost to the Los Angeles Raiders. After retiring Kaufman became a supervising scout for the redskins, a post he held until 1998. He scouted for the Redskins in the 1992 Super Bowl, when they beat the Buffalo Bills.

After 10 years out of football Kaufman was hired by his alma mater to coach the linebackers, guiding the Cal Poly SLO Mustangs to an 8-3 record, a Great West Conference title and their second NCAA FCS playoff berth.

"It's a tragedy. He was a good man and a compassionate man," said former Cal Poly coach Rich Ellerson, who became Army coach in December. "I pray that the stress of the coaching business wasn't a contributing factor. He was just a good guy, a passionate guy, a Mustang."