ASHBURN - Sean McVay started on the lowest rungs of the Washington Redskins coaching ladder, ultimately becoming the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams.
Kirk Cousins was found and drafted by the Redskins, but left for the Minnesota Vikings in free agency.
The Redskins appear to be determined to end this series before it becomes a trilogy. This time, though, the rising star is in the Redskins' front office.
Kyle Smith started as an intern, and was promoted to Director of College Scouting last May. After this year's draft, longtime scouting chief Scott Campbell's contract was not renewed, clearing the way for Smith to take a more active role in personnel moves.
Right now, the top of the Redskins organizational chart is team president Bruce Allen and Senior VP of Player Personnel Doug Williams. Both are in their 60s.
The next generation is Smith and Senior VP of Football Operations Eric Schaffer, who came up in the organization together.
Former Redskins star Chris Cooley speculated on the radio this week that Smith could become the team's general manager soon (a job Schaffer has said he doesn't want).
Smith's last name is a familiar one to football fans. His father, A.J. Smith, was the long-time general manager of the Chargers.
"When I was 6 years old, most kids get read Berenstain Bears books. I'm getting read NFC East advance reports," he said last year. "It's what I've grown up in and my passion is ball, and it comes from him. It comes from him."
Smith described himself as "boring" outside of football - like McVay, who also came from a football family, he has spent his entire life around the game.
Smith, Schaffer and other Redskins scouts were made available to reporters last year as a part of internal shuffling. At the time, Smith had just been promoted from being an area scout in the southeast - Williams credited Smith with knowing the players in his region inside and out, and said that is part of the reason why the Redskins have so many players from Alabama and the South on their roster.
"I’m telling you, if you had been in the room and listened to Kyle," Williams said of the 2017 draft. "We got two guys from Alabama - they were Kyle guys. And not because of what Kyle said, they can play, but Kyle got them right. He explained them. [All the scouts] did a good job, but I’m just saying Kyle stood out."
Now, the Redskins appear to be laying the foundation for Smith to stay with the organization long-term.
Schaffer said last year that internal promotion sends a positive message to the new scouts.
"Those are guys that you got, you drafted them, you put them in the pipeline and then they’ve grown," Schaffer said. "The Redskins can be an aspirational place. [Kyle] is saying, ‘Listen, I made no money however many years ago and now I’m the college director and I’m able to do all these things.’ So that part is great. We’re all here to win. The winning and losing is great. But the whole thing is about people."