Russ Grimm elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame

[JonLP24]

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- Russ Grimm, who as a member of the "Hogs" in the glory days of the Washington Redskins helped redefine the role of the offensive lineman from obscure grunt to the heart and soul of a modern pro football offense, was elected Saturday to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Grimm was one of the proud, lunch-pail linemen who were the engine behind the high-powered offenses of Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs that won three Super Bowls in the 1980s and early 1990s. The Hogs are celebrated to this day at FedEx Field by fans who call themselves Hogettes and wear plastic pig noses and dresses to games.

Grimm was chosen for enshrinement on the eve of Super Bowl XLIV and is part of a Hall of Fame class that includes wide receiver Jerry Rice and running back Emmitt Smith. Both Rice, the National Football League's career receiving leader, and Smith, the all-time leading rusher, compiled the kind of gaudy statistics that ensured election in their first year of eligibility. For Grimm, 50, success came in his 14th year.

"I was elated, and I was also relieved," Grimm said in a telephone interview Saturday night from Arizona. "It's been like a 50-50 deal for me for a few years now. I wanted to get in and people would bring it up, but you want to keep an even keel about it so it's not a big letdown for everyone if you don't make it."

<snip>

Also chosen for the Hall on Saturday were Rickey Jackson, John Randle, Dick LeBeau and Floyd Little. They will be inducted Aug. 7 in Canton .

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/06/AR2010020602909_2.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2010020603107

(Rice and Smith who were also selected mentioned earlier in the article)

[TZ]

1. Well deserved!

Hard to believe no Hog had been inducted until now...

[Kingofalldems]

3. Now it's Jacoby's turn--in fact the entire line

[Bluzmann57]

2. Congratulations to all those men

Much deserved. And perhaps next year, Roger Craig will join them. I admit it, I'm biased toward Roger since he is from the city in which I reside and I have met him several times. Real nice guy.