Washington Redskins: 15 best first-round draft picks of all time
By Ian Cummings
Outside of Redskins Park, Mark May is a member of the original Hogs who is often left forgotten; Forgotten in favor of players like Russ Grimm, who has a Pro Football Hall of Fame bust to back up his illustrious career, and Joe Jacoby, who came close to the same honor earlier this year.
But make no mistake: May was a crucial piece to the puzzle for the Hogs. Drafted No. 20 overall in 1981 after winning the Outland Trophy and All-American honors in the previous year, May joined forces with George Stark, Russ Grimm, Jeff Bostic and Joe Jacoby to form one of the greatest offensive lines ever to grace the game.
May primarily played at right guard, but over his time in D.C., he switched between right guard and right tackle often, giving the Hogs some valuable versatility.
Blocking for Pro Football Hall of Fame running back John Riggins, also known as “The Diesel”, May helped the Redskins steamroll their way to two Super Bowls in the 1980s. It didn’t matter who the quarterback was. The Hogs got the job done. Always.
The attitude of the Hogs reflected this guarantee. In a Hogs Haven article by Keely Diven, Raleigh McKenzie, another former Hog, recounts that May embraced the bull-headed confidence of the group. It was a privilege earned after years of dominance.
"He was pointing at somebody every play. Pointing at the players, pointing at coaches. He was even pointing at our own coaches if we didn’t run the ball. Run it my way!"
Amidst all the team success, May only went to the Pro Bowl once. His stint in Washington came to an end due to a knee injury which forced him to sit out the 1990 season. In 1991, the year the remnants of the Hogs led Mark Rypien and the Redskins to a third Super Bowl victory, May was a backup for the 4-12 San Diego Chargers.
He remained in the league for two more years after that, playing at guard for the then-Phoenix Cardinals, before calling it quits at the end of the 1994 season.
Despite his relative lack of personal accolades, May was a key cog in the machine that made the Redskins a dynasty in the 1980s. He cracks the top-10 on this list and deservedly so.