Washington Redskins: Top 30 players in franchise history

The name “Russ Grimm” is deserving of a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on its own. Luckily, Grimm was good enough to get there with his play.

Going into college, Grimm knew he was destined to do one thing: Play football. In his Hall of Fame website bio, Grimm stated: “I had the desire. That’s all I wanted to be. A lot of guys go to college for a degree. I went to college to play football. I went to college because I had to go to college to go to the pros. To me, football is what I do best. I’m not the kind of guy to sit behind a desk.”

Grimm wouldn’t sit behind a desk. Instead, he would sit behind the line of scrimmage. Drafted out of the third round of the 1981 NFL Draft from the University of Pittsburgh, Grimm quickly earned the starting left guard job and ran with it. He was one of the first arrivals of the famed “Hogs” offensive line, and as the Redskins acquired more pieces, they rose to the status of dynasty under Joe Gibbs. And they built up from the trenches.

In 1983, at age 24, Grimm had already earned his first All-Pro bid, his first Pro Bowl berth, and his first Super Bowl ring. And he didn’t stop there. Over the next three seasons, Grimm would earn two more All-Pro bids and three more Pro Bowl trips. Teaming up with mammoth tackle Joe Jacoby on the left side, Grimm steamrolled opposing defenders en route to directing a devastating rushing attack, one that would help the Redskins reach four Super Bowls, winning three of them, in the span of a decade.

In 11 years, Grimm started 140 games, solidifying a reputation as one of the most feared offensive linemen in NFL history. Players resented the notion of lining up across from him, and with Grimm’s presence on the line, the Hogs became known as one of the best, most dominant position groups of all time.

Grimm got a gold jacket in 2010. A lot better than an office chair.