Russ Grimm
Encyclopedia
Russell Scott Grimm is a former American football
guard
for the Washington Redskins
of the National Football League
. As a collegian, he was an All-America
n center
at the University of Pittsburgh
. As a professional, Grimm had multi-selections to both the All-Pro
and Pro Bowl
teams, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2010. Grimm played 11 seasons for the Redskins and was a first team selection to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
. He is currently the assistant head coach and offensive line coach for the Arizona Cardinals
.
Grimm is featured in the video game All-Pro Football 2K8
.
. Upon hearing that he had been drafted by the Redskins, Grimm thought to himself, I'm going to Seattle, not realizing that the Redskins played in the nation's capital. Along with Jeff Bostic
, Mark May
, George Starke
and Joe Jacoby
, Russ Grimm was a founding member of the Redskins' renowned "Hogs
" offensive line of the 1980s and early 1990s (deemed one of the best front fives of NFL history), which was a mainstay of the Redskins' glory years during the first Joe Gibbs
era.
During his 11 seasons as the Redskins' starting guard, Russ Grimm helped lead his team to 4 Super Bowl
appearances and 3 Super Bowl victories (Super Bowl XVII
in 1983, Super Bowl XXII
in 1988, and Super Bowl XXVI
in 1992). Along the way, Grimm was selected to 4 consecutive Pro Bowl
appearances (1983 through 1986). He was named an All-Pro in each of those years as well.
According to Mark May, a teammate both at Pittsburgh and on the Redskins, no one lived up to the "Hog" persona more than Grimm: "He was a blue collar stiff and proud of it." In his 2005 memoir, May recalled a Christmas party at his house in 1982: "I iced down a keg of beer and stationed it on the landing between the first floor and basement. Russ turned the landing into his headquarters for the evening. He grabbed a chair and a Hog shot glass (a 60-ounce pitcher) and parked his butt on the landing next to the keg. Except for an occasional trip to the bathroom, we didn't see Russ on the first level all night..."
Grimm was a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2004, and a finalist in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2010. The bust of Grimm, sculpted by Scott Myers
, was unveiled at the Enshrinement Ceremony on August 8, 2010.
coach (from 1992 through 1996, and offensive line coach from 1997 through 2000, during which he was instrumental in the development of tackles Chris Samuels
and Jon Jansen
. After his coaching stint with the Redskins, Grimm joined the Pittsburgh Steelers
as offensive line coach in September 2000. In 2004 he was promoted to Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line.
In 2004, after the Chicago Bears
fired Dick Jauron
, Bears management considered Grimm as a top candidate for the job. The job eventually went to then St. Louis Rams
defensive coordinator Lovie Smith
.
In 2005, Grimm added another Super Bowl ring
(totalling 4) to his résumé as part of the Pittsburgh Steelers' coaching staff (Offensive Line Coach).Under Grimm guidance in 2005, the Super Bowl
champion Steelers averaged nearly 140 yards rushing per game during the regular season to rank fifth in the NFL while also grinding out 181 rushing yards in their Super Bowl XL
victory over the Seattle Seahawks. In 2006 Steelers offensive line helped pave the way for running back Willie Parker
to gain 1,494 yards and 13 touchdowns on 337 carries with 4.4 yard avg. and earn his first Pro Bowl selection. Pittsburgh offense finished the 2006 season with the 10th best rushing attack in the NFL, helping to give the Steelers the 7th ranked total offense in the league. Parker finished the season with the second and third top rushing performances of the year in the NFL with 223 rushing yards 32 att., TD against Cleveland Browns
and 213 yards with 22 att, 2 TD vs. New Orleans Saints
.
On January 5, 2007, Bill Cowher
resigned as head coach of the Steelers. In the press conference that followed, Steeler's President Art Rooney II announced Russ Grimm as one of the candidates for the job. He was named as a finalist for the job along with Ken Whisenhunt
and Mike Tomlin
. On January 22, 2007, the Steelers hired Tomlin as their head coach. The day after Tomlin's hiring, Grimm was hired to serve under Whisenhunt as the Arizona Cardinals assistant head coach/offensive line coach. In his first season in Arizona, his offensive line allowed only 24 sacks, 6th best in the NFL and the fewest given up by the Cardinals since 1978 with 22. Grimm’s offensive line also paved the way for running back Edgerrin James
to rush for 1,222 yards, the fifth best total in team history. The Cardinals offense finished with the 5th best passing attack in the NFL and threw for a team record 32 touchdowns.
. On January 22, 2007, Mike Prisuta of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
reported from an undisclosed source within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization that, then-assistant coach, Grimm would replace Bill Cowher as the team's coach. A day earlier, ESPN
and Sports Illustrated
stated on their web sites that Minnesota Vikings
defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin had been chosen to replace Cowher. However an NFL source confirmed on January 21, 2007 that Tomlin had not heard from the Steelers and no contract negotiations had taken place. Grimm was one of three finalists to replace Cowher, along with Tomlin and Chicago Bears
defensive coordinator Ron Rivera
.
Twenty four hours later Tomlin was announced as the Steelers new coach. Steelers' President Art Rooney II
told CBS Sports
on January 23, 2007 that no formal offer was ever made to Grimm, explaining that team reps did talk about an offer and contract numbers with both Grimm and Tomlin on January 20. Rooney explained, "We did tell Russ nothing would be final until Sunday". I feel bad if he got the wrong impression." As a result Prisuta's story was discredited and he later resigned in 2009 from the Tribune-Review to accept a position with Pittsburgh's WDVE
Radio.
. According to the theory, Grimm was originally given the job as the Steelers head coach, however the job was soon stripped from him a few hours later and given to Tomlin. The theory was endorsed by Mark Madden
, a local sports columnist who often contributes to the NFL Network
show, NFL Top 10
, and Clark Judge, of CBS Sports
, also reported that three sources "close to the team" told him that the offer was made to Grimm and later rescinded.
The theory reads that sports writer Mike Prisuta's story may have turned out wrong, but when he wrote it, it was accurate. Madden stated through his own undisclosed source on August 4, 2009, that Grimm and Tomlin were the two finalists to replace Cowher. Grimm was the front-runner for the job, but only by a slim margin. Art Rooney II, then told Grimm that he would later be announced as the team's new coach. Grimm passed on that information to Prisuta. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review then published the story on January 22. However, according to Madden, the NFL responded to the decision by calling Dan Rooney
, stating, that the team should award the job to a minority candidate since Dan Rooney was in fact the author of the "Rooney Rule
". Tomlin who was a qualified, serious candidate was on par with Grimm's qualifications. The Steelers changed their mind and Tomlin was hired.
However none of these "undisclosed sources" mentioned by Prisuta, Madden or Judge have ever come forward to the media. Therefore the issue remains a topic for sports conspiracy theorists.
and linebacker
at Southmoreland High School
while earning nine varsity letters and starring on the basketball team.
Grimm was inducted into the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. His younger brother, Donn
, was a starting linebacker on Notre Dame
1988 national championship team and signed with the Cardinals as a rookie free agent in 1991. He has four children, Chad, Cody
, and fraternal twins Devin and Dylan. All of his children attended Oakton High School
in Fairfax County, Virginia. Chad played football at Virginia Tech and is currently an offensive quality control coach for the Cardinals, and Dylan plays lacrosse at Loyola University Maryland. His second eldest son, Cody, also played at Virginia Tech and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. As a collegian, he was an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. As a professional, Grimm had multi-selections to both the All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
and Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
teams, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2010. Grimm played 11 seasons for the Redskins and was a first team selection to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
The NFL 1980s All-Decade Team was chosen by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The team was composed of outstanding performers in the National Football League in the 1980s...
. He is currently the assistant head coach and offensive line coach for the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Grimm is featured in the video game All-Pro Football 2K8
All-Pro Football 2K8
All-Pro Football 2K8 is a football game for seventh generation consoles and the spiritual successor to the ESPN NFL 2K series. APF2K8 is the first football game to be published by 2K Sports since EA Sports purchased exclusive licenses to the intellectual properties of the NFL and NFLPA. Barry...
.
NFL playing career
He was drafted in the third round by the Redskins in the 1981 NFL Draft1981 NFL Draft
The 1981 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28–29, 1981...
. Upon hearing that he had been drafted by the Redskins, Grimm thought to himself, I'm going to Seattle, not realizing that the Redskins played in the nation's capital. Along with Jeff Bostic
Jeff Bostic
Jeffrey Lynn Bostic is a former American football offensive lineman who played for the Washington Redskins in the National Football League.-College career:...
, Mark May
Mark May
Mark Eric May is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He is currently a football analyst for ESPN.-Football career:...
, George Starke
George Starke
George Lawrence Starke is a former American football offensive lineman who played for the Washington Redskins in the National Football League from 1972-84....
and Joe Jacoby
Joe Jacoby
Joseph Erwin Jacoby is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins...
, Russ Grimm was a founding member of the Redskins' renowned "Hogs
The Hogs (American football)
The Hogs was the nickname for the offensive line of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League during the 1980s and early 1990s. Renowned for their ability to control the line of scrimmage, the Hogs helped the Redskins win three Super Bowl championships under head coach Joe Gibbs...
" offensive line of the 1980s and early 1990s (deemed one of the best front fives of NFL history), which was a mainstay of the Redskins' glory years during the first Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs
Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins...
era.
During his 11 seasons as the Redskins' starting guard, Russ Grimm helped lead his team to 4 Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
appearances and 3 Super Bowl victories (Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII was an American football game played on January 30, 1983 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the strike-shortened 1982 regular season...
in 1983, Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII was an American football game played on January 31, 1988 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1987 regular season...
in 1988, and Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game played on January 26, 1992 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota to decide the National Football League champion following the 1991 regular season...
in 1992). Along the way, Grimm was selected to 4 consecutive Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
appearances (1983 through 1986). He was named an All-Pro in each of those years as well.
According to Mark May, a teammate both at Pittsburgh and on the Redskins, no one lived up to the "Hog" persona more than Grimm: "He was a blue collar stiff and proud of it." In his 2005 memoir, May recalled a Christmas party at his house in 1982: "I iced down a keg of beer and stationed it on the landing between the first floor and basement. Russ turned the landing into his headquarters for the evening. He grabbed a chair and a Hog shot glass (a 60-ounce pitcher) and parked his butt on the landing next to the keg. Except for an occasional trip to the bathroom, we didn't see Russ on the first level all night..."
Grimm was a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2004, and a finalist in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2010. The bust of Grimm, sculpted by Scott Myers
Scott Myers
Scott Myers is an American painter and sculptor who lives and works in Texas. He graduated Texas A&M University in 1984 with a doctorate in veterinary medicine. He studied sculpture throughout Italy focusing on Florence, Venice and Rome. Sculpting in Tuscany, he cast his work in bronze at the...
, was unveiled at the Enshrinement Ceremony on August 8, 2010.
NFL coaching career
After hanging up his player's cleats, Grimm returned to the Redskins as a tight endTight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
coach (from 1992 through 1996, and offensive line coach from 1997 through 2000, during which he was instrumental in the development of tackles Chris Samuels
Chris Samuels
-Washington Redskins:Samuels immediately became the starting left tackle for the Redskins and has since been selected to six Pro Bowls. In 2000, Samuels was one of only four players on offense to start every game, joining Jon Jansen, Mark Fischer and Stephen Alexander. Samuels won co-Offensive...
and Jon Jansen
Jon Jansen
Jonathan Ward Jansen is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He previously played for the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
. After his coaching stint with the Redskins, Grimm joined the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
as offensive line coach in September 2000. In 2004 he was promoted to Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line.
In 2004, after the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
fired Dick Jauron
Dick Jauron
Richard Manuel Jauron is the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was the head coach for the Buffalo Bills from 2006 until November 2009. Jauron has previously held head coaching positions with the Chicago Bears and, on an interim basis, with the...
, Bears management considered Grimm as a top candidate for the job. The job eventually went to then St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
defensive coordinator Lovie Smith
Lovie Smith
Lovie Lee Smith is the head coach of the Chicago Bears professional football team of the NFL. Smith has been to the Super Bowl twice, as the defensive coordinator for the 2001 Saint Louis Rams and as the head coach for the Chicago Bears in 2006....
.
In 2005, Grimm added another Super Bowl ring
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the winners of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl...
(totalling 4) to his résumé as part of the Pittsburgh Steelers' coaching staff (Offensive Line Coach).Under Grimm guidance in 2005, the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
champion Steelers averaged nearly 140 yards rushing per game during the regular season to rank fifth in the NFL while also grinding out 181 rushing yards in their Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
victory over the Seattle Seahawks. In 2006 Steelers offensive line helped pave the way for running back Willie Parker
Willie Parker
"Fast" Willie Everette Parker Jr. is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at North Carolina...
to gain 1,494 yards and 13 touchdowns on 337 carries with 4.4 yard avg. and earn his first Pro Bowl selection. Pittsburgh offense finished the 2006 season with the 10th best rushing attack in the NFL, helping to give the Steelers the 7th ranked total offense in the league. Parker finished the season with the second and third top rushing performances of the year in the NFL with 223 rushing yards 32 att., TD against Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and 213 yards with 22 att, 2 TD vs. New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
.
On January 5, 2007, Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
resigned as head coach of the Steelers. In the press conference that followed, Steeler's President Art Rooney II announced Russ Grimm as one of the candidates for the job. He was named as a finalist for the job along with Ken Whisenhunt
Ken Whisenhunt
Kenneth "Ken" Moore Whisenhunt is the current head coach of the Arizona Cardinals NFL football team, leading them to the first Super Bowl in franchise history during the 2008 season...
and Mike Tomlin
Mike Tomlin
Michael Tomlin is the current head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. Tomlin is the third youngest head coach in any of the four major North American professional sports. He is the tenth African-American head coach in NFL history, and first in Steelers history...
. On January 22, 2007, the Steelers hired Tomlin as their head coach. The day after Tomlin's hiring, Grimm was hired to serve under Whisenhunt as the Arizona Cardinals assistant head coach/offensive line coach. In his first season in Arizona, his offensive line allowed only 24 sacks, 6th best in the NFL and the fewest given up by the Cardinals since 1978 with 22. Grimm’s offensive line also paved the way for running back Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
to rush for 1,222 yards, the fifth best total in team history. The Cardinals offense finished with the 5th best passing attack in the NFL and threw for a team record 32 touchdowns.
Steelers coach candidacy
After the Arizona Cardinals hired Whisenhunt as their new head coach, on January 14, 2007, the finalists for the Steelers position were reduced to Grimm and Mike TomlinMike Tomlin
Michael Tomlin is the current head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. Tomlin is the third youngest head coach in any of the four major North American professional sports. He is the tenth African-American head coach in NFL history, and first in Steelers history...
. On January 22, 2007, Mike Prisuta of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, also known as "the Trib," is the second largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
reported from an undisclosed source within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization that, then-assistant coach, Grimm would replace Bill Cowher as the team's coach. A day earlier, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
stated on their web sites that Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin had been chosen to replace Cowher. However an NFL source confirmed on January 21, 2007 that Tomlin had not heard from the Steelers and no contract negotiations had taken place. Grimm was one of three finalists to replace Cowher, along with Tomlin and Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
defensive coordinator Ron Rivera
Ron Rivera
Ronald Eugene Rivera is the head coach of the NFL's Carolina Panthers. Rivera was a linebacker on the 1985 Chicago Bears, who won Super Bowl XX. Rivera was the defensive coordinator for the 2006 Chicago Bears, who won the National Football Conference championship and competed in Super Bowl XLI...
.
Twenty four hours later Tomlin was announced as the Steelers new coach. Steelers' President Art Rooney II
Art Rooney II
Arthur Joseph "Art" Rooney II is the president and co-owner of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers.-Biography:Rooney is the oldest of nine children of Dan and Patricia Rooney. The Rooney family has owned the Steelers since the team's founding by Art II's grandfather and namesake Art Rooney in 1933...
told CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
on January 23, 2007 that no formal offer was ever made to Grimm, explaining that team reps did talk about an offer and contract numbers with both Grimm and Tomlin on January 20. Rooney explained, "We did tell Russ nothing would be final until Sunday". I feel bad if he got the wrong impression." As a result Prisuta's story was discredited and he later resigned in 2009 from the Tribune-Review to accept a position with Pittsburgh's WDVE
WDVE
WDVE is a mainstream rock music formatted radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA at 102.5 MHz. It is often referred to by Pittsburghers as simply "DVE." WDVE's transmitter is located on Pittsburgh's North Side...
Radio.
Coach candidacy conspiracy theory
The miscommunication displayed during the hiring of Mike Tomlin over Grimm, is also the focus of a conspiracy theoryConspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
. According to the theory, Grimm was originally given the job as the Steelers head coach, however the job was soon stripped from him a few hours later and given to Tomlin. The theory was endorsed by Mark Madden
Mark Madden
Mark Madden is an American radio sports talk-show host in Pittsburgh and also a former World Championship Wrestling color commentator. -Career:...
, a local sports columnist who often contributes to the NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
show, NFL Top 10
NFL Top 10
NFL Top 10 is a documentary program produced by NFL Films for airing on the NFL Network. The host and narrator is Derrin Horton.The program counts down 10 items directly related to the players, coaches, and events of the National Football League, with former players, NFL Network personalities, and...
, and Clark Judge, of CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
, also reported that three sources "close to the team" told him that the offer was made to Grimm and later rescinded.
The theory reads that sports writer Mike Prisuta's story may have turned out wrong, but when he wrote it, it was accurate. Madden stated through his own undisclosed source on August 4, 2009, that Grimm and Tomlin were the two finalists to replace Cowher. Grimm was the front-runner for the job, but only by a slim margin. Art Rooney II, then told Grimm that he would later be announced as the team's new coach. Grimm passed on that information to Prisuta. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review then published the story on January 22. However, according to Madden, the NFL responded to the decision by calling Dan Rooney
Dan Rooney
Daniel Milton "Dan" Rooney is the United States Ambassador to Ireland. He is chairman emeritus of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in the National Football League , which was founded by his father, Art Rooney. Rooney was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 for his contributions...
, stating, that the team should award the job to a minority candidate since Dan Rooney was in fact the author of the "Rooney Rule
Rooney Rule
The Rooney Rule, established in 2003, requires National Football League teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation opportunities...
". Tomlin who was a qualified, serious candidate was on par with Grimm's qualifications. The Steelers changed their mind and Tomlin was hired.
However none of these "undisclosed sources" mentioned by Prisuta, Madden or Judge have ever come forward to the media. Therefore the issue remains a topic for sports conspiracy theorists.
Personal
As a prep, Grimm punted, played quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
at Southmoreland High School
Southmoreland School District
Southmoreland School District is a public school district serving Fayette County, Pennsylvania and Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The boroughs of Scottdale and Everson, as well as the townships of East Huntington and Upper Tyrone are within district boundaries.-Schools:-Sports...
while earning nine varsity letters and starring on the basketball team.
Grimm was inducted into the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. His younger brother, Donn
Donn Grimm
Donn Grimm is a retired American football player. He is best known for his role at linebacker, that helped Notre Dame win the 1988 Consensus National Championship. He was also a four-time letterman with the Irish. He was awarded each year from 1987 until his senior year in 1990. In 1989, he came in...
, was a starting linebacker on Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
1988 national championship team and signed with the Cardinals as a rookie free agent in 1991. He has four children, Chad, Cody
Cody Grimm
Cody James Grimm is an American football safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
, and fraternal twins Devin and Dylan. All of his children attended Oakton High School
Oakton High School
Oakton High School is a public high school in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in proximity to the town of Vienna, in the United States. It is part of Fairfax County Public Schools....
in Fairfax County, Virginia. Chad played football at Virginia Tech and is currently an offensive quality control coach for the Cardinals, and Dylan plays lacrosse at Loyola University Maryland. His second eldest son, Cody, also played at Virginia Tech and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
.