The Hogs (American football)
Encyclopedia
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 (XVII
, XXII
and XXVI
) under head coach
Joe Gibbs
. In the context of college football, the phrase "the Hogs" usually refers to Arkansas Razorbacks football
http://www.wholehogsports.com/ http://www.hogdb.com/ http://www.hogcall.com/.
during training camp in 1982, when he told his linemen, "Okay, you hogs, let's get running down there."http://www.thehogs.net/html/Hogs/history.html
Center Jeff Bostic
, left guard Russ Grimm
, right guard Mark May
, right tackle Joe Jacoby
, left tackle George Starke
, along with tight ends Don Warren
and Rick Walker
comprised the original Hogs. While Starke retired in 1984 shortly after the team won their third NFL Championship and first Super Bowl
in Super Bowl XVII
, Bostic, Grimm, Jacoby, and Warren stayed together until the early 1990s.
The line averaged 273 pounds in 1982 http://www.thehogs.net/content/story.php?id=81 — not including Jacoby, who joined the team later weighing in at around 300 pounds.
Early on, the Hogs provided cover for running back
John Riggins
and quarterback
Joe Theismann
. Riggins was accepted as an "Honorary Hog". Quarterback Theismann threw a key block one day and begged to be named an "honorary piglet." Theismann never had to hit a blocking dummy every day, which is why he never made "piglet." Besides, Bugel said: "We don't want a quarterback in the gang." "No quarterbacks," Starke said at the time. Theismann has said in numerous occasions that after that block he did make it into "The Hogs" as a "Piglet."http://www.thehogs.net/html/Hogs/history.html
Their successes inspired a group of male fans who came to be known as "The Hogettes" http://www.hogettes.org/, who attended games dressed in "old lady" drag
(dresses, wide-brimmed hats) and wearing plastic pig
snouts. The Hogettes are still cheering on the team to this day.
Soon after losing Super Bowl XVIII
38-9 to the Los Angeles Raiders
in 1984, Starke retired. Theismann's career ended in 1985 after suffering an injury while being tackled by New York Giants
linebacker
Lawrence Taylor
. Riggins retired after the 1985 season. The Redskins were joined by a new class of Hogs, including 1985 draft pick Raleigh McKenzie
, a left guard from the University of Tennessee
, and 1989 draft pick Mark Schlereth
, a right guard from the University of Idaho
, along with Ray Brown, Ed Simmons
, and Pro Bowl
left tackle Jim Lachey
, who was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Raiders
. With their help, the Redskins won two more Super Bowls - XXII
in 1988 and XXVI
in 1992.
On August 7, 2010 Russ Grimm was inducted into the Pro Football of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
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...
during the 1980s and early 1990s. Renowned for their ability to control the line of scrimmage
Line of scrimmage
In American and Canadian football a line of scrimmage is an imaginary transverse line beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun...
, the Hogs helped the Redskins win three 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...
championships (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...
, 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...
and 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...
) under head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
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...
. In the context of college football, the phrase "the Hogs" usually refers to Arkansas Razorbacks football
Arkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
http://www.wholehogsports.com/ http://www.hogdb.com/ http://www.hogcall.com/.
History
"The Hogs" was a term coined by offensive line coach Joe BugelJoe Bugel
Joseph John 'Buges' Bugel was the Offensive line coach for the Washington Redskins from 1981 to 1989 and from 2004 to 2009...
during training camp in 1982, when he told his linemen, "Okay, you hogs, let's get running down there."http://www.thehogs.net/html/Hogs/history.html
Center 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:...
, left guard Russ Grimm
Russ Grimm
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-American center at the University of Pittsburgh. As a professional, Grimm had multi-selections to both the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams, and was...
, right guard 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:...
, right tackle Joe Jacoby
Joe Jacoby
Joseph Erwin Jacoby is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins...
, left tackle 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....
, along with tight ends Don Warren
Don Warren
Donald James Warren is a former American football tight end, who spent his entire 14 year career playing for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League...
and Rick Walker
Rick Walker
Richard "Doc" Walker is a former American football tight end in the National Football League, who played for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Washington Redskins...
comprised the original Hogs. While Starke retired in 1984 shortly after the team won their third NFL Championship and first 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...
in 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...
, Bostic, Grimm, Jacoby, and Warren stayed together until the early 1990s.
The line averaged 273 pounds in 1982 http://www.thehogs.net/content/story.php?id=81 — not including Jacoby, who joined the team later weighing in at around 300 pounds.
Early on, the Hogs provided cover for running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
John Riggins
John Riggins
Robert John Riggins, nicknamed "The Diesel", is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. Riggins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992....
and quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Joe Theismann
Joe Theismann
Joseph Robert "Joe" Theismann is a former quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League . He achieved his most enduring fame in his 12 seasons playing for the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and quarterback of the winning team in Super Bowl XVII...
. Riggins was accepted as an "Honorary Hog". Quarterback Theismann threw a key block one day and begged to be named an "honorary piglet." Theismann never had to hit a blocking dummy every day, which is why he never made "piglet." Besides, Bugel said: "We don't want a quarterback in the gang." "No quarterbacks," Starke said at the time. Theismann has said in numerous occasions that after that block he did make it into "The Hogs" as a "Piglet."http://www.thehogs.net/html/Hogs/history.html
Their successes inspired a group of male fans who came to be known as "The Hogettes" http://www.hogettes.org/, who attended games dressed in "old lady" drag
Drag (clothing)
Drag is used for any clothing carrying symbolic significance but usually referring to the clothing associated with one gender role when worn by a person of another gender. The origin of the term "drag" is unknown, but it may have originated in Polari, a gay street argot in England in the early...
(dresses, wide-brimmed hats) and wearing plastic pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
snouts. The Hogettes are still cheering on the team to this day.
Soon after losing Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...
38-9 to the Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1984, Starke retired. Theismann's career ended in 1985 after suffering an injury while being tackled by New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
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...
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League...
. Riggins retired after the 1985 season. The Redskins were joined by a new class of Hogs, including 1985 draft pick Raleigh McKenzie
Raleigh McKenzie
Raleigh McKenzie is a former American football player in the National Football League who played guard for the Washington Redskins from 1985 to 1994. McKenzie was the epitome of the "Hogs" depth amidst the Redskins famed 1980s and early 1990s offensive line...
, a left guard from the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, and 1989 draft pick Mark Schlereth
Mark Schlereth
Mark Frederick Schlereth is a former professional football player and current television sportscaster. Schlereth played guard in the NFL for 12 seasons with the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos. He is currently a football analyst for ESPN on NFL Live, Sportscenter, and other programs...
, a right guard from the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
, along with Ray Brown, Ed Simmons
Ed Simmons
Edward Lamar Simmons is a former American football offensive tackle who played his entire eleven year career with the Washington Redskins from 1987 to 1997 in the National Football League. He played college football at Eastern Washington University and was drafted in the sixth round of the 1987...
, 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...
left tackle Jim Lachey
Jim Lachey
James Michael Lachey is a former American football offensive tackle who played for ten seasons in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers, the Los Angeles Raiders and the Washington Redskins from 1985 to 1995, missing the 1993 season with a knee injury.Lachey graduated from St...
, who was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. With their help, the Redskins won two more Super Bowls - 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 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.
On August 7, 2010 Russ Grimm was inducted into the Pro Football of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
External links
- http://espn.go.com/page2/wash/s/simmons/020314.html - Article by columnist Bill SimmonsBill SimmonsWilliam J. "Bill" Simmons III is a sports columnist, author, and podcaster. He currently writes columns and hosts podcasts for Grantland.com, which is affiliated with ESPN.com. He is a former writer for ESPN The Magazine and Jimmy Kimmel Live!...
of ESPNESPNEntertainment 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....
about the close-knit Hogs. - http://www.thehogs.net/The_Hogs/history.php - A history of the Hogs.
- http://www.thehogs.net/content/story.php?id=81 - 1982 Washington Post article about the Hogs.