Pro-Football HOF announces candidates

[PghUSA]

With the addition of Marino and Russ Grimm Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh Metro which leads all other states and metros repectively in NFL HOFs will only add to their lead!

Grimm, Greenwood, Marino Hall finalists

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

By Ed Bouchette, PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE

Russ Grimm has a full plate these days. His team is in the Super Bowl hunt, he's a candidate for the head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns, and yesterday he became a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Grimm, the Steelers' offensive line coach, joined former Pitt teammate Dan Marino and former Steelers defensive end L.C. Greenwood among the 15 finalists for Hall of Fame induction in Canton, Ohio, announced yesterday.

The 15 came from a list of 25 semifinalists. Between three and six nominees will be selected Feb. 5 in Jacksonville, Fla., to the 2005 class.

Greenwood is in his second-to-last year of eligibility while Marino is in his first. This is the first time Grimm has reached the list of finalists, even though he's been eligible since 1997.

Grimm and Marino were teammates at Pitt.

"He definitely will get in," Grimm said. "I don't think there's any doubt about that and deservedly so. It would be nice [to join him]."

Greenwood played for the Steelers from 1969-81 as a member of the Steel Curtain defense that helped win four Super Bowls. He previously was among the 15 finalists but had dropped from that list the past few years.

Marino, an Oakland native who played at Central Catholic, threw for an NFL-record 61,343 yards and 420 touchdowns with the Miami Dolphins from 1983-99.

Grimm, a Scottdale native who played quarterback at Southmoreland High School, played guard for the Washington Redskins from 1981-91. He was named the NFL's All-1980s team and won three Super Bowl rings with the Redskins. No member of that great Hogs offensive line in Washington is in the Hall of Fame.

"That was a good group, we had a lot of fun, we had a lot of success. They were all pretty good. It's always exciting the further along you get. This is the closest I've gotten, we'll wait and see what happens. Hopefully, sooner or later, one day."

The other 12 finalists include two seniors nominees, Benny Friedman and Fritz Pollard, along with Harry Carson, Richard Dent, Claude Humphrey, Michael Irvin, Bob Kuechenberg, Art Monk, Derrick Thomas, Roger Wehrli, Steve Young and former administrator George Young.

"There's lot of good football players on that list," Grimm said. "Some of those guys have been on that list a lot longer than I have."