The Hogs Offensive Line
The Hogs offensive line is one of the most iconic units in NFL history. Known for their grit, power, and unshakable chemistry, this group of linemen powered Washington’s offense to dominance throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. This page explores how The Hogs were formed, the players who brought them to life, and the unmatched legacy they left on the game.
The Hogs Name
It all started at the Redskins 1982 training camp. Offensive Line coach Joe Bugel was working with his line, a ‘chunky’ bunch, and wanting them to hit the blocking sheds, he said, “Okay, you Hogs, let’s get running down there.”
That’s really all there was to it.
The guys embraced the nickname and the moniker stuck. T-shirts were made up with razorback hogs on them, and The Hogs were required to wear the shirts one day each week, or pay a $5 fine to Boss Hog Bugel’s Hog Feast fund.
Shirts were also used as rewards – like the KO Block. That was given when a lineman laid out his opponent so fiercely that their head snapped back off the ground.
“The most I ever got in one year was 11,” said Joe Jacoby.
Chartered Members of The Hogs Offensive Line
The Original Hogs were Jacoby, George Starke, Russ Grimm, Mark May, and Jeff Bostic.
Starke: Head Hog
Starke was the senior member of the squad. He was already a team captain, but he almost never got the chance to play in Washington. After earning his way via the taxi squad (practice squad), he managed to play his way to starting right tackle by 1973.
So he was ten years older than the rest of the gang, and had been there awhile. He was the de facto Head Hog. All of the other piglets were new to the team.
May
As a first round pick, May Day arrived to a lot of hype. He was just the second first round pick Washington had actually made in the last 13 years. Not only that, he was Pitt’s first ever Outland Trophy winner and had not allowed a sack in either his junior or senior season.
He had to really fight for his spot. He was on the bench early on, before being moved to his eventual home at right guard.
Grimm
The Grimm Reaper, Russ Grimm was also highly touted in that same draft as May. When he was still available in the third round at number 69, Washington struck a deal with the Los Angeles Rams. The Redskins gave up the sizable investment of the following year’s first-round draft choice (1982), to be able to select Grimm in the third.
Coming out of the University of Pittsburgh, he was recognized as one of the nation’s top offensive linemen, with some teams ranking him as high as the 20th best prospect in the 1981 draft.
Bostic
Bostic began his NFL journey by signing with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent, but was released during training camp.
Soon after, the Redskins picked him up to fill a need at long snapper. Bostic started on special teams, but his work ethic and talent quickly stood out.
General Manager Charlie Casserley had seen Bostic play center and guard at Clemson and had been impressed. Though he played guard as a senior, Casserley thought he was a better center.
By 1981, he had earned the starting center role for Washington.
Joe Jacoby
The final piece of the puzzle, the biggest piece, joined the Redskins that same famed 1981 training camp. A giant rookie free agent from Louisville named Joe Jacoby walked into Coach Gibbs’ office looking for a job.
Gibbs assumed that Jacoby was a defensive tackle because of his massive size. The young tackle stood an imposing 6’7″ and was an unheard of 300 pounds.
Gibbs told Jacoby that he’d give him a chance.
The lore of the story is that Gibbs would ultimately be upset with Joe Bugel for NOT telling him that Jacoby was an offensive tackle.
Bugel had seen and talked to Jacoby as a senior at Louisville and asked him to put on some weight. JJ responded well, and unbeknownst to anyone at the time, changed the course of NFL history.
So what if Washington had a glut of offensive linemen at camp that year (18). They had the makings of something special.
The positions they officially played changed early and with some frequency, but those are the five original offensive linemen and core of The Hogs.
The rest is history.
The Other Hogs
Don Warren was not originally a Hog but The Flying Dutchman became one.
Fred Dean and Doc Walker were usually on scene as well.
Riggins campaigned to be a Hog, as did Theismann.
“No quarterbacks,” said Head Hog Starke.
The Hogs loved John though and he was admitted as an Honorary Hog. Bugel tossed Riggo a Hog tee one day, and he was in.
Quick Success?
Over the first few seasons, Jacoby, Starke, Grimm, May and Bostic would miss a combined total of just ONE game. They hung out together, they ate together, Grimm and Jacoby even roomed together for a few years. More importantly, they became a powerful, cohesive unit that provided big holes for John Riggins and pass protection for Joe Theismann.
The 5 O’Clock Club
The Hogs increased their tightness as members of the 5 O’Clock Club – a tradition started by the great Vince Lombardi in 1969. The group met after practice in an old tool shed at Redskin Park. It had no plumbing, and no electricity.
There was a kerosene heater over which Riggo would sometimes warm cans of pork and beans. They usually washed down the delicate fare of beans with frothy beverages.
“A lot of problems were solved out there,” Grimm once joked.
Cohesion played a crucial role in the execution of a play they pioneered—the Counter Trey. Bostic, May and Starke would block down or to the left. Grimm and Jacoby would pull and come around the right side. The running back would take a step to the left and then take the handoff going right. Grimm and Jacoby frequently trucked smaller linebackers and defensive backs. It worked many times to the dismay of opponents, and would become their signature play.
In fact, it was that developed cohesiveness that allowed Bugel and head coach Joe Gibbs to develop a punishing ball control offense. The Hogs would smash huge holes in the defense and Riggins would run through them.
The Hogs Offensive Line Dominated
It was in the 1983 playoffs was when the Hogs really began to dominate. Riggins ran the ball 37 times for 185 yards against Minnesota, 36 times for 140 yards against Dallas in the NFC Championship game, and 38 times for 166 yards against Miami in Super Bowl XVII. An incredible 610 yards in four games to capture Washington’s first Super Bowl.
The Hogs First Super Bowl
Although Riggins’ performances were spectacular, the Hogs offensive line were the ones controlling the trenches. The Hogs paved the way for Joe Gibbs to turn his clock-eating, ball-control offense into the driving force of a Lombardi Trophy.
Against the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII, The Hogs were instrumental in the most famous play in Washington history.
70 Chip
It was fourth and one to go – on the Miami 43 yard line – fourth quarter and the game in the balance. The call came in:
“Goal line, goal line. I-left, tight wing, 70 Chip on white.”Joe Theismann took the snap and handed the ball to Riggins. Jacoby and Grimm, along with h-back Otis Wonsley, opened a huge hole on the left side of the line. The Diesel never looked back.
Riggins hit the hole and took off down the field. He shrugged off cornerback Ron McNeal in an image permanently ingrained in the memories of Washington fans everywhere.
The Redskins scored 17 unanswered points in the second half, as The Hogs blocked their way to a Super Bowl record for most team rushing yards (276).
Washington were on their way to the first NFL championship since 1942.
Super Bowl Hiccups
The Hogs kept paving highways through defensive lines in 1984 too. They were equally as dominant, perhaps even more. They rolled easily into Super Bowl XVIII, and were expected to repeat.
And then the wheels fell off.
Marcus Allen and the Raiders had other ideas. Washington suffered a stunning 38-9 defeat.
The Hogs Offensive Line Had To Evolve
The period between the 1984 Super Bowl and Washington’s next Super Bowl appearance in 1988, would see some changes to the original Hogs lineup.
Starke retired during the 1985 training camp. At 37, he had the option to be waived or retire, and he chose retirement. He had earned that right.
Reflecting on his football career, Starke said: “It is an amazing feeling to be on top. We were the best in the world at what we did, and nothing could ever top that. It made everything else I did in my career seem less significant.”
Riggins retired at the end of the 1985 season. In 1992, he earned induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, solidifying his legacy as one of the game’s all-time greats.
Though not actually a charter member, Joe Theismann also retired after his gruesome career-ending broken leg against the New York Giants in 1985.
Raleigh-ing Together
Washington selected a guard out of Tennessee in the ELEVENTH round of the 1985 draft. Raleigh McKenzie was the 290th pick overall.
He would go on to play ten seasons at virtually every position on the offensive line for Washington.
By 1987, Raleigh McKenzie had secured his spot as Washington’s starting guard. He joined originals Jacoby, Grimm, Bostic, and May – who had taken Starke’s spot at right tackle. The Hogs steamrolled into Super Bowl XXII.
The Hogs Second Super Bowl
Doug Williams’ MVP performance and Timmy Smith’s record-setting game wouldn’t have been possible without The Hogs. Williams would finish with 340 yards passing and four touchdowns, while Smith would break the Super Bowl rushing record with 204 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries.
Washington racked up a staggering 602 yards—nearly doubling Denver’s output of 327. Much of that came during a historic second quarter, forever remembered as The Quarter.
Washington also broke the record they had set five years previously, with 280 yards rushing.
And the four remaining original Hogs, had their second Super Bowl ring in six seasons.
Hogs v2.0
The second generation of The Hogs came from one obvious place and one not so obvious place.
Obvious One
The obvious offensive lineman upgrade happened, when Washington completed one of the best trades in the franchise’s history.
On the opening day of the 1988 NFL season, the Washington Redskins traded backup quarterback Jay Schroeder to the Los Angeles Raiders in exchange for Pro Bowl left tackle Jim Lachey. There was a conditional pick from Washington too. Nobody remembers what the pick was, or who the Raiders picked with it.
Lachey was coming off a Pro Bowl season with the San Diego Chargers. The Raiders acquired him from the Chargers after they failed to reach a contract agreement
He joined the Redskins in his fourth NFL season and quickly earned a reputation as one of the league’s premier left tackles—if not the very best—at the time.
His dominance even pushed longtime starter Joe Jacoby to the right side, after 105 starts at left tackle.
To his credit, Jacoby embraced the switch without hesitation.
The Hogs Not So Obvious Upgrade
While most roster upgrades are easy to spot, one of Washington’s most underrated came in the 1989 NFL Draft. With the 263rd overall pick in the tenth round, the team selected a powerful guard from the University of Idaho—Mark Schlereth. He was second team all-Big Sky in his senior season. Still, based on his draft position, it was clear that few expected Schlereth to carve out a 12-season NFL career—let alone win three Super Bowls, including one with Washington and two with the Denver Broncos.
Adding Lachey and Schlereth to a mix that already included Jacoby, Grimm, Bostic, and McKenzie, made Washington’s offensive line a force. Again.
They were The Hogs offensive line again.
May sustained a significant knee injury in 1989 that sidelined him for the entire 1990 season. The Redskins left him unprotected under the NFL’s Plan B free agency system in early 1991. This decision was part of the team’s strategy to make room for emerging talent on the offensive line.
Seven Sacks In A Season?
The Hogs v2.0 put together arguably the best season an offensive line has ever put together. While such a metric is tough to judge across generations, there is no denying the numbers. In 1991, Washington only conceded SEVEN sacks the entire season.
Seven.
Ok, to be factually correct, the Redskins actually allowed nine. Two of them came in the final half of the final game of the season. The starters were on the bench. The Starting Hogs only allowed seven – and that includes the playoffs.
Mark Rypien looked like the second coming of Slingin’ Sammy Baugh that year. Long bomb after long bomb. That was largely due to the fact that Ryp had all day long in the safety of The Hogs pocket.
The unit that started Super Bowl XXVI was from left-to-right: Lachey, McKenzie, Bostic, Schlereth and Jacoby. Grimm was pretty banged up.
The Hogs Third Super Bowl
Even before the game, one of the broadcasters noted after a Lachey interview, that normally it was the defensive guys that seemed all hyped up. Lachey and The Hogs went out and spanked the Buffalo Bills and their much heralded defensive line, 37-24.
This time it was Rypien who was the recipient of a have-all-day-to-throw Hogs pocket, and a subsequent Super Bowl MVP. He finished with 292 yards, two touchdowns, and a pretty clean jersey.
Lachey and Schlereth had won their first Super Bowl rings. Bostic, Grimm, and Jacoby had their third.
The End Of The Era(s)
They say all good things must come to an end.
Russ Grimm retired following the Super Bowl XXVI win. He appeared in 140 games for Washington, with 114 starts – but knee injuries had limited him to a back-up role on that playoff run in 1991. Grimm appeared in four straight Pro Bowls (1983-1986) and was a First Team All-Pro three times as well (1983-1985). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.
Joe Jacoby retired in 1993 after 170 games (148 starts). He appeared in four straight Pro Bowls (1983-1986) and was a First Team All-Pro twice (1983, 1984). He belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Likewise, Jeff Bostic also retired following the 1993 season. He appeared in 184 games (149 starts) for Washington, and went to the Pro Bowl in 1983. He was the only center in NFL history to snap for three Super Bowl wins.
And with that, the last Hogs era, was over.
More Information on The Hogs V2.0
Jim Lachey missed the entire 1993 season. The same injury ultimately forced him to retire three games into the 1995 season. Lachey played in 131 career games – 86 of them for Washington. He appeared in three Pro Bowls (1987, 1990, 1991) and was a First Team All-Pro three times as well (1989, 1990, 1991). If it weren’t for injuries, he would undoubtedly be in the Hall of Fame. Arguably the most dominant left tackle the game has ever seen.
In addition, Mark Schlereth moved to Denver in 1995. He won two Super Bowls with the Broncos to go with the one he won in Washington. Stinky played in 156 career games – split fairly evenly between Washington (75) and Denver (81). He also eventually appeared in the Pro Bowl for each team – in 1991 for Washington and 1998 for the Broncos.
