'Burgh's Best to Wear It, No. 56: Russ Grimm excelled on the field no matter the position

The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number.

No. 56: Russ Grimm

Russ Grimm left Southmoreland High School as a quarterback, linebacker and punter. After arriving at Pitt, he was moved to center and anchored one of the nation’s best offensive lines.

Upon being drafted by the Washington Redskins, Grimm moved to left guard and became a fixture on the “Hogs” unit that won three Super Bowl titles in four appearances.

It was his ability to do a lot of things — and do them well — that led Grimm to being named the Tribune-Review’s best athlete in Pittsburgh to wear No. 56. It was a close call for Grimm, who edged fellow Pitt star and Pro Football Hall of Famer Chris Doleman for the honor.

Grimm was recruited to Pitt as a linebacker, but coach Jackie Sherrill had a need on the offensive line. And so after Grimm’s sophomore season, he had an uncomfortable conversation with his coach.

“I told him I never had my hand in the dirt, that I’d just stay at linebacker,” Grimm said in 2010 during his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “He lifted his eyes up and looked at me and he said, ‘Son, I’m not asking.’

“So I moved over.”

Grimm entered college weighing 205 pounds. In his senior season, he weighed 272 while skillfully manning the center position. In his final two seasons, Pitt went 22-2 and Grimm became an honorable mention All-American.

The Redskins selected Grimm in the third round of the 1981 NFL Draft. They already had a pretty fair center in Jeff Bostic, so Grimm became a left guard. Grimm apparently had no issues making another transition based on his inclusion in the NFL’s all-decade team in the 1980s or an 11-year, 140-game career that led to his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction.

Upon retiring, Grimm embarked on a lengthy career as an NFL assistant, including six with the Pittsburgh Steelers under coach Bill Cowher. After stints in Arizona and Tennessee, Grimm retired from coaching after the 2017 season.

In 2012, two years after Grimm was enshrined in Canton, Ohio, he was joined by Doleman, the standout defensive end who spent most of his 15 NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.

Joining Pitt immediately after Grimm’s departure, Doleman was given No. 56 and wore the jersey with distinction. Doleman was an unstoppable force at defensive end and linebacker at Pitt from 1981-84. He finished his career with 25 sacks, which was third in school history at the time and remains the eighth-best total for a Panthers player.

The Vikings selected Doleman fourth overall in the 1985 draft. He was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times in his lengthy career that ended with 150½ sacks, including an NFL-high 21 in 1989.

Just as Grimm was named to the NFL’s all-decade team in the 1980s, Doleman was included on that list in the ’90s. He appeared in 232 career games, missing just two to injury.

Doleman played in 17 postseason games, but unlike Grimm, he never made it to a Super Bowl. In January, Doleman passed away at age 58 from brain cancer.

The Steelers had a trio of standout players wear No. 56:

• Outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley had 57 sacks in seven seasons (2007-13), including three consecutive seasons when he reached double figures. He had six sacks in the Steelers’ run to their sixth Super Bowl title in 2008.

• Linebacker Robin Cole started 127 of 150 games with the Steelers from 1977-87 and earned a pair of Super Bowl rings.

• Ray Mansfield was the durable center in the early days of the 1970s Steelers dynasty. He started 163 games in 13 seasons and also earned two Super Bowl rings.

Check out the entire ’Burgh’s Best to Wear It series here.