Redskins greats Art Monk and Russ Grimm fell short in voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Monk and Grimm, both of whom were integral in leading the Redskins to three Super Bowl championships from 1982-91, did not receive 80 percent approval from the Hall's Board of Electors, a group of sports journalists from NFL cities around the country.
"Both Art and Russ are among the greatest Redskins players in the history of the organization as well as the entire NFL," Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder said on Saturday. "Both of these outstanding players belong in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And for Art, the time for him to be inducted is long overdue."
It was the fifth consecutive year that Monk had fallen short as a finalist; for Grimm, it was his first year as a finalist.
Monk and Grimm were two of 15 finalists considered for the Hall of Fame. Both made it past the first round of voting that cut the list of finalists to 10, but were not among the next round that cut the list of finalists to six. The board voted Saturday morning during the annual meeting in Jacksonville, Fla.
In the end, the board elected to the Hall of Fame four players: Benny Friedman, quarterback from 1927-34 for the Cleveland Bulldogs, Detroit Wolverines, New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers; Dan Marino, quarterback from 1983-99 for the Miami Dolphins; Fritz Pollard, running back/coach from 1919-26 for the Akron Pros/Indians, Milwaukee Badgers, Hammond Pros and Providence Steam Rollers; and Steve Young, quarterback from 1985-99 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers.
For complete coverage of the Hall of Fame Class of 2005 and the enshrinement process, visit the **Pro Football Hall of Fame web site**.
The Redskins have 21 former players, coaches and team officials in the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The most recent inductee was former head coach George Allen, inducted in 2002. The most recent player to be inducted was former safety Paul Krause, who was elected in 1998. Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs was inducted in 1996.
In 16 seasons--his first 14 with the Redskins--Monk caught 940 passes for 12,721 yards and 68 touchdowns. He became the league's all-time leading receiver in a Monday Night game against Denver on Oct. 12, 1992, with his 820th reception. (He has since been surpassed by a host of players.)
Monk, who was 6-3 and 209 pounds during his playing days, shattered other all-time records, too. He set a mark for most catches in one season (106 in 1984) and most consecutive games with receptions (183). Both records have since been broken.
Monk still holds Redskins records for most career receptions (888), most single-season receptions (106) and most career receiving yards (12,026). He earned three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 1984-86 and also posted nine seasons of 50 or more receptions and five seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards.
Grimm played left guard from 1981-93 and was a key member of "The Hogs." He teamed with tackle Joe Jacoby to form a punishing left side of the Redskins' offensive line. They helped open up plenty of gaping holes for Hall of Fame running back John Riggins, including Riggins' famous 43-yard touchdown run in Super Bowl XVII.
He played center and guard for the Redskins from 1981-91 and earned four consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl from 1983-86. He was named the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1980s.
A Pittsburgh native, Grimm currently is the assistant head coach-offensive line coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His name has been mentioned often in recent years as a NFL head coaching candidate.
