Washington legends Doug Williams, Russ Grimm and Art Monk have been named to the East-West Shrine Bowl All-Century Team, a list of the 100 best players to participate in the all-star game over its 100-year history.
Williams, Monk and Grimm were three of the 56 players represented from the East roster. Williams, who played quarterback at Grambling State, played in the 53rd iteration of the game in 1977; Monk, a receiver from Syracuse, played three years later in 1980; and Grimm, an offensive lineman from Pittsburgh, played in 1981. Monk and Grimm were two of the 80 Pro Football Hall of Fame members named to the All-Century team.
Williams, who later in his professional career became a member of the Commanders Ring of Fame and 90 Greatest players as well as the Washington, D.C. Sports Hall of Fame, played at Grambling from 1974-77. As a player, Williams had a 36-7 record as a four-year starter, leading his team to three Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships. He led the NCAA in several categories during his final season with the Tigers, including passing yards (3,286), scrimmage yards (3,249), touchdown passes (38) and yards per play (8.6).
Williams finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting that year and was named the Black College Player of the Year twice in his college career. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Monk spent four seasons at Syracuse and led the team in receiving yards in three of them. He ranks in the top 10 for the program in receptions (102, sixth), receiving yards (1,644, seventh) and receiving yards per game (37.4, ninth). He accounted for 13 touchdowns in his college career, including four rushing scores. He had a career-high 716 receiving yards. In 1979 and 573 rushing yards in 1978.
A member of Washington Ring of Fame and 90 Greatest Players list, Monk was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Grimm was the starting center at Pitt from 1977-80 and played a critical role in two of the best seasons in program history. The program was 22-2 in 1979 and 1980. The Panthers beat four ranked teams in 1979 and took down Arizona, 16-10, in the Fiesta Bowl. In 1980, Grimm and the Panthers took down No. 5 Penn State, 14-9, and blew out No. 18 South Carolina in the Gator Bowl.
Grimm, who was also named to Washington's Ring of Fame and 80 Greatest Players list, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. He is also a member of the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame.
