Former Redskins offensive lineman Ron Saul spent more than half of his 12-year NFL career as a member of the Washington Redskins, a team that underwent immense change while he was there as they began their ascent towards dominance in the 1980s.*

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[ During Ron Saul's final year with the Redskins – the year they would go on to win their first Super Bowl – the veteran offensive lineman remembered how "The Hogs" came to be under the leadership of offensive line coach Joe Bugel.

In training camp during the 1982 season, Saul recalled how Bugel wanted to change the perception of the NFL.

"We get into training camp and Buges says, 'Here's the deal. Nate Fine, I want you to take pictures of the Hogs,'" Saul said. "He says, 'I'm tired of all these doomsday defenses – Looney Tunes, Purple People Eaters, Steel Curtain. We got to have an offensive line. Guess what we're going to do. We're going to call ourselves The Hogs. We're going to be the cream that rises to the top. We're going to take the team to the playoffs.'"

The first photo, Saul remembered, Bugel didn't let any tight ends pose with them. However, the character that he was, running back John Riggins jumped in for one of the shots and Bugel reasoned that was OK considering they'd be blocking for Riggins all the way to the Super Bowl.

"We had a lot of pride," Saul said. "We won that Super Bowl with the least amount of talent that's ever won."

Since he turned 50 years old, Saul has also been winning a daily fight with Type-2 Diabetes, a disease that afflicts 35 million people, which includes his sister, Joan, as well as his uncle, who passed away.

He maintains an active lifestyle – "You've got to exercise, diet," he cautions -- and frequently monitors his sugar levels, things that have helped tremendously in his ability to stay healthy.