A Conversation with The Dark Horse of Lebanon County: Roger Grimes

By Gavin Sweeney

Sweeney is local high school student and aspiring sports journalist.

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Introduction

Lebanon County has its share of big names that are recognizable to football fans well beyond its borders. The list includes the likes of Chad Ryland, Jared Odrick, Dick Shiner, and Kerry Collins, to name a few.

However, one name that has gotten lost with time is Roger Grimes.

Grimes played seven years after graduating from Cornwall High School. His first four years were spent playing for Penn State, including as a member of Joe Paterno’s first team. He was then signed by the Dallas Cowboys in 1968 before finishing his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. Grimes also played for the Pottstown Firebirds / Pennsylvania Firebirds.

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The Interview

“How did you start playing football?”

“I was twelve. We didn’t have midget football where I was living; my dad worked at a different location, so he took me there. I played midget football for one year, and then I didn’t play after that. We didn’t have Junior High or JV. I went to Cornwall High School. We barely had enough players, but we had fun and had a great coach.”  

“What made you fall in love with football?”

“I was pretty good at it since the start… midgets, high school, college. I played it and was decent at it, which helped me enjoy it more, and all of a sudden, I was getting opportunities to visit colleges like UCLA, Maryland, and more in my senior year of high school. My parents wanted me to go to college, and I was in the college prep program, so I went and played and enjoyed it. I wasn’t only decent at it, I was successful at it and provided for my family.”  

For my next question, I asked him what position he played. In his answer, he gave some great insight into the history of the running back position and his experience with a legendary coach.

“Fullback… It’s the same as a running back today; it could be a fullback, or it could be a halfback. Everybody’s a running back if they’re in the backfield. Then, if you were lined up right behind the quarterback, you would be a full back; if you were lined up to either side of the quarterback, you were a half back. So, in most cases, I was a fullback. Even when I went to Dallas, I basically was a fullback, and then it wasn’t long after that they started calling everybody that was in the backfield a running back. So, because they would shift, they started changing the name. Tom Landry, who was the head coach in Dallas when I was there, started a lot of these formations which took the running backs up on the wing, in the slot, on the other halfback, fullback, and that’s when I think I really do think that’s when everybody became a running back instead of a halfback or fullback, and that was in the 60’s”.

I asked him about his time playing for Penn State University, including his experience with another legend.

“First of all, I was very fortunate to play for Penn State. Joe Paterno was my backfield coach when I got there, which was in the early 60’s. He was a good backfield coach. He was very particular with where you lined up, how you lined up, and how you left the backfield. My last year at Penn State (1967) was when Joe got promoted to the head coach job. There was a guy named Rip Engle, who had been the head coach before that. He was a good coach that everybody liked. He retired, and that’s when Joe took over. However, as far as my days up at Penn State, I was fortunate; I got along with everybody, and everyone was happy with what I was doing. My sophomore year against UCLA, which was early in the season, was when I blew out my knee. Before that, everything was great but after that, things started to become a struggle to get that rehabilitated. From that point on, I was taped heavily in that knee and was working as hard as I could to rehab it. I did play after, but I wasn’t the same running back from before.”  

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In researching his college career, people spoke highly about Grimes in old newspapers. Some of his highlights in the stat lines included a 71-yard rushing touchdown in the 1966 season. During his first year playing collegiately, he averaged 8.2 yards a carry, compared to the 5.6 yards ballcarriers average these days.

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I asked Grimes about his experience of being signed by an NFL team.

“I was signed to the Cowboys instead of being Drafted. By the time I left high school. Gil Brandt from Dallas was the recruiting coach at the time. He was visiting down here. I don’t know how he got my name or how he heard about me, but he recruited me out of high school, so at that point, I knew I was going to Dallas. I was only a sophomore or junior in high school, but I knew I was going to Dallas. The whole time I was up at Penn State, I knew where I was going after. After the knee injury, I basically limped through my last two years of college. Gil Brandt was still there talking to me and still wanted me. He told me it depends on how things go with drafting me, but I was going to get down there at the end of the day. So after my senior year, they were talking to me, and the Cowboys signed me.”

I then asked him, “What were your Cowboys days like?”  

“When I got there, I was very impressed with the organization and the head coach, Tom Landry. Landry was an example of a good quality coach. The Cowboys were really good. They drafted a lot of players, but they were looking for character and good-quality football players, which was one of the main reasons why they impressed me. They weren’t just trying to get a big-name player. A lot of it had to do with Gil Brandt. He was on the road a lot and would get to know different players. I think that was one of the reasons for their success. Tom Landry, of course, was a huge help. But the Cowboys were good. Not only would they win their division, but they would win their conference and even have chances to win the Super Bowl. One of the class act players I got to know was Roger Staubach. Roger was a class guy who I met at the Cowboys football camp. I learned a lot from Landry and others like Craig Morton, Rayfield Wright, Lance Rentzel, and Don Meredith, with whom I developed a good friendship. Mike Ditka was another player who got the job done. But they had guys who would get the job done and had a good organization of winning seasons and success. I was very fortunate to play for them and play under Landry”.

I then asked Grimes about his transition to playing for the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Philadelphia was hurting for running backs and wanted me up there. I went to get close to home since I was married and had a child. The problem was that they were unsettled with the team and coaching. They were in the process of rebuilding the entire organization. They had good players but not an amazing organization that didn’t help the team produce a winning season. They got a better coach and some quality ball players. I never really played… I was in the locker room trying to get my knee better. The Eagles had a farm team called the Pottstown Firebirds. They had a decent coach who was a firecracker, which brought them a lot of attention. When I was with the Eagles, they wanted me to play for the Firebirds to get my knee back in shape. So, I was under contract with the Eagles, but I was playing for the Firebirds. I played there for a couple of good years. Then, I went back to the Eagles and developed a high ankle sprain. At that point,with the ankle sprain and knee injury, I was tired of rehabbing and being in the locker room all the time, so that’s when I hung up the cleats.”

Grimes then spoke to how organizations are run, comparing his time between the two teams, while also giving credit tothe Eagles who will be playing this weekend in their third Super Bowl in seven years.

“When I look back, I ask myself all the time, why did Dallas have a winning record for twenty years in a row, but the Eagles could barely get two wins in a season. Pete Retzlaff did help change the Eagles after I left. Look at the Eagles now; they have a great organization, and some of the players don’t get enough credit, like Hurts, the quarterback. It’s a matter of how you form an organization”.  

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During Grimes Firebirds career, he was great! In the 1968 season, he had five receiving touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns.

All in all, Grimes had an underrated career, which was made more difficult by injuries. He had the chance to play for Penn State, the Cowboys, the Eagles, and the Firebirds. It’s pretty cool to think about a player from our county going from playing on local fields to impressing some of the most legendary names in football history.

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I asked Grimes his opinion on today’s controversial topic about running backs, especially as it has become an undervalued position in the modern game.

“People who think running backs shouldn’t be appreciated have a serious problem. The trainers who tape their ankles, the waterboys, the coaches. It takes a lot of people to run a good organization. Who’s to say that the running backs are better than the tackles or guards who are blocking for them? You can’t start comparing. The running backs will thank the linemen, or the linemen will thank the running back for a nice cut right after they missed a block or something. It’s crazy…It’s crazy talk”.  

Did you have any personal experiences with the Philly fans?

“One time, the Eagles had a head coach named Joe Kuharich. Eagles fans were so unhappy with Joe that they hired someone to fly a plane with a banner that said, “Joe Must Go,” and they flew over the stadium the entire game.”

Do you have a favorite memory that you made in college or the pros?

“I made this one catch in a game. The quarterback threw it way far ahead of me, so I just started sprinting. I laid almost flat out, caught it, and brought it back in while keeping my balance and kept running. A lot of the old timers remember it and always say, ‘Hey, remember when you made that catch?’ But I would say the catch I made was my favorite memory.”

If you could change one thing about your career, what would it be?

“I’m satisfied with how everything went down. I really have no complaints… the injuries were tough, but I wouldn’t change my story.”  

Did you ever think about coaching?

“It’s brought up to me a lot. I like volunteering to help the track team over here, etc. But I wouldn’t become a football coach. I could coach tennis and track, but I couldn’t become a football coach… I admire people who do it, and it’s a great profession; it’s just not for me.”

Who do you think is best running back in the league now and all- time?

“Right now in the league, I would say Christian McCaffrey from the San Francisco 49ers and Saquon Barkley from the Philadelphia Eagles. Those guys are just phenomenal. For all time, Jim Brown from the Cleveland Browns, Barry Sanders from the Detroit Lions, and Emmitt Smith from the Dallas Cowboys.  

Prediction time: Who do you think is going to win this year’s Super Bowl?

“Both teams are really good and have both proven themselves to be in that position. Both teams will do anything to win. It’s gonna be a good game, but I’ll go with the Eagles”.  

If you could give any advice to young athletes, what would it be?

“Work hard and be yourself. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Be yourself. But if you work hard, things will develop, and you have to accept things that are out of your control. Don’t be afraid to try new things because you could enjoy it. If you have to practice three times a day, then do it. You gotta think about what you want to do and sacrifice to accomplish your goals. Work hard and be yourself”.  

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As a community, we should acknowledge our county’s historical residents and listen to their story. You may not know, but we do have some pretty cool people from Lebanon! I want to thank Mr. Grimes for the interview I got to do and listening to his story was amazing.  

Roger Grimes is now retired and is back where it all began – – Cornwall, PA.