What's in a name?

         

I love a good name...particularly a good football name.

The Steelers have a lot of great ones in their history.  Roy Blount lists most of them in his book About Three Bricks Shy of a Load: Bob Balog, Byron Beams, Max Kielbasa (coincidently, my high school nickname), Dick Riffle, Walter Szot, Joe Zombeck. 

Those are all good names.  My favorite though?  Current Steelers offensive line coach Russ Grimm.

Is that not the toughest damn name you ever heard of?  Russ Grimm.  Say it out loud.  Russ.  Grimm.  It's almost too good to be true.

Let's break it down.

TheFreeDictionary.com defines grim as:

grim (grm)

adj.  grim·mer, grim·mest

1. Unrelenting; rigid.

2. Uninviting or unnerving in aspect; forbidding: "undoubtedly the grimmest part of him was his iron claw"

3. Ferocious; savage: the grim advance of the pillaging army.

Not bad huh?   There's more...

Grim comes from the old English grimm which means "fierce" or "cruel".  That comes from the Swedish word grym, which means "furious".  And that one comes from the Proto-Indo-European word ghrem which describes the sound of rolling thunder.

Plus, there's Ben Grimm aka The Thing (see above) the toughest comic book character of all time.  Literally.  Made of pure, solid, rock. 

And Wikipedia says this about the temperment of Jack RUSSell Terriers - "Built for speed and strength, they will always be ready to play." 

So, add all that up, and this is what you get.  Coach Russ Grimm is fierce, furious, ferocious, savage, cruel, and similar to rolling thunder...he's built like a rock...he doesn't budge...and he's always ready to play.

Pretty decent name for a badass offensive line coach, huh?

Oh yeah, also (not Russ Grimm related), I did a google image search for Max Kielbasa...no luck.  However, there is a Maxine Kielbasa.  And yep, she's a beaut.

Maxine says hi.

Comments

[russ grimm]

i'm glad you like me name...it rules, i know

[samiam]

i got allll the ill names

[steelette]

seriously--bennie blades.

h.b. not only got the football genes, he also inherited a GREAT name.

[Doug Szot]

I experienced the same thing (the football name) when I played college football.
One more thing!
Give us more info on Walter Szot.
(pictures, newspaper clippings, etc.)

[Karolyn Szot]

Hey

Walter Szot was my grandfather. I would be happy to give you information. This is from his hall of fame site below. I am always looking his name up on the internet becuase I never knew that much about him. I am starting a blog of my own. ( www.catchyourwave.blogr.com) I would love to cite your blog.

Here is some info:

An All-East and All-America honorable mention tackle in 1943, Walt Szot won three football letters at Bucknell and played for five years in the National Football League with the Chicago Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. A three-year starter on teams that had a combined 19-8-1 record and co-captain of the 1943 team, Szot was an All-Pennsylvania second team choice in 1942 and was named to the all-state first team in 1943 in addition to earning All-East and All-America honors. Called “one of the greatest players ever to don a Bucknell uniform” by the student newspaper in 1943, Szot returned an interception 55 yards to set up the winning touchdown against Temple that year. A graduate of St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, N.J., Szot was also on the boxing team for one year and was president of the “B” Club as a senior. A Marine veteran of World War II, he played on the Cardinals’ team that defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-21, for the world championship in 1947. Szot died in 1981. (Bucknell Hall of Fame Class of 1993)

[Karolyn Szot]

hahaha oh hi uncle doug I didnt realise you where the last post. I guess we are all looking for more informaion about Walter Szot's football days. His team picture is at the top of the Sears tower!

[Doug Szot]

Hi Karolyn,
I check this site once in awhile. Happy to see someone else cares. I'll check out the Sear's Tower, and your blog.

[wendystubb]

Hi to all the Szots,
Uncle Walter would be so happy today to see his team in the super bowl. I saw a picture of him on the t.v. the day the Cardinals' won. Even though we live in Pa. now we are all wishing the best for the Cardinals today!
Miss seeing all of you. Love Wendy