Offensive linemen can sometimes be the NFL’s overlooked grunts, with the glory assigned elsewhere. Often to the quarterback who had time and was comfortable while throwing that sailing, 20-yard bomb. Other times to the untouched running back who saw only sunshine while cruising through a gaping hole.
The great ones just do their job and do it well. They seal, pull or pancake, dust themselves off, then rinse and repeat, which is where we begin with former Kansas City Chiefs guard Will Shields, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Sunday.
He went through that cycle of physical dominance at the point of attack for 14 years.