Latest news with #IowaAthleticsHallofFame
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Washington OL with over $100 million in career earnings retires from NFL
Congrats for one hell of a career Brandon Scheff! ! You would be the only guard I would ever draft at 5! Enjoy hunting in Iowa! Former Washington offensive lineman Brandon Scherff quietly retired from the NFL this offseason. There was no grand announcement, no breaking news, no social media posts. Instead, the news of Scherff's retirement came courtesy of his alma mater, Iowa's website. In an article profiling Scherff's selection to the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame, there was this quote. 'It's been something I could never dream of,' says Scherff, who retired from playing this summer. 'Sometimes I would tell my wife that she has to pinch me, because I'm playing a kid's game, and being able to do it as a job is pretty amazing. Now, having kids and being able to see them after games is absolutely wonderful. So I would say it's a dream come true. And I will be forever grateful to have had that chance.' Washington selected Scherff No. 5 overall in the 2015 NFL draft with the idea of him playing right tackle. The Redskins already had Trent Williams at left tackle. However, it didn't take long that summer in training camp for coaches to realize he'd be much better at guard. And he didn't just become a good guard, but one of the best. In 10 NFL seasons — seven in Washington, three in Jacksonville — Scherff was named to the Pro Bowl five times and was named first-team All-Pro in 2020. After his rookie contract expired at the end of the 2019 season, Washington applied the franchise tag on Scherff for two consecutive years before seeing him depart in 2022 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played the previous three seasons for the Jaguars, starting every game. Scherff, 33, reportedly had interest from several teams this offseason, but let teams know he was done. In 10 seasons, Scherff finished with over $111 million in career earnings, per Spotrac. Scherff's former head coach in Washington, Jay Gruden, once famously expressed his disgust with the organization's lack of success early in the NFL draft, saying, "And we spent a top-five pick on a guard." Gruden wasn't knocking Scherff the player, as he always praised him as one of the NFL's best offensive linemen, but instead the positional value of selecting a guard so high. Gruden responded to Scherff's retirement on X. Congratulations to Brandon Scherff and best wishes in retirement.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Iowa football OL Brandon Scherff announces NFL retirement
One of the best Iowa football players in the Kirk Ferentz era just officially announced he's hanging up the cleats and calling it a career. Brandon Scherff is one of the best Hawkeye offensive linemen in Iowa history. Scherff's senior season will go down as one of the best individual seasons by a Hawkeye ever. He was a unanimous All-American, won the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, and won the Outland Trophy, given to the best interior offensive lineman in the entire country. That season established Scherff as one of the greatest offensive linemen in Iowa history. And that success carried over into the NFL. Scherff was taken by the then-Washington Redskins with the fifth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He spent seven seasons in Washington, where he was named to five Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 2020. Following his time in Washington, Scherff signed a three-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he played over the previous three seasons. He was a free agent this offseason, but has now decided to officially retire from the NFL. In an article put together by John Bohnenkamp to commemorate Scherff's induction into the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame, the longtime NFL guard officially announced his intentions to retire from the game of football. 'It's been something I could never dream of,' Scherff said. 'Sometimes I would tell my wife that she has to pinch me, because I'm playing a kid's game, and being able to do it as a job is pretty amazing. Now, having kids and being able to see them after games is absolutely wonderful. So I would say it's a dream come true. And I will be forever grateful to have had that chance.' Over his NFL career, Scherff appeared in 140 games, starting every single one of them. It was one heck of a professional career for the former Iowa football legend. Scherff will officially be inducted into the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame on August 29, one day before the Hawkeyes begin their 2025 season. Hawkeye fans wish Scherff the best as he begins life after football. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney
