Home >> Jim Lachey’s Hogs Profile

Jim Lachey

 

Career Highlights

• Super Bowl Champion (XXVI)
• First round pick (12th overall) of the San Diego Chargers in 1985
• First Team All American at Ohio State (1984)
• Named to the NFL’s 75th anniversary all decade team for the 1990s
• Named one of the 70 Greatest Redskins

Awards

• Voted to the Pro Bowl in 1987, 1990, 1991
• 3-Time First Team All Pro (1989-1991)
• Second team All Pro (1987)
• PFWA All Rookie Team (1985)
• All Big Ten (1984)

As Dominant As They Come

Jim Lachey was an offensive tackle for the Washington Redskins from 1988 through 1995.

He was born on June 4, 1963, in St. Henry, Ohio, and grew up on a farm with his parents and three siblings. He attended St. Henry High School, where he played football and basketball, and earned all-state honors in both sports.

After high school, Lachey would go on to Ohio State University. He became a starter in his sophomore year and helped lead the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl in 1984. He was named a first-team All-American in his senior year and was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 1985 NFL draft.

Lachey played for the Chargers for three seasons before becoming embroiled in a contract holdout. He was a Second Team All pro in 1987 and also earned his first Pro Bowl appearance. That precipitated him being dealt to the Los Angeles Raiders before the 1988 season.

That would ultimately be great news for Redskins fans, as it led to Jim ultimately being dealt to Washington in arguably the franchise’s greatest trade ever. Going back to the Raiders was relegated backup quarterback Jay Schroeder and a “player to be named later.” Nobody ever seems to remember who the player ended up being but that certainly indicates a lack of significance. Jim, on the other hand, was very significant to the Redskins.

Lachey’s time with the Washington Redskins was the most successful period of his NFL career. After joining the team, he quickly became a key member of their offensive line. He was inserted at left tackle immediately, which meant moving stalwart Joe Jacoby over to the right side.

He was a First Team All Pro in 1989, 1990 and 1991. He also earned Pro Bowl honors in 1990 and 1991. He was quite probably the absolute best left tackle in football over that period. Those who know, know. He was as dominant as they come. He made everything look so easy. The perfect measure of balance, strength and power.

In 1991, Lachey and the Redskins had their most successful season together. The team won Super Bowl XXVI of course, defeating the Buffalo Bills 37-24. How they got there though, was the thing of legends. They allowed just seven sacks on a relatively immobile Mark Rypien over the ENTIRE SEASON. Incredible.

Lachey played a crucial role in the Super Bowl victory, helping the Redskins gain 417 yards of total offense and giving quarterback Mark Rypien time to throw for 292 yards and two touchdowns. Rypien earned the most valuable player award but it could have easily gone to the offensive line, who kept the legendary Bruce Smith at bay all day long.

Unfortunately for Lachey and for the Redskins faithful, injuries became a constant after that.

In 1992, he suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee that kept him on the sidelines for six weeks.

The following year would prove even more disastrous. The All Pro tackle tore the anterior cruciate ligament in the same right knee in a meaningless preseason game with the Cleveland Browns. All of this came on the heels of him having allowed just two sacks in his previous SIXTY starts.

He retired early in the 1995 season after tearing his rotator cuff against the Denver Broncos. He had missed 32 of the Redskins previous 48 games with knee, leg and shoulder injuries.

Injuries. They are likely the only thing that prevented Jim Lachey from reaching the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“We were never going to help Jim Lachey, wether it be against Lawrence Taylor, Bruce Smith, Clyde Simmons, Pat Swilling. In his heyday, Jim Lachey was going to block one man – by himself. He did it during the years he played for us, as well as anybody did it in the National Football League.” – Charley Casserly

The great Joe Bugel once described Lachey as, “a 300 pound ballerina in football cleats.”

When he was healthy, he was quite simply the best offensive tackle that you could ever hope to watch.

Life After Football

After retiring from football, Lachey pursued a career in broadcasting. He has been a radio broadcaster for Buckeyes games for 20-plus years.

He met his wife Ann at Ohio State when he was a senior and she was a freshman. They have five children together – Paige, Emily, Ali, Ron and Luke.

Their son Luke currently plays tight end for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Ron played for the Buckeyes.

Lachey has said that his family is the most important thing in his life, and he has credited his success both on and off the football field to their love and support.