One of the most legendary names among offensive line coaches in Howard Mudd, and how fitting of a last name for someone who dedicated his entire coaching career to coaching in the trenches.
Mudd's coaching career started in 1972 at Cal, and by 1974 he was in the NFL with the Chargers. For more than the next four decades, Mudd oversaw the offensive lines for the Niners, Seahawks, Browns, Chiefs, Seahawks, Colts, and Eagles until his retirement in 2012.
Mudd's callling was to be an offensive line coach, and that's precisely what he was was at each of those seven stops in the NFL. Never the offensive coordinator, always the offensive line coach. It's not hard to imagine why his knowledge of the position at the highest level is considered unparalleled in the profession.
Last night, @OLineTips tweeted out Mudd's answer to a question on what components go into having a successful offensive line - and he hits the nail right on the head.
Mudd responded by saying: "To be a good OL, there has to be selflessness, mental toughness, a little "swagger" internally and be able to keep the quarterback clean. For me, toughness isn't how much you give out, but how much you can take. Whatever is asked, run/pass, execute and get ready for the next play. The rest of the offense has to count on the offensive line to perform consistently. Even when the whole offense might be faltering because the rest can recover in an instant and they have to count on the boys up front to be performing regardless of the circumstances. That is the "swagger" part."