BATTERING RAM

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Aug 2, 2008 | by Frank Schwab

Gary Zimmerman was a phenomenal athlete. He was nimble on his feet and although he wasn't huge for an offensive tackle, he was very strong.

He was borderline obsessive-compulsive about his preparation. And he was tough, refusing to come off the field because of injuries that ravaged his body.

Through his Hall of Fame career, Zimmerman didn't see that greatness in himself.

"I hear people who are bulimic, they see themselves as fat," said Zimmerman, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame today. "When I was playing, I saw myself as not good enough, so I always tried to be better. I don't know if that's a real element, but I could watch people and think they did a good job but then watch myself, and I was kind of embarrassed. So I tried to work harder."

Brian Habib played nine seasons with Zimmerman, four with the Vikings and five with the Broncos. Habib said players get to the NFL through either maximum effort or supreme talent. Zimmerman combined both.

He worried about every opponent. He would tell Habib that no matter who he was facing, they could make him look bad. Habib marveled at how hard Zimmerman worked out in the offseason. His preparation the week of a game was unmatched.

Habib, a right guard, said Zimmerman almost drove him crazy when Zimmerman played a few weeks at right tackle in 1997. Every play, Zimmerman would ask Habib what the snap count was, who he had to block on the play and who Habib would be blocking, all the way to the line.

"He knew it, but he had to ask," he said. "That's just the kind of guy he was."

Zimmerman could handle any opponent physically. He played as well against finesse pass rushers as he did against bigger defensive ends. Habib said he never saw a weakness in Zimmerman's game. Former teammate Alfred Williams also faced him when he was with the Bengals.

"He was a neutralizer," Williams said. "He was aggressive and he was strong. He was solid from head to toe. He was a supreme athlete. He didn't look like a bodybuilder, but his body was all muscle. And he could take a shot and torque and stay on his feet, where other guys would fall down."

What Broncos coach Mike Shanahan remembers best about Zimmerman is his toughness. The game took a toll on Zimmerman's body. His shoulder bothered him badly late in his career. He could need a hip replacement someday. Habib said he knew of other injuries, but Zimmerman never complained.

Once, when the Broncos were playing Oakland, Shanahan said Zimmerman's shoulder was out of place and he was told at halftime he had to come out.

"He said, 'I am not going out until No. 7 (John Elway) goes out,'" Shanahan said. "With his shoulder out of his joint, he goes out and plays the entire second half. He wasn't coming out unless John was coming out. That gives an idea of his mental toughness."

Zimmerman said the first time he was in Canton, Ohio, was for Elway's induction in 2004. Although he was eligible, he didn't picture himself being inducted someday.

"I never thought of myself being in there," Zimmerman said. "People have a hard time with that, but that's just the honest truth. I just never thought that way."

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ContaCt the writer: 476-4891 or frank.schwab@gazette.com.

2008 NFL HaLL OF FaMe CLaSS

FRED DEAN

Defensive end Chargers/49ers 1975-1985

DARRELL GREEN

Cornerback Redskins 1983-2002

ART MONK

Wide receiver Redskins/Jets/Eagles 1980-1995

EMMITT THOMAS

Cornerback Chiefs 1966-1978

ANDRE TIPPETT

Linebacker Patriots 1982-1993

GARY ZIMMERMAN

Offensive tackle Vikings/Broncos 1986-1997 ON TELEVISION: Ceremony at 4 p.m. on ESPN