IOWA CITY, Iowa-- The Hawkeye offensive line tradition is one that goes from coast-to-coast and is widely respect in NFL circles. Marshal Yanda fits the mold of a guy that earned everything across every level of football and eventually became one of the best the NFL has ever seen.
ESPN recently compiled the 53-man roster of the best players over the last quarter-century. Yanda, who was as consistent of an offensive lineman in NFL history, was named to it.
"Yanda's distinguished career with the Ravens included two first-team All-Pro selections," ESPN wrote. "While we don't have advanced blocking metrics for the majority of his career, his numbers were astounding near the tail end. He finished first among guards in run block win rate in both 2018 and 2019 and first in pass block win rate in 2019."
His journey to the NFL is a strange one. Yanda began his career at North Iowa Area Community College before transferring to Iowa two years later. Kirk Ferentz has often pointed out Marshal Yanda as a major contributor to the Hawkeye lineman culture. After being selected in the third round of the NFL Draft, he went on to become one of the most dominant linemen in the sport. Yanda made two first-team All-Pro and five second-team All-Pro squads and was only called for 11 holding penalties in his career.
"I was sitting in junior college in the fall of 2004. Three years later, I'm starting an NFL game for the Ravens," Yanda said via Ravens' official website."Less than 1% make it to Division 1, let alone start on D-1, let alone be a starter in the NFL, then have a heck of a NFL career and be in the Ring of Honor for the Ravens."
"Marshal, to my mind, is a Hall of Fame player," Ravens coachJohn Harbaugh said in November. "Linemen, when they start getting talked about as Hall of Fame players, then all of a sudden people start watching them. To me, I believe Marshal is doing that at the highest level. He's playing some of his best football, if not his best football, right now."
Yanda has often been pointed out as one of the toughest players to go up against. His strength, leverage, technical ability and leadership made him one of the most respected players in the sport.
"As soon as I came here, I knew one of the guys I'd be looking up to was Marshal," Ronnie Stanley told the Baltimore Sun during his rookie season. "He's everything I expected him to be and more. Great teammate, great leader, really understands the game without taking it too seriously. If coaches are doing something he doesn't think is useful to players, he'll say something. He's kind of a players' leader. He's always fighting for us, and out on the field, he's always fighting."
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