MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Russ Grimm dreamed of playing in the National Football League as a kid growing up in Scottdale, Pa. Making the Hall of Fame was not an idea that came until later.

"To be in the Hall of Fame, to be enshrined in Canton, I don't think that part has hit me yet," Grimm said after his election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame arrived Saturday. "I played the game because I played it every day since I was a kid. I had fun playing it.

"I remember when I was playing in grade school and high school I said 'I am going to play in the pros' and it was a dream to get that far."

Grimm, Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and the five other newly minted members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class were introduced at mid-field here as part of the coin flip, won by the New Orleans Saints.

Grimm played at Southmoreland High School, at Pitt and then for the Washington Redskins, where he was a guard on the famed Hogs offensive line that helped bring three Super Bowl victories to the nation's capital.

"I changed positions throughout my career. I left high school as a quarterback, I went to college as a linebacker for two years and then switched to offensive line. There are a lot of people along the way that have contributed to my so-called success, or whatever you want to say, to get me to this point. It is a great day in my life and it will be remembered for a long time."

Grimm, 50, joined the Steelers' coaching staff in 2000 and stayed until he lost out as a finalist for their head coaching job after Bill Cowher quit following the 2006 season. Grimm left to become line coach and assistant head coach of the Arizona Cardinals the past three seasons.

Munhall native Joe Bugel, his offensive line coach with the Washington Redskins throughout the 1980s, will present him in Canton, Ohio, for the induction ceremonies Aug. 7.

"Joe Bugel, I love the guy, he is a big reason that I will be going to Canton in August," Grimm said.

For New Orleans, winning its first Super Bowl was a Drew Brees. The quarterback who went unwanted in San Diego and traded to the Saints in 2006, led the parade last night to a 31-17 upset victory of the Indianapolis Colts.

Brees earned the game's MVP in what was a landslide vote after he completed 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. The Saints did not have much of a running game with only 51 yards rushing, but Brees performed almost to perfection and came under little pressure from the Colts' defense.

"I thought Drew was magnificent tonight," said Sean Payton, who became the Saints coach in 2006. "It's a part of the resume, a career of a quarterback, a great player. He knew he was going to have to play well.

"He handled a lot of the offense at the line of scrimmage. He handled it extremely well. I thought he was fantastic and he has been all year."

Brees, who lost out to Peyton Manning for the league Most Valuable Player in 2009, outshined him Sunday night. He completed 16 of 17 passes in the second half. Manning completed 31 of 45 -- one short of tying, like Brees, the Super Bowl record for completions -- for 333 yards but he threw just one touchdown and Tracy Porter's 74-yard touchdown off an interception mortally wounded the Colts' chances.

"To be given the opportunity there when not a lot of people wanted to give me an opportunity, building a team, building a mindset and setting the goals we could achieve with hard work and trusting in one another ... We played for so much more than just ourselves; we played for our city, we played for the entire Gulf Coast region," Brees said.

New Orleans became the 18th NFL franchise to win a Super Bowl game, in their 43rd season. They were the first No. 1 playoff seed to win the Super Bowl since the 2003 New England Patriots. The Saints tied the largest deficit overcome to win a Super Bowl when they trailed by 10 points.

Manning, who won his only Super Bowl three years ago in this same stadium, was gracious in defeat. His father Archie played quarterback for the old, losing Saints of the '70s.

"We had some chances but I give the Saints all the credit," Manning said. "They made critical plays when they had to and we didn't and that was the difference in the ball game.

"I understand how excited the Saints players are, their fans, and the city of New Orleans."

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