O/T: Happy 72nd birthday John Hannah

[PatsFanInVa]

Holy crap. How did that happen.

Happy birthday to the Brady of guards.

 

[DarrylS]

In the days they were doing 2 a days at Bryant I was a frequent visitor. We used to line the ropes on the way to the practice field (there was low attendance in those days) and we all got up close. Remember the first time I saw him, his freaking thighs were bigger than my waist. He was a very powerful large man.
This HOF'er played 12 years for us and was a consistent all pro, many consider him the best all time, he was badass on the field.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

In the days they were doing 2 a days at Bryant I was a frequent visitor. We used to line the ropes on the way to the practice field (there was low attendance in those days) and we all got up close. Remember the first time I saw him, his freaking thighs were bigger than my waist. He was a very powerful large man.
This HOF'er played 12 years for us and was a consistent all pro, many consider him the best all time, he was badass on the field.

Today he'd get run over & would be a little guy

 

[Chevy]

Hog was a three-man blocking wedge all by himself. As effective as he was firing out, he was near unstoppable when allowed to get up a head of steam when pulling. Just awesome to watch.

 

[1960Pats]

Watching him pull for a screen pass to Don Calhoun in 1978 I saw defenders shudder with fear. It was like watching a missile made of Mack Truck.

My biggest regret as a Patriots fan, other than the nearly perfect season, was Hannah never earning a ring.

He was justifiably bitter when the team ownership was more concerned with costs than winning when they traded Leon Gray to the Houston Oilers.

Gray and Hannah should have been together longer. They were epic. Gray was smooth and impeccable; Hog was violent and tremendous.

Back then Sports Illustrated was mandatory reading. I wish I had kept a few issues like the one with Hog Hannah on the cover 3 AUG 1981.

I almost felt bad for the DBs when Hannah came steaming around the end like a locomotive. Some of the DBs would drop to avoid as much of the hit as possible but it didn't help. Hannah would still go down to the ground to get in a good hit.

 

[jlu52]

Today he'd get run over & would be a little guy

He's smaller than today's guys, but under absolutely no circumstances would John get run over, imo. He was a true block of granite with quickness, he would still kick ass.

 

[jimnance]

It's not bias to call Hog the greatest OL all-time. Most nfl historians have him either #1 or #2. The running game was just as big as the passing game in the nfl back then.
1978 Pats held the team season rushing record all the way until 2019, when the Ravens broke it. ( barely,if I recall)
And the the 1976 Pats are #11 all-time.
Hannah had just a little something to do with that.
Given his crusty rep though, I can defin itely see him as a "Get the F off my lawn" guy now.

 

[turkeyneck]

Today he'd get run over & would be a little guy

Partial disagree on that. He would be considered small but he was freakishly strong and had superb technique. He would not get run over.

 

[Chevy]

I almost felt bad for the DBs when Hannah came steaming around the end like a locomotive. Some of the DBs would drop to avoid as much of the hit as possible but it didn't help. Hannah would still go down to the ground to get in a good hit.

DL - "****, Hannah!"
LB - "****, DL didn't stop him!"
DB - "Mommy!"

 

[Pape]

Today he'd get run over & would be a little guy

he's 6'2 ... played at 265, almost 40 years ago...

with todays training could easily top 300 and retain his power, speed and dexterity

 

[maust]

Hog was a three-man blocking wedge all by himself. As effective as he was firing out, he was near unstoppable when allowed to get up a head of steam when pulling. Just awesome to watch.

The truth of that statement, and proof of how great Hannah really was, can best be seen by looking at the career of Brian Holloway. Holloway went to 3 straight Pro Bowls and was a 2nd team All Pro playing next to Hannah. He fell off the planet the season after Hannah retired, got traded for a 5th rounder and was out of football entirely in 2 years, not even getting a start in that 2nd year and only appearing in 2 games.

That's how great a guard Hannah was, he not only scattered opponents like ten pins on his way down the field, he took his tackle along for the ride.

 

[DarrylS]

Today he'd get run over & would be a little guy

I still think he might do OK or at least I want to believe it....

 

[italian pat patriot]

Worn in the last games i saw live at stadiums his 73 red throwback with pride

 

[NormZauchin]

It's not bias to call Hog the greatest OL all-time. Most nfl historians have him either #1 or #2. The running game was just as big as the passing game in the nfl back then.
1978 Pats held the team season rushing record all the way until 2019, when the Ravens broke it. ( barely,if I recall)
And the the 1976 Pats are #11 all-time.
Hannah had just a little something to do with that.
Given his crusty rep though, I can defin itely see him as a "Get the F off my lawn" guy now.

Hannah was known to be a very decent person off the field, in contrast to his ferocity on it. This interview and portrait done last year shows that character.

 

[captain stone]

he's 6'2 ... played at 265, almost 40 years ago...

with todays training could easily top 300 and retain his power, speed and dexterity

Yep; and if he had been born 27 years ago instead of 72, he would likely be an inch-plus taller as well...

Today's version of John Hannah, with today's training, would still be the best OG in the NFL.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

He's smaller than today's guys, but under absolutely no circumstances would John get run over, imo. He was a true block of granite with quickness, he would still kick ass.

Partial disagree on that. He would be considered small but he was freakishly strong and had superb technique. He would not get run over.

he's 6'2 ... played at 265, almost 40 years ago...

with todays training could easily top 300 and retain his power, speed and dexterity

I still think he might do OK or at least I want to believe it....

Yep; and if he had been born 27 years ago instead of 72, he would likely be an inch-plus taller as well...

Today's version of John Hannah, with today's training, would still be the best OG in the NFL.

Okay stipulating that I meant if the John Hannah who existed then played in today's league, I'm sorry, bad things would happen

He was perfect to do to the league what he did in the 1970s.

But okay, let's play what if... Today's guards average 315 pounds. He "woulda coulda shoulda been 300" with today's training? Imunno, maybe. He was the perfect John Hannah as he was built and as he trained, but that 315 goes on a 6'4" frame (on avaverage), and Hannah was 6'2, so okay. It does make you wonder what happens to that bowling ball effect when he's lugging 35 more pounds around. He'd be slightly small and carrying more weight... we have to just take on faith that the same Hannah happens in a different body playing a different game, somehow analogous to how much better he was at the 70s game than everybody else in the 70s. (Average back then was 6'3 255 for a general O lineman.

But if you just put down the average numbers for height/weight now, it's a pretty good pipedream. He'd be significantly smaller than average, when back in the day, he was heavier though shorter... but it's not like that's determinative. Just part of how the comp with the rest of the league would be different.

Quoth Charlie Murphy,

"Pancakes."

 

[PatsFanInVa]

In case you couldn't tell, that was a patented "I feel strongly both ways."
But watching the clips another thing that stood out was that he would take guys out basically punching them with forearms in space, and all legal. Like they're a 250 pound fastball coming over the plate and he got all of it lol...

I needed that. Why the hell no cloning technology? What did we pay Ernie Adams for?

 

[scott99]

God I feel old, I’m 60 now. I was such a big fan of Hannah’s. Became a Pat’s fan in 1975, and that team in 1976 was so exciting. I remember so many people praising Hannah, and he was still really young, 1976 was only his 4th season, and he was already talked about as an NFL great. Wound up becoming the greatest Olineman of all time. Just so dominant. And the Pats run game was so dominant from 1976-78, mainly because of Hannah and Gray on the left side.

Don’t know who was in charge of the draft in 1973, maybe it was Bucko Kilroy, but man, to take him 4th overall, was such a brilliant move. Wound up being the best player in that draft. We got Sam Bam Cunningham at 11, and Darryl Stingley at 19. That was a helluva draft that started a string of great drafts.