School a Youngster: What Made John Hannah So Good?

[Vindicate]

Put it this way. The Patriots owned the single season team rushing record for 40+ years with a great team and a lot of his help. Teams knew they were going to run it and it didn’t matter. They were that good. I give the Ratbirds credit for breaking it but it was a gimmick. Pats flatout just handed the ball off and ran over you.

I can’t imagine how good he would be with todays surgical advances, nutrition and training.

Also I'm assuming this is when defenses were built to stop the run far more than they are today, making it that much more impressive.

 

[DarrylS]

When they used to have TC at Bryant on the way to practice they ran kind of a gauntlet between two ropes, and you could get real close.. as Joker said his thighs were huge.. about as big as my waste.. he used that power well.

He played mean and tough, and defenses feared him.. no nonsense O lineman....

 

[Pape]

He was a garbage teammate who disparaged his own QB in the press and gets a free pass from people who had spasms of rage about Peyton saying far less damning things about his teammates.

So?

Hannah might have been an asshole, but he was our asshole.

The Manning/Clots fans spent the better part of 2 decades disparaging this team and its QB.

BIG difference.

Manning earned every ounce of flung his way, and then some

 

[Kasmir]

1985 team rushing 2331 yards
Hannah retires
1986 team rushing 1373 yards
Even beat up as he was in his last year, he was worth nearly 1000 yards a year
GOAT

 

[italian pat patriot]

I have # 73 red throwback...

 

[fnordcircle]

Please, tell more. I've seen nothing but glowing praise, including that he was a "sweetheart" off the field.

I've never met a 'sweetheart' who would throw a teammate under the bus and say he should be wearing a skirt instead of a uniform when talking to the media.

 

[FirstAndGoal]

mean
intelligent
tough
mean
well-balanced
technique
mean
quick
powerful
mean

John Hannah pulling from the guard position gave people nightmares... he was one of the very few pleasures of the Pats back then. He was respected by everyone who played against him. I've seen him pancake more people than IHOP. He was always balanced and over his pads. He didn't have a flaw in his game... did I mention he was mean too? Would make Logan Mankins look like a choir boy and I really really like Logan. Off the field, he he was a gentleman.

 

[DaBruinz]

Hannah was a true Jekyll and Hyde. Jekyll in the locker-room and off the field. Hyde on the field. He played mean but not dirty. And you hated to face him regardless of what position you were on defense because you were likely to end up looking at the sky on that particular play..

 

[FirstAndGoal]

There were defensive back players who said that they were told by their coach that if Hannah squares off on them, to just fall to the ground and live for another play. The funny thing from that video you should notice that once Hannah crushed his first person, he went on to crush another and another until the whistle blew... just taking people out until the whistle.

 

[FirstAndGoal]

Please, tell more. I've seen nothing but glowing praise, including that he was a "sweetheart" off the field.

I can't tell you his experience but he attended several events when I was a kid and I remember him very fondly. He was very nice to us. I wish I kept things he signed back then.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

I've never met a 'sweetheart' who would throw a teammate under the bus and say he should be wearing a skirt instead of a uniform when talking to the media.

I'm pretty sure this came a few years after Hannah's retirement. Not sure that meets the thrown under bus statute.

Regards,
Chris

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

He really excelled in the run game. Again he was such an easy mover. Only 260-270 but could just fly. Now almost any OL/DL can run with everyone not the case back then. He could run with anyone. But he was very good going down/vertical, great pulling-just really sweet balance.

If you notice a lot of the linemen aren't using their arms even when they were allowed to after 80. They were just conditioned that way bc of the rules. Lots of contact, chicken wings and just wanting to hit someone and get a hold of them. That was the case for most. Technique wasn't there for the players and rules just didn't allow using your arms/hands until 79-80 I think.

This was a sweet rush. Hesi-(Hesitation) off the snap with club and a hump move getting under Hannah's armpit.



One of the more aesthetically pleasing players to look at and watch. His physique without uniform is it

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

The 1981 Dr. Z article is available to read in its entirety in the SI Vault online.

Regards,
Chris

 

[skinnydog]

I remember how mean he was. When he'd pull and come around the end he was looking for someone to crush, not just block. I can still picture DB's seeing him and trying to duck to get out of his way. Hannah would have none of it though and would just bury the poor soul into the ground.

He was also very intense. There's an old video of him sitting on the sideline while the other team's offense was on the field and he was rocking back and forth with his jowls flexing. He looked like he couldn't wait to get back on the field and do more damage.

Lot's of reports about him going to the Pro Bowl and rather than approaching it as a vacation with some football thrown in, he played those games with regular season intensity.

 

[Wax Frog]

I've seen him pancake more people than IHOP.

Now I have a maple pecan phobia!

 

[skinnydog]

I've never met a 'sweetheart' who would throw a teammate under the bus and say he should be wearing a skirt instead of a uniform when talking to the media.

Are you talking about his comments about Tony Eason? If so they were deserved. The team, not just Hannah thought Eason should be wearing a dress. Hannah just said it out loud.

 

[skinnydog]

John Hannah Doesn't Fiddle Around

See now, it's starting. Ah, what a parade. Simply magnificent. All the great linemen in NFL history, the offensive linemen, those quiet, dignified toilers in

vault.si.com

Nice SI article on Hannah from back when SI was a real sports magazine

 

[yukon cornelius]

he was mean and intense, and held his teammates to the same high standards he held himself to.....that can be a blessing and a curse for sure

and **** tony eason......happy footed ****y that he was

 

[yukon cornelius]