 Hanburger, circa 1966 | |||||||||
| No. 55 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1941-08-13)August 13, 1941 (age 84) Fort Bragg, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 218 lb (99 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Hampton(Hampton, Virginia) | ||||||||
| College | North Carolina (1962–1964) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1965:18th round, 245th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Christian G. Hanburger Jr. (born August 13, 1941) is an American former professionalfootball player who was alinebacker in theNational Football League (NFL). He played his entire 14-year career with theWashington Redskins, from1965 through1978, and was elected to thePro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Hanburger was born on August 13, 1941, inFort Bragg, North Carolina.[1] His father was a colonel in theU.S. Army.[2] He attendedHampton High School inHampton, Virginia, where he was an All-State end.[3] Hanburger enlisted in the Army eleven days after finishing high school, as he did not see himself going to college and did not wish to move to Alaska where his father had been re-stationed. He served two years. He had planned to pursue a career as an officer, but a serious eye-socket injury during a flag football game derailed that plan.[2][4]
After his military service, Hanburger accepted a scholarship from theUniversity of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, where he playedcollege football for theTar Heels, under coachJim Hickey.[4] From1962 through1964, Hanburger played on offense atcenter, and on defense as a middlelinebacker where he called defensive signals.[2][5] He wasAll-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) at center as both a junior and senior.[6] He was voted the Tar Heels top all-time center.[3]
In1963, the Tar Heels won theGator Bowl 35–0 overAir Force, and a shared ACC Championship withNorth Carolina State.[6][7] From 1962 to 1964 as a center, Hanburger blocked for running backKen Willard who rushed for nearly 2,000 yards over those three years, and would go on to a ten-year career in the NFL after being taken with the second overall pick in the1965 NFL draft.[6][8][9][10]
In 1963, he received the James H. Tatum Memorial Award from the University of North Carolina's student legislature, being noted as an outstanding defender and a team leader.[5]
| “He was at that time the smartest player in the league. We did everything we could to try to eliminate him from the play. We knew if we didn't neutralize him, then we had less of a chance of winning.”[11] |
| John Hannah |
Hanburger was selected by the Redskins in the18th round (245th overall) of the1965 NFL draft.[12] During his first training camp, he was encouraged by future Pro Football Hall of Fame linebackerSam Huff, that he could make the team. By the sixth game of his rookie season he became a starter, and started four other games that year. By the following year, he was a full-time starter.[4][13][1] He played the 1969 season under coaching legendVince Lombardi, who died before the following season began. Future Hall of Fame coachGeorge Allen took over in 1971 and led the team, and Hanburger, through 1977.[4][14]
As a professional, he was considered one of the best outsidelinebackers of his era and was elected to thePro Bowl nine times during his career, the most in Washington Redskin history.[15] Hanburger earned the nickname "The Hangman" due to his penchant for clotheslining tackles. From 1973 to 1977, he called the Redskins' defensive signals and acted as the defensive quarterback for head coach George Allen.[11] Hanburger not only called defensive plays, but had over 100 audibles from which he could reset the defense before a play began.[4] From his Army days, he was also nicknamed "The General".[4]
Hanburger was a four-time first-teamAll-Pro. In 1972-73, theAssociated Press (AP),Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) andPro Football Weekly named him first-team All-Pro.[16][17] In 1975, the AP named him first-team All-Pro, and the NEA andProfessional Football Writers of America (FW) named him to their second team.[18] In 1976, the NEA named him first-team All-Pro.[19] The AP, NEA andUnited Press International (UPI) named him second-team All-Pro in 1969, as did the AP, NEA and FW in 1974.[20][21] Additionally, he was either aPro Bowler (1966-69, 1972-76)[1] or an All-Conference selection[citation needed] every year from 1966 through 1976 with the exception of 1971—receiving post-season honors in 10 of 11 seasons in that span.
From 1971 to 1972, he andJack Pardee, outside linebacker on the opposite side, formed a particularly effective tandem.[1][22] Pardee had played for coach Allen inLos Angeles from 1966-70, before rejoining Allen in Washington for the 1971-72 seasons. When Pardee retired after the 1972 season, Hanburger took over as quarterback of Washington's defense.[22][23][4]
In1972, Hanburger was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Year by theKansas City Committee of 101.[24] He was third in the AP voting for Defensive Player of the Year, behindJoe Greene andNick Buoniconti.[25] During the regular season, Hanburger had fourinterceptions (one returned for atouchdown), twofumble recoveries, and 3.5quarterback sacks.[1] That year, the Redskins won theNFC championship game of theNFL playoffs against thedefending championDallas Cowboys,[26] 26–3. Washington limited the Cowboys to 3 points, 96 rushing yards, and 73 net passing yards withRoger Staubach at quarterback, Hanburger getting asack.[27] Though their defense allowed only 14 points and 69 net passing yards, the Redskins lostSuper Bowl VII to the undefeatedMiami Dolphins.[28]
Beginning with the1968 season, Hanburger started 135 straight games, a streak that ended in1977 after he underwent anappendicitis operation. Coach Allen described Hanburger's ensuing inability to play as the loss of the team's general.[4][1][29] In the Redskins' season finale of that season, he recorded three sacks against theLos Angeles Rams in a 17–14 win. He played in 1978 to finish his 14-year career, all with Washington. In his career, he picked off 19 passes, recovered 17 fumbles, recorded 46 sacks and scored five touchdowns, two on interception returns and three from fumble recoveries.[1]
Hanburger is a member of Washington's Ring of Fame, and has been named one of the 80 greatest Redskins players.[30] In 2004, he was named to theProfessional Football Researchers Association Hall of Very Good in the association's second HOVG class.[31]
On August 25, 2010, Hanburger was nominated as a senior candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2011 along with former Rams linebacker and kickerLes Richter. On February 5, 2011, Hanburger was officially inducted at the enshrinement ceremony where his bust, sculpted byScott Myers, was unveiled.[32]
After retiring, Hanburger owned an auto dealership.[33]
