They Made Being a Lineman Cool
Ask any Patriots fan or read a pundit poll and the greatest Patriot ever is clearly Tom Brady. But with a team that, in recent years, has featured the talents of stars like Randy Moss and Teddy Bruschi, the second greatest Patriot of all time is John Hannah. A monster left guard who played for the Patriots from 1973 to 1985, Hannah was a pure athlete — his high school coach, a Tennessee legend named Luke Worsham, made him run the high hurdles to gain speed and agility. He was a National Prep wrestling champion and a stand out for Bear Bryant at Alabama. Hannah was named All-Pro 10 times and led the Patriots to the Super Bowl in 1985 against the Chicago Bears. In 1981, Sports Illustrated put Hannah on the cover, naming him "The Greatest Offensive Lineman of All Time." "It starts with the firepower, with Hannah's legs," the article said, "incredibly massive chunks of concrete." Hannah's wife once measured his thighs at 33 inches. But in spite of his size, "He'll slide along like a toe dancer" New England General Manager Bucko Kilroy said. "And that's a 270-pound man doing that, a guy capable of positively annihilating an opponent."