Former UNC linebacker Chris Hanburger, who played from 1965-1978 for the Washington Redskins, will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday. He chose his son, 37-year-old Chris Jr. of Apex, to present him.
But Hanburger, in an interview with me, indicated that while he was deeply honored to be chosen for the HOF, he wasn’t particularly excited about it. Hanburger, a private man, didn’t like the prospects of traveling and large crowds.
“I’m not a real sociable person. Never have been, never will be,” he said. “I’m just more comfortable hanging around the house.”
Hanburger and Evelyn, his wife of 48 years, moved from the DC area – where he owned a car dealership – to Darlington, S.C. He said while it would have been nice to be closer to his son, he wasn’t fond of all the traffic in the Triangle area. “My son was trying to get me to come to that area but I told him I’d never come there,” he said. “They were building everywhere. There was nothing but two lane roads and traffic was backed up everywhere.”
Chapel Hill was more his speed when he was in college. “It’s a great school with a beautiful campus,” he said. “When I was there it wasn’t too big. It was a great atmosphere and I enjoyed my time there.”
But when he moved on, he moved on.
“Unfortunately, I haven’t stayed in touch with too many folks. I haven’t even had much contact with the folks I played with at Carolina,” Hanburger said, including his roommate and teammate Glenn Ogburn. “I think I’ve only been back a couple of times since I graduated. I didn’t even go to graduation. I had enough trouble getting out – I was getting away as fast as I could.”
While he has an allegiance to the school and to the Redskins, he primarily keeps up with those two teams through the newspaper.
“I never got wrapped up in football – even today it’s no big deal. I very seldom watch (football) on TV,” Hanburger said. “I can’t remember the last time I watched an entire game. I may watch a quarter or, at most, a half. I read a lot.”
Hanburger, who recently completed reading a book written in the present tense about the American Revolution, said he became a voracious reader as he got older. In talking about his seven grandchildren, the one he talked about most wasn’t a football star but the eight-year-old who reads every chance he gets.
Hanburger reads a lot about U.S. history and the military. A self-described Army brat born at Fort Bragg, Hanburger traveled all over the country as a kid.
“In a military family, that’s just something you do and you don’t think about it,” he said. “I believe in a very strong military. I’m very supportive of them. They are the real heroes, that’s for sure.”
Hanburger never considered himself a hero by playing football. “To me it was just a job,” he said. “I enjoyed doing it and I tried to do it to the best of my ability all the time. But it wasn’t the end of the world for me. I was fortunate to even get a chance to play. I was thankful that I could play as long as I did. It certainly made things in life a little easier for me and my family.”
But he didn’t make the kind of money players today do. “Playing football was a thing you did for half a year and then you had something else you better be doing if you were going to pay the bills,” Hanburger said. “The first year I played in ’65, I made $7,500 dollars and I got two grand for signing.”
He said he doesn’t blame today’s players for getting as much money as they can get. “If the system today allows them to make the kind of money they make, whether it’s right or wrong, it’s not for us to judge really,” Hanburger said. “It’s a big business. Guys playing today are very fortunate.”
While former Redskins Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen describes Hanburger as “serious,” Hanburger says he had fun playing. He especially liked playing under Coach George Allen.
“I thoroughly enjoyed playing under George Allen, mainly because of the defensive system he had,” said Hanburger, who was the defensive captain and leader. “We controlled it completely from the field. We didn’t have to have signals sent into us. We just had a lot of fun with the system.”
Ironically, when asked about some of the players he played with that he respected, he chose offensive guys. He praised center Len Hauss and running back Larry Brown in particular, in addition to Duke grad Jurgensen, as good players and good people.
“I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for Sonny,” Hanburger said of Jurgensen who was raised in Wilmington. “Sonny was a very unusual quarterback. He had a unique ability to get the ball where he wanted it. He knew when to sorta float it in there or throw it hard in there. He was just unbelievable out there.”
A lot of opposing running backs and wide receivers thought Hanburger, who used his speed and instincts to make plays, was pretty unbelievable too. If they remember. Hanburger was known for tackling hard up around the head and neck, something that in today’s game would be penalized. The so-called clothesline tackle became his signature move.
“Only reason I did it was it worked for me,” Hanburger said matter-of-factly. “My philosophy in tackling was to get close to the person – you had less chance of missing a tackle. Guys coming up today they are diving down at the runner’s feet. They aren’t taking them head on.”
Hanburger probably would rather take on a runner today than endure the big crowds and accolades awaiting him in Canton, Ohio.
Redskins General Manager Bruce Allen, son of George, said the honor is as much for the Redskins fans and teammates as it is for Hanburger. “Chris’ speech will probably be about one minute long,” he said, “but the party we are having for him and his teammates is going to be a great tribute for him and the Redskins.”
Hanburger, who turns 70 on Aug. 13, will be inducted Saturday night along with the much more flamboyant and attention-seeking Deion Sanders plus Marshall Faulk, Richard Dent, Shannon Sharpe, Les Richter and Ed Sabol.
Hanburger played professionally for 187 games over 14 seasons, all with the Redskins. He was elected to the Pro Bowl nine times and was an All-NFL selection four times. He had a career-high four interceptions during the 1972 season when the Redskins went to their first Super Bowl. When he left the game after the 1978 season, he held the NFL record for returning three fumbles for touchdowns.