American Football Database
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Merton Hanks
No. 36, 45     
Safety
Personal information
Date of birth: (1968-03-12) March 12, 1968 (age 56)
Place of birth: Dallas, Texas
Career information
College: Iowa
NFL Draft: 1991 / Round: 5 / Pick: 122
Debuted in 1991 for the [[{{{debutteam}}}]]
Last played in 1999 for the [[{{{finalteam}}}]]
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Tackles     445[1]
INT     33
INT yards     410
Touchdowns     3
Stats at NFL.com

Merton Edward Hanks (born March 12, 1968) is a former college and professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 1990s.[2] He is currently the NFL Vice President of Operations.

College career[]

Hanks attended Lake Highlands High School, where he was a district track and field champion. He went on to the University of Iowa, earning all-Big Ten honors at cornerback. However, at the NFL scouting combine, his 40-yard dashes were extremely slow, and he was not drafted until the fifth round by the San Francisco 49ers.

Professional career[]

Despite his low selection, Hanks was selected for 4 Pro Bowl and 3 All-Pro teams. He was well known for his interceptions and returns, as well as his unique "pigeon dance" celebrations which were later emulated by basketball star Shaquille O'Neal.[3][4] He was a member of the 1994 San Francisco team that won Super Bowl XXIX. Hanks finished his career with the Seattle Seahawks, retiring in 1999.

Executive career[]

Hanks was previously the assistant director of operations for the National Football League, and he currently is the NFL Vice President of Operations in charge of player conduct.[5] He regularly goes on speaking tours.[6]

References[]

  1. "Merton Hanks Pro Football Reference". sports-reference.com. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HankMe00.htm.
  2. "Merton Hanks". NFL.com. National Football League. http://www.nfl.com/players/mertonhanks/profile?id=HAN175341. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
  3. Gwen Knapp (December 21, 1997). "Dances with Hanks". sfgate.com. http://articles.sfgate.com/1997-12-21/sports/28561674_1. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  4. Phil Taylor (December 1, 1997). "Basketball Jones". sportsillustrated.cnn.com. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1011561/index.htm. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  5. Smith, Michael David (October 19, 2013). "Merton Hanks: I fined Ndamukong Suh to get his attention". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/10/19/merton-hanks-i-fined-ndamukong-suh-to-get-his-attention/. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  6. "Where are they now? Merton Hanks". Hawkeye Sports. October 9, 2008. http://www.hawkeyesportsnews.com/2008/10/where-are-they-now-merton-hanks.html. Retrieved December 31, 2010.


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