No. 36, 45 | |
Safety | |
Personal information | |
---|---|
Date of birth: | March 12, 1968|
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[]
- ↑ "Merton Hanks Pro Football Reference". sports-reference.com. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HankMe00.htm.
- ↑ "Merton Hanks". NFL.com. National Football League. http://www.nfl.com/players/mertonhanks/profile?id=HAN175341. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
- ↑ Gwen Knapp (December 21, 1997). "Dances with Hanks". sfgate.com. http://articles.sfgate.com/1997-12-21/sports/28561674_1. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
- ↑ Phil Taylor (December 1, 1997). "Basketball Jones". sportsillustrated.cnn.com. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1011561/index.htm. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "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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