Chris Hanburger to be inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame
WASHINGTON (AP) — As someone who worked for the Washington Redskins for 37 years, Bubba Tyer is full of stories about the "Over The Hill Gang," ''The Hogs," and franchise legends such as George Allen and Joe Gibbs. The longtime trainer can tell you who misbehaved, who played the best pranks, and which guys hung around in the bars at training camp.
When it comes to a Chris Hanburger, the stories take a totally different tone.
"He didn't go in for a lot of frills," Tyer said. "He didn't go in for a lot of camaraderie. He certainly had friends, but to say he'd come over and hang out and shoot the bull with you, he didn't do that. He went home."
With that in mind, how is the linebacker from the great Redskins teams of the 1970s going to handle the fuss and fame on Saturday, when he's inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
"He would rather just have somebody say, 'Hey you're in the Hall of Fame' and that'd be the end of it," Tyer said. "He probably will give the shortest acceptance speech on record."
Yep. It's a safe bet.
"He's got that right," Hanburger said in an interview with The Associated Press from his home in Darlington, S.C. "They've limited us in time, which I think is great. They've had players in the past speak for so long. No matter how many people you try to remember or thank, I don't care if you stay up there for two hours, you're still going to leave people out. I think it's the way to go. Shorten it, keep it general — and get it over with."
Hanburger had the same no-nonsense approach as the on-field leader of the Redskins defense. An 18th-round draft pick in 1965, he was a mainstay in Washington through 1978 and was voted to nine Pro Bowls. He had the potentially daunting responsibility of calling the plays for Allen — a demanding, perfectionist coach who valued defense first and foremost. This was long before the days of intricate signals and headsets, when now allow coaches to dictate nearly every move and formation from the sideline.
Of course, it helped that Allen had overloaded the team with veterans, thus the "Over The Hill Gang."
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