Washington Redskins: Top 30 players in franchise history
By Ian Cummings
Chris Hanburger doesn’t get a surplus of respect within his own fan base. Perhaps this is because his arrival in Washington was in conjunction with the arrival of the team’s franchise quarterback, Sonny Jurgensen. Many fans today don’t remember that time, but even so, Jurgensen attracts the natural notoriety that comes with being a quarterback.
Despite this known discrepancy, the silence surrounding Hanburger’s legacy is almost alarming. In fact, even AutoCorrect doesn’t know his name. But while Sonny Jorgensen was the quarterback of the offense,
Hamburger
Hanburger was the quarterback of the defense. And he did his job very well.
Hanburger’s career began just as quietly as it now resonates in the modern era. He was drafted by the Redskins in the 18th (yes, the 18th) round of the 1965 NFL Draft. That’s 11 rounds later than fellow Hall of Famer Trey Quinn was drafted, for those of you keeping track.
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Despite his draft status, Hanburger quickly became a key contributor for the Washington defense. By 1966, he’d already earned his first Pro Bowl berth, and in 1969, after earning four straight Pro Bowl nods, Hanburger was recognized as an All-Pro for the first time in his career.
As his off-field reputation gained steam, so too did his notoriety in opposing locker rooms. Hanburger was known as “The Hangman” for his relentless aggression when tackling the ball carrier. As his longtime NFL opponent, and fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer John Hannah remarked, “[Hanburger] was at that time the smartest player in the league. We did everything we could to try and eliminate him from the play. We knew if we didn’t neutralize him, we had less of a chance of winning.”
In the process of stymying opponents’ hopes of winning, Hanburger helped initiate a new era of success for Washington’s squad. After going 42-79-7 in the 10 years before Hanburger’s acquisition, the Redskins amassed a record of 111-79-6 during Hanburger’s career. Hanburger, over that time, accumulated a plethora of personal accolades as well, garnering recognition as a Pro Bowler nine times and an All-Pro five times. He only went to one Super Bowl, which he lost. But on Hanburger’s watch, the Redskins’ defense was a force to be reckoned with, and in 2010, he earned a gold jacket for his accomplishments.