Jack Haman

Jack Haman
refer to caption
Johnny Haman, 1939
Personal information
Born:August 18, 1918
Naperville, Illinois, U.S.
Died:August 30, 1972 (age 54)
Nevada, Missouri, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College:Northwestern
Position:Center
NFL draft:1940 / round: 3 / pick: 20
Career history
Career highlights and awards

John Adam Haman (August 18, 1918 – August 30, 1972), also known as Johnny Haman, was an American football player.

Haman was born in Naperville, Illinois, in 1918 and attended that city's Central High School.[1]

He played college football for the Northwestern Wildcats football team from 1937 to 1939.[1] He was selected by the International News Service, Newsweek, the Sporting News, the United Press, and others, as a first-team center on the 1939 All-America college football team.[2] He was rated as "one of the greatest centers of the decade."[3][4] He also earned a reputation as an "iron man" who played on both offense and defense, appearing in 345 of 360 minutes for Northwestern in 1939.[5]

He was drafted by the Cleveland Rams with the 20th pick in the 1940 NFL draft and played for the Rams during the 1940 and 1941 NFL seasons.[6][7] He appeared in 21 NFL games, 12 of them as a starter, intercepted six passes and scored one touchdown.[1]

After his football career ended, Haman operated a machinery supply business in Kansas City, Missouri. Haman was killed in an automobile accident in 1972 in Nevada, Missouri.[8]

  1. ^ a b c "Johnny Haman". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  2. ^ ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1178. ISBN 1401337031.
  3. ^ "Six Eastern Stars Accept Shrine Bids: Haman Agrees to Cavort at Kezar". The San Francisco Examiner. December 5, 1939. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "'Haman Top Center' --- Bierman". The Minneapolis Morning Tribune. November 16, 1939. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Haman Real Iron Man On His Job At Center". The Lincoln Star. November 15, 1939. p. 36 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "1940 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  7. ^ "Jack Haman". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  8. ^ "Services Set for Former NU Gridder". Chicago Tribune. September 1, 1972. p. IV-3 – via Newspapers.com.