Yesterday we looked at a great college running back from UT Austin. Now, for day 33 we’ll be highlighting a hard hitting linebacker from Penn State.
Jack Ham is regarded as one of the NFLs best linebackers but he got his start in State College, Pennsylvania. Ham grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania where he attended Bishop McCort High School and then went to Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Virginia for a post grad year.
Ham was lightly, very lightly recruited out of high school. He had no scholarship offers, the only thing close to one was four hundred dollars in books from East Carolina University.
After his teammate Steve Smear from Massanutten Military Academy declined an offer from Penn State, the Nittany Lions offered Ham and he happily accepted. What’s ironic is that Ham intended on going to Penn State and had no intention on walking on.
When Ham was at Penn State, the NCAA rules made it so freshman could not play, only practice and workout. The following season, Ham went from almost quitting to earning a starting spot.
Over his three years as a starter for Penn State, Ham tallied two hundred and fifty one tackles and was a huge factor on not one but two undefeated teams. He was named an All American in 1970. In 1968, Ham blocked three punts as well.
Ham was drafted in the second round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Steelers and had a Hall of Fame career where he made various All Pro teams and was a huge reason for the Steelers winning four Super Bowls.
Tomorrow for day 32, we’ll look at a running back that played on the west coast in college that was a low key player off the field.