Jack Ham
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2008-07-10T18:25:26Z
Cydebot
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Robot - Moving category Polish-Americans to Americans of Polish descent per [[WP:CFD|CFD]] at [[Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2008 June 29]].
{{Infobox NFLretired
|image=Replace this image male.svg <!-- only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people - see [[WP:NONFREE]] --> |
||caption=
|position=[[Linebacker]]
|number=59
|birthdate={{birth date and age|1948|12|23}}<BR>[[Johnstown, Pennsylvania]]
|debutyear=1971
|finalyear=1982
|draftyear=1971
|draftround=2
|draftpick=34
|college=[[Penn State University|Penn State]]
|teams=<nowiki></nowiki>
* [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] ([[1971 NFL season|1971]]-[[1982 NFL season|1982]])
|stat1label=[[Interception (football)|Interceptions]]
|stat1value=32
|stat2label=[[Quarterback sack|Sack]]s
|stat2value=25
|stat3label=[[Touchdowns]]
|stat3value=1
|nfl=HAM025169
|highlights=<nowiki></nowiki>
* [[Pro Bowl]] (x8) ([[1974 Pro Bowl|1973]], [[1975 Pro Bowl|1974]], [[1976 Pro Bowl|1975]], [[1977 Pro Bowl|1976]], [[1978 Pro Bowl|1977]], [[1979 Pro Bowl|1978]], [[1980 Pro Bowl|1979]], [[1981 Pro Bowl|1980]])
* [[NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team]]
* [[NFL 1970s All-Decade Team]]
* [[20/20 Club]]
|HOF=86
|CollegeHOF=
}}
'''Jack Raphael Ham, Jr.''' (born [[December 23]], [[1948]] in [[Johnstown, Pennsylvania]]) is a former [[American Football]] [[linebacker]] who played for the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]]. He is considered one of the greatest outside linebackers in the history of the [[NFL]]. He attended [[Bishop McCort High School]] in [[Johnstown, Pennsylvania]] followed by [[Massanutten Military Academy]] in [[Woodstock, Virginia]] for a post graduate season. He played college ball at [[Pennsylvania State University|Penn State]]. In Ham's three years as a starting linebacker, Penn State had records of 11-0, 11-0, 7-3. In his senior year, 1970, he was co-captain, had 91 tackles and four interceptions, and was an All-American. He had 251 career tackles, 143 unassisted. He blocked three punts in 1968, setting a school record that was not tied until 1989. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
== Pro football career ==
He was the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] second Round draft pick (34th overall) in the [[1971 NFL Draft]] out of [[Penn State]], where he was an All-American. He won the starting left [[linebacker]] job as a [[rookie]]. He was All-Pro nine years and was named to eight straight [[Pro Bowls]]. He was named the greatest outside linebacker of all time by a consortium of professional sports writers, beating Lawrence Taylor for this honor. Rick Korch again raised this question in his book "The Truly Great, The 200 Best Football Players Of All Time", published in 1993. Korch gave the nod to Lawrence Taylor but by the narrowest of margins. Jack Ham was blessed with tremendous quickness, according to Steeler's coach Chuck Noll and teammate Andy Russell he was the "fastest Steeler for the first ten yards, including wide receivers and running backs", this was on a team which included John Stallworth, Lynn Swann and Frank Lewis. He was one of the few outside linebackers who could play pass defense as well as the NFL's top safeties. Although he was a ferocious hitter, he was known as a player who couldn't be fooled and was seldom out of position. Maxie Baughan, the great former NFL linebacker said of Ham, "He was one of the more intelligent players to ever play that position. He was able to diagnose plays. You couldn't ever fool him."
Ham's career statistics include 25 sacks, 21 fumbles recovered, and 32 interceptions [http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=86]. Those numbers place him in the Defensive [[20/20 Club]] (20 interceptions and 20 sacks) with eight other recognized members; Linebackers [[Ray Lewis (American football)|Ray Lewis]], [[Seth Joyner]], [[Donnie Edwards]], [[Wilber Marshall]], [[William Thomas]], cornerback [[Ronde Barber]] and safeties [[Leroy Butler]] and [[Rodney Harrison]]. As these numbers indicate, Ham had a flair for the big play, guided by some of the best football instincts ever found in a linebacker. Ham won 4 Super Bowl titles during his 12 year career, all of it spent with the Steelers.
== After retirement ==
Ham retired from professional football in 1982 and began a career as a [[radio]] personality. He served as a color commentator for national radio broadcasts of NFL games, and later hosted a show in Pittsburgh with [[Mark Madden]] on [[ESPN Radio 1250]] during the NFL season. Ham is currently a sports analyst for Penn State Radio Network and also appears as an analyst on the [[Westwood One]] radio network.
He was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1988 and the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 1990. In 1999, he was ranked number 47 on ''[[The Sporting News]]''' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
Ham and his wife Joanne currently reside in the [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]] suburbs. They have no children.
== Notes ==
*'''Dobre Shunka''' (either [[Polish language|Polish]] or [[Slovak language|Slovak]] for "good ham") was Ham's nickname while playing, as well as the name of Ham's [[fan club]] in the '70s.
* Jack Ham was a brother of [[Phi Delta Theta]] while at [[Penn State]]
== External links ==
* ''Pro Football Hall of Fame:'' [http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=86 Member profile]
* [http://www.pafootballnews.com/AllCenturyTeams.htm The Pennsylvania Football News All-Century Team]
{{Pittsburgh Steelers}}
{{Super Bowl IX}}
{{Super Bowl X}}
{{Super Bowl XIII}}
{{Super Bowl XIV}}
{{Pittsburgh Steelers 75th Anniversary Team}}
{{NFL1970s}}
{{NFL75}}
{{1988 Football HOF}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ham, Jack}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players]]
[[Category:American football linebackers]]
[[Category:American football outside linebackers]]
[[Category:College Football Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:National Football League announcers]]
[[Category:NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team]]
[[Category:Penn State Nittany Lions football players]]
[[Category:Penn State University alumni]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players]]
[[Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:The Steel Curtain]]
[[Category:Americans of Polish descent]]
[[es:Jack Ham]]