Hank Bauer (American football)

Henry John Bauer (born July 15, 1954)[1] is a former American football running back and current professional television and radio broadcaster.

Hank Bauer
No. 37
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1954-07-15) July 15, 1954
Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:Magnolia (CA)
College:California Lutheran
Undrafted:1976
Career history
As player:
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As coach:
  • San Diego Chargers (1983–1986)
    (special teams coach)
Career highlights and awards
Awards
  • Chargers Most Inspirational Player 1978
  • Chargers Special Teams MVP 1980–1981
  • NFL Alumni Special Teams Player of the Year
  • TBS NFL Special Teams Player of the Year
  • Pro Football Journal All NFL Decade Team '75-'85, Special Teamer
Honors
NFL Records
  • NFL Record 52 special teams tackles in 1981
  • Scored 3 TDs on 4 carries, but gained just 1 net yard vs New Orleans (9 December 1979)
Career NFL statistics
Games played - started:86 - 4
Touchdowns:21
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

He was named NFL Special Teams Player of the Year three times.[2]

College

Bauer helped the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen get to the NAIA Championship of 1975 in his final year. He held CLU records for career carries (502), touchdowns in a game (4), a season (17) and a career (38), as well as yards in a season (1,024) and a career (2,700).[3] He played for the Kingsmen team from 1972–75 and holds the third-highest career rushing total (2,659) and all-purpose yards (2,998) in the university’s history. He remains the only Cal Lutheran running back to rush for four touchdowns twice in a game.[4]

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

After graduating California Lutheran University, Bauer signed as a free agent in 1976 with the Dallas Cowboys only to be cut three weeks into training camp.[5]

San Diego Chargers

He was picked up in 1977 by the San Diego Chargers and went on to a distinguished playing and broadcasting career entirely in San Diego. Bauer was honored in November 2009 as one of the 50 Greatest Chargers[6] in team history as part of the Chargers' 50th Anniversary season celebration held at a large outdoor ceremony in downtown San Diego. Bauer also developed as a noted media spokesman during his career and went on to TV sportscasting as well as radio.

Bauer holds the NFL single season record for most special teams tackles with 52. As a short-yardage specialist and often referred to "Hank the Howitzer" for his explosive running, Bauer finished one season with 18 carries for a total of 28 yards, scoring 8 touchdowns and achieving 9 first downs. Bauer was forced to retire in 1983, after playing six games with a broken neck.[7]

Personal life

After retiring from professional football he coached running backs and special teams for four years with the Chargers, then became a sports anchor for KFMB from 1987–2002. He worked from 1998 to 2014 as the color commentator for the Chargers radio broadcasts on FM105.3 and AM1360 in San Diego. The Chargers suspended Bauer for one game in 2014 after he made an anti-Semitic joke during a game.[8] Bauer apologized a day after the remark was publicized by Deadspin,[9] although the Anti-Defamation League called the apology "inadequate.".[10] After the season, the Chargers let Bauer go.[11] Bauer was the sports anchor at KFMB-TV8 in San Diego from 1987 through 2003.

Hank’s older brother, Jim, played for the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen from 1968-1971. Jim Bauer was the defensive coordinator and special teams coach at Cal Lutheran in the 1980s.[12]

References
  1. Pro-Football Reference Profile Accessed 7 September 2009
  2. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-10-24-sp-12852-story.html
  3. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-21-sp-227-story,amp.html
  4. https://www.callutheran.edu/news/story.html?id=6052#story
  5. Henson, Steve (July 21, 1990). "WHERE ARE THEY NOW?: HANK BAUER : True Grit : Cal Lutheran Record Setter Attacks Broadcasting Career With Same Zeal He Displayed on the Football Field". Los Angeles Times.
  6. San Diego Chargers#50 greatest Chargers
  7. Scott, Gerald (November 13, 1985). "Perfectly Special: No Regard for His Body : Even a Broken Neck Couldn't Put Chargers' Hank Bauer on the Bench". Los Angeles Times.
  8. "NFL announcer airs anti-Semitic canard". The Times of Israel. August 25, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  9. "Chargers announcer Hank Bauer apologizes for making anti-Semitic joke during game". KGTV. August 25, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  10. "Chargers announcer Hank Bauer suspended for anti-Semitic joke". San Diego Union-Tribune. August 25, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  11. "Hank Bauer will not return to San Diego Chargers' radio booth". FOX Sports. June 20, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  12. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-10-24-sp-12852-story.html
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