Charley Hannah

Charley Hannah was born on July 26, 1955, in Canton, Georgia, to Herb and Geneva "Coupe" Hannah. Herb was a Naval Aviator in World War II, a three-year starting tackle for the University of Alabama from 1948-1950, a tackle for the New York Giants in the NFL, and coached high school football in Georgia until moving to Albertville in 1961 to found "Hannah Supply Company." Herb and Coupe had four sons, Ron, now deceased, John, Charley, and David. John, Charley, and David followed the family tradition set by their father and Uncle Bill Hannah to play for the University of Alabama. All three of the boys were recruited by and played for Coach Paul W. Bryant during the 1970s. This decade saw Alabama lay claim to three National Championships, eight SEC Championships, and win more games in a decade (103) than any other college football team in history. Despite the boys' success in sports, Herb once told a friend, "honor should go to their mother for she has been the real hero of our family." This was especially evident when it came to keeping the boys in line. Charley followed his brother, John, attending the Baylor School, a private college-prep boarding school in Chattanooga where he was an outstanding football player. He was selected to the Tennessee All-State Team and was Team Captain in 1972. Hannah was inducted into the Baylor School Sports Hall of Fame in 1994. Following his senior year at Baylor, Charley signed a football scholarship to play collegiately for Coach Bryant at Alabama. At 6-5, 215 he started out as an outside linebacker but was soon moved to down lineman, where he put on some weight and found a permanent home on the D-line prior to his sophomore season. During his time in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide went 42-6 and had three 11-1 seasons, winning a National Championship and three SEC Championships. Charley was a three-year letterman and two-time winner of the spring training Billy Neighbors Most Improved Defensive Lineman Award. The Crimson Tide beat Penn State in the Sugar Bowl 13-6 in 1975, and in Hannah's final game, Bama soundly defeated UCLA 36-6 in the 1976 Liberty Bowl. Following his senior year, Charley was selected to the AP All-SEC team and elected permanent co-captain by his Alabama teammates. Charley was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1977, as the first selection of the third round. He had his first knee injury as a rookie, but was the staring DE the next season. Two weeks prior to the end of the season Charley read in the newspaper that he was going to be moved to offensive tackle, where he played until being traded to the Los Angeles Raiders after 6 years with the Bucs. AT LA, Hannah was moved from tackle to guard and became part of the offensive line that led the Raiders to and a convincing 38-9 victory over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII. With that win, Charley became the only person from Marshall County to win a Super Bowl ring. He spent 6 years with the Raiders and was elected to the NFL Films All-NFL Team in 1985. After 12 years in the NFL, Charley retired in 1988 after suffering a broken leg.

In 2009, Charley was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham. With John's 1988 induction, they became the sixth pair of brothers to be inducted into the ASHOF. When asked about his induction, the Albertville native stated that any discussion of the reasons for his induction should go deeper than personal accomplishments. He went on to say, "I really don't know if I would have been inducted into the hall of fame without having the family that I have. Events like these, really, they are a nice recognition but they are more a recognition of a lifestyle or commitment that was made than a single event or ability." John, Charley, and David join four other sets of brothers in the Marshall County Sports Hall of Fame: John, Gordon, Wheeler, Russell, and Norman "Pete" Garrett; Ralph, John Neal, and Frank Reed; Jesse and Jackie Morgan; and John L. and Silas "Buddy" Beard. Since 1988, Charley has been involved in the real estate and construction business in Tampa, Florida. He was named "1992 Builder of the Year" by the Builders Association of Greater Tampa and is the Past President and Life Director of the Tampa Bay Builders Association. Charley lives in Tampa and has five children: Kimberly, Rebecca, John David, Victoria, and Elizabeth.