David Hannah

William David Hannah was born on December 21, 1956, 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 a high school football coach in Georgia before 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, who also played for Coach Paul W. Bryant, to play football at the University of Alabama in the 1970s. This decade saw Alabama claim 3 National and 8 SEC Championships and win 103 games, more than any 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 rambunctious trio in line. David followed his older brother by attending the Baylor School, a private college-prep boarding school in Chattanooga where he played for legendary high school coaches Major Luke Worsham and E.B. "Red" Etter. David was an outstanding football player, wrestler, and track and field star for the Red Raiders. The All-City offensive tackle was part of the 1973 State Championship Team at Baylor that was also voted as the number 1 high school team in the country. In 1974, David earned All-City, All-State, All-South, and Prep All-American honors. He was inducted into the Baylor School Hall of Fame in 2010. David and Charley join John, a 2002 Charter Class inductee, to become the fifth set of brothers inducted into the Marshall County Sports Hall of Fame.

Following his senior season at Baylor, David followed the family tradition by signing a football scholarship to play football for Coach Bryant at Alabama. David started out as an offensive lineman and was selected to the All-American Freshman team in 1975. However, Defensive Coordinator Ken Donahue wanted David on the defensive side of the ball. This proved to be a great move for the Tide defense. Due to an injury, David was redshirted in 1976, but came back strong for his last three years. While playing in the January 2, 1978, Sugar Bowl 35-6 shellacking of Ohio State, David received the first of two knee injuries that he would receive that year. Nevertheless, the highlight of his career came later that season against Penn State in the January 1, 1979, Sugar Bowl. Most Bama fans know the story of the "Goal Line Stand," but many do not know the "rest of the story." It was 11-0, #1 Penn State vs. 10-1, # 2 Alabama. The Tide led 14-7 late in the fourth quarter until a fumble put the Nittany Lions in business on "Bama's 19 yard line. PSU's big offensive line opened a hole for fullback Matt Suhey and he took the ball to the 8. That's when number 74 was sent in for his only four plays of the game. David's injured knee was drained by doctors that morning and he was not supposed to play. A run by tailback Mike Guman and a pass moved the ball to within inches of the goal line. Most people know about the tackle made by linebacker Barry Krauss on fourth down. Krauss says the goal line stand was a team effort that started when Don McNeal kept a PSU receiver out of the end zone on second down. On third down, Hannah, without regard for his injured knee, submarined through the one-gap between the center and right guard to hit Suhey and stop his momentum before he could leap across the goal line. On the now famous fourth down play, David again went low and grabbed Guman before he started to jump. Hannah, Krauss, McNeal, Marty Lyons, Rick Wingo, E.J. Junior, Murray Legg, and every player on the field that day just did their job, responding to Coach Bryant's call for a "gut-check." The "goal line stand" sealed Alabama's victory and their second National Championship of the decade. The 1979 season saw the 12-0 Tide beat Coach Lou Holtz's 10-1 Arkansas Razorbacks 24-9 and claim a third. As a senior, David was selected All-SEC and Honorable Mention All-American. In his four years at the Capstone, the Tide went 45-3 and won two National and four SEC Championships. Due to his injuries, David was not able to follow his brothers into the NFL. However, the lessons he learned on the football field has carried through to everything he has done since as a farmer, businessman, and father. In 1985, David married Melanie McClendon of Albertville. They have three children: Heather, Sarah, and a deceased son, Bill. The Hannah family currently lives in Pelham, Alabama, where David finds opportunities to share his faith through his church and other organizations. He also gives his time to help mold the character of high school students. David has served as a volunteer coach at Albertville High School and Briarwood Christian School.