We’ve done Army. We’ve done Navy. We won’t promise service academy equality from here on out, but for the third day of our countdown to kickoff, here’s a shot of Air Force defensive standout Chad Hennings, a four-year letterman, consensus All-American and Outland Trophy winner for college football’s best lineman. It’s a familiar site for Air Force fans in the ’80s — Hennings standing tall with an opposing player on the ground. Post your Air Force memories below, along with suggestions for future picture subjects.
Browsing: Chad Hennings
Air Force Academy defensive end Ben Garland watched the NFL Draft with a hope, but not an expectation to get a call from an NFL team. Names kept running across the bottom of the screen of ESPN’s draft coverage when Garland’s phone starting ringing. The Denver Broncos asked if he wanted to go to their mini-camp. Garland never expected to garner any NFL interest. Not until the Air Force Academy’s strength and conditioning coach approached him after the Falcons’ bowl game had anyone ever mentioned it. It’s not that Garland didn’t have the type of standout senior year that leads…
While discussing former sailor Kyle Eckel’s return appearance to the Super Bowl, a co-worker asked me: How many guys who’ve played in the Super Bowl have also served in the military? All I could think of the top of my head were legendary Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, Rocky Bleier, the Steelers running back who returned to play after being wounded in Vietnam, Chad Hennings, the Cowboys defensive lineman who flew A-1os in the Air Force, and Paul Hornung, the Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer who almost missed the 1961 NFL championship game because of his duty in the Army…
