Len Hauss
{{Short description|American football player (1942–2021)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| image =
| position = Center
| number = 56
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1942|7|11}}
| birth_place = Jesup, Georgia, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|12|15|1942|7|11}}
| death_place = Jesup, Georgia, U.S.
| draftyear = 1964
| draftround = 9
| draftpick = 115
| high_school = Jesup
| college = Georgia
| teams =
- Washington Redskins ({{NFL Year|1964}}–{{NFL Year|1977}})
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 196
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 192
| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue3 = 5
| highlights =
- 2× Second-team All-Pro (1974, 1975)
- 5× Pro Bowl (1966, 1968–1970, 1972)
- 80 Greatest Redskins
- Washington Commanders Ring of Fame
- Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (1981)
}}
Leonard Moore Hauss (July 11, 1942 – December 15, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins (now Washington Commanders) from 1964 to 1977. A five-time Pro Bowl selection, he was named one of the 70 Greatest Redskins. Hauss played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the Redskins in the ninth round of the 1964 NFL draft.
Early life
Hauss was born on July 11, 1942, in Jesup, Georgia to Leonard and Ida Hauss. Hauss attended Jesup High School (now Wayne County High School), where he played high school football as a fullback, lineman, and linebacker. He overcame a knee injury to play three years on the varsity (1956-59). As a senior, he rushed for 1,500 yards and scored 15 touchdowns, and led the team to the Georgia Class AA championship. He was named to the All-Region, All State, All-Southern and prep All-America teams.{{Cite web |date=2021-12-16 |title=Former Washington Pro Bowl C Hauss dies at 79 |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32883935/len-hauss-five-pro-bowl-center-washington-dies-79 |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}{{cite web|work=Redskins.com |url=http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Flashback__Hauss_Was_Front_And_Center_2055.jsp |title=Flashback: Hauss Was Front And Center |accessdate=2009-03-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090316051709/http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Flashback__Hauss_Was_Front_And_Center_2055.jsp |archivedate=2009-03-16 }}{{cite web|work=Wayne County High School |url=http://www.wayne.k12.ga.us/Alumni/wchs.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010306135046/http://www.wayne.k12.ga.us/Alumni/wchs.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2001-03-06 |title=The History of Wayne County High School: Athletics |accessdate=2009-03-17 }}{{Cite web |title=Obituary for Leonard "Len" M. Hauss at Rinehart And Sons Funeral Home Inc. |url=https://www.rinehartandsons.com/obituary/leonard-len-hauss |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=www.rinehartandsons.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Asher |first=Gene |date=2012-02-29 |title=Georgia Trend |url=https://www.georgiatrend.com/2012/02/29/sports-legends-perseverance-pays-off/ |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=Georgia Trend Magazine |language=en-US}}
College career
Hauss attended and played college football at the University of Georgia. While successful as a fullback in high school, he lacked the speed to star at that position in college, and he became a center and linebacker. Hauss suffered an ACL injury as a sophomore, but through hard work and a demanding workout regimen he created for himself, he was able to return to play. He received All-Southeastern Conference honors as a sophomore.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Loran |date=December 22, 2021 |title=In Addition to... LEN HAUSS, University of Georgia Athletics |url=https://georgiadogs.com/news/2021/12/21/football-in-addition-to-len-hauss |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=georgiadogs.com}}
Hauss was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.{{cite web|url=http://redandblack.libs.uga.edu/xtf/view?docId%3Dnews%2F1961%2Frab1961-0206.xml%26query%3D%22hauss%22+%22sigma+chi%22%26brand%3Drab-brand |title=The Red and Black (Athens, Ga.) 1893-current « Georgia Historic Newspapers |accessdate=2009-04-11 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200213/http://redandblack.libs.uga.edu/xtf/view?docId=news%2F1961%2Frab1961-0206.xml&query=%22hauss%22%20%22sigma%20chi%22&brand=rab-brand |archivedate=2016-03-03 }}
Professional career
Hauss was drafted in the ninth round (115th overall) of the 1964 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=1964 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1964/draft.htm |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He started his first game at center four games into the 1964 season, replacing Fred Hageman, a job he would not lose until retirement.{{Cite web |title=Fred Hageman Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HageFr20.htm |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} Hauss helped lead the Redskins to the Super Bowl VII in 1972.{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl VII - Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Redskins - January 14th, 1973 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197301140mia.htm |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He started 192 consecutive games for the Redskins between 1964 and 1977. He also started the seven post-season games in which he appeared.
He was named to the Pro Bowl five times, in 1966, 1968–1970, and 1972.{{Cite web |title=Len Hauss Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HausLe00.htm |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He was named second team All Pro by the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) in 1974 and 1975, as well as first team All-Conference by the AP and The Sporting News in those years.{{Cite web |title=1974 NFL All-Pros |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1974/allpro.htm |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1975 NFL All-Pros |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1975/allpro.htm |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} In 1978, he was replaced by Bob Kuziel.{{Cite news |last=Shapiro |first=Leonard |date=August 29, 1978 |title=For Hauss, The Time Has come |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1978/08/30/for-hauss-the-time-has-come/d8e2ddfd-eb68-4e70-995a-7117d96c07b1/ |work=Washington Post}}
He was close with teammate quarterbacks Sonny Jurgenson and Billy Kilmer. His coaches included hall of famers Vince Lombardi and George Allen.{{Cite web |title=1969 Washington Redskins Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/was/1969.htm |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Vince Lombardi {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/vince-lombardi/ |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=pfhof |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1971 Washington Redskins Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/was/1971.htm |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=George Allen {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/george-allen/ |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=pfhof |language=en}}
Honors
He is a member of the Washington Commanders Ring of Fame.{{Cite web |title=Team {{!}} Washington Commanders - Commanders.com |url=https://www.commanders.com/team/history/ring-of-fame |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=www.commanders.com |language=en-US}} In 2002, he was named among Washington's 70 greatest players in franchise history, and in 2012 was named among the 80 greatest.{{Cite web |title=80 Greatest Redskins, Washington Commanders |url=https://www.commanders.com/team/history/80-greatest-redskins-old |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=www.commanders.com |language=en-US}} He is a member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (1981) and the Wayne County Sports Hall of Fame.{{Cite web |title=University of Georgia Athletics |url=https://georgiadogs.com/sports/2017/6/17/ot-geo-sports-hall-html |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=georgiadogs.com}}
After football
After retiring from the NFL, Hauss entered the financial services industry, and had a 30-year banking career.{{cite web|work=Redskins.com |url=http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Len_Hauss_1424.jsp |title=#56 Len Hauss |accessdate=2009-03-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427031628/http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Len_Hauss_1424.jsp |archivedate=2009-04-27 }}
Death
Hauss died on December 15, 2021, at the age of 79.{{Cite news|title=12.16.21 obituaries|work=The Press Sentinel|url=https://www.thepress-sentinel.com/obituaries/121621-obituaries}} He was survived by his wife of 59 years, Janis (Johnson) Hauss with whom he went to high school, and their daughter and grandchildren.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Redskins1964DraftPicks}}
{{Washington Commanders greatest players}}
{{Washington Commanders Ring of Fame}}
{{NFLPA presidents}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hauss, Len}}
Category:Washington Redskins players
Category:Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players
Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players
Category:Georgia Bulldogs football players
Category:People from Jesup, Georgia
Category:Players of American football from Wayne County, Georgia
Category:National Football League Players Association presidents