Jeff Hartings
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Alan Hartings is a former professional American football
center
who is best known for his six-season tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers
.
in St. Henry, Ohio
, and was a letterwinner
in football
as a two-way starter and in track & field
. In football, he was a two-time All-Conference selection, helped lead his team to the state championship as a senior, and finished his defensive career with 23 sack
s and 200 tackle
s. After his senior season, he participated in the Ohio North-South Game.
Hartings (#64) attended Penn State University, where he was a two-time All-America
n in 1994 and 1995. There he earned a Bachelor of Science
in marketing
in 1995 and was twice named Academic All-America
n.
He was a first round draft pick (#23 overall) of the Detroit Lions
in the 1996 NFL Draft
. He signed with the Steelers as a free agent
in 2001, where he moved from right guard
to center
. He has been selected to represent the AFC
at the Pro Bowl
twice (after the 2004 and 2005 seasons). Hartings retired following the 2006 Season citing recurring knee problems as one of the reasons for his decision.
and helped to start a new non-denominational
church with former Detroit Lions
teammate Luther Elliss. Since his retirement, he and his wife Rebecca live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
with their seven children.
Jeff Hartings was a high school teammate and graduating classmate of former Ohio State, Philadelphia Eagle, and Oakland Raider quarterback Bobby Hoying at St. Henry High School, which is remarkable for a school with an average graduating class of about 100 students. St. Henry High School also produced accomplished former NFL offensive tackle Jim Lachey
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
who is best known for his six-season tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.
High School Years
Hartings attended St. Henry High SchoolSt. Henry High School
St. Henry High School is a public high school located in St. Henry, Ohio. It is part of the St. Henry Consolidated Local Schools district. Their nickname is the Redskins...
in St. Henry, Ohio
St. Henry, Ohio
St. Henry is a village in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,271 at the 2000 census.-History:Located at the center of the village is St. Henry's Catholic Church. Completed in 1897, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-Geography:St. Henry is located at...
, and was a letterwinner
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
as a two-way starter and in track & field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. In football, he was a two-time All-Conference selection, helped lead his team to the state championship as a senior, and finished his defensive career with 23 sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s and 200 tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
s. After his senior season, he participated in the Ohio North-South Game.
College and Pro Career
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n in 1994 and 1995. There he earned a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
in 1995 and was twice named Academic All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n.
He was a first round draft pick (#23 overall) of the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in the 1996 NFL Draft
1996 NFL Draft
The 1996 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 20–21, 1996...
. He signed with the Steelers as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in 2001, where he moved from right guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
to center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
. He has been selected to represent the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
at the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
twice (after the 2004 and 2005 seasons). Hartings retired following the 2006 Season citing recurring knee problems as one of the reasons for his decision.
Personal
Hartings is one of ten children. A born-again Christian, he has performed missionary work in NicaraguaNicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and helped to start a new non-denominational
Non-denominational Christianity
In Christianity, nondenominational institutions or churches are those not formally aligned with an established denomination, or that remain otherwise officially autonomous. This, however, does not preclude an identifiable standard among such congregations...
church with former Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
teammate Luther Elliss. Since his retirement, he and his wife Rebecca live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
with their seven children.
Jeff Hartings was a high school teammate and graduating classmate of former Ohio State, Philadelphia Eagle, and Oakland Raider quarterback Bobby Hoying at St. Henry High School, which is remarkable for a school with an average graduating class of about 100 students. St. Henry High School also produced accomplished former NFL offensive tackle Jim Lachey
Jim Lachey
James Michael Lachey is a former American football offensive tackle who played for ten seasons in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers, the Los Angeles Raiders and the Washington Redskins from 1985 to 1995, missing the 1993 season with a knee injury.Lachey graduated from St...
.