Mal Hammack
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Eugene "Mal" Hammack (June 19, 1933 – July 19, 2004) was an American college and professional football
player who was a running back
in the National Football League
(NFL) for twelve years during the 1950s and 1960s. Hammack played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Chicago and St. Louis Cardinals
of the NFL.
in 1933. He attended Roscoe High School
, where he played for the Roscoe Plowboys high school football
team. After graduating from high school, he entered Arlington State Junior College in Arlington, Texas
, and played football for the Arlington State Rebels
.
to transfer to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Bob Woodruff's Florida Gators football
team in 1953 and 1954. As a senior
in 1954, he was a second-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection and the first recipient of the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award, recognizing the "senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage." Woodruff later ranked him as one of the Gators' five best offensive backs of the 1950s.
Hammack returned to Florida to finish his bachelor's degree
in 1958, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."
(–). Hammack was used primarily as a blocking fullback
, but he still had 320 carries for 1,278 yards and seven touchdowns in his career.
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...
player who was a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) for twelve years during the 1950s and 1960s. Hammack played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Chicago and St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL.
Early life
Hammack was born in Roscoe, TexasRoscoe, Texas
Roscoe is a town in Nolan County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,378 at the 2000 census, but has decreased to only 900.-Geography:Roscoe is located at ....
in 1933. He attended Roscoe High School
Roscoe Independent School District
Roscoe Independent School District is a public school district based in Roscoe, Texas .Located in Nolan County, small portions of the district extend into Fisher, Mitchell, and Scurry counties....
, where he played for the Roscoe Plowboys high school 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....
team. After graduating from high school, he entered Arlington State Junior College in Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
, and played football for the Arlington State Rebels
UT Arlington Mavericks football
The UT Arlington Mavericks football team represented the University of Texas at Arlington from the 1959 through 1985 seasons. Between 1919 through 1958, UTA competed as a junior college prior to moving to Division II in 1959 and ultimately Division I in 1970...
.
Major college career
Hammack received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to transfer to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Bob Woodruff's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team in 1953 and 1954. As a senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
in 1954, he was a second-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) selection and the first recipient of the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award, recognizing the "senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage." Woodruff later ranked him as one of the Gators' five best offensive backs of the 1950s.
Hammack returned to Florida to finish his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1958, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."
Professional career
The Chicago Cardinals selected Hammack in the third round (twenty-sixth pick overall) in the 1955 NFL Draft, and he played his entire twelve-year professional career for the Cardinals, in both Chicago (–) and St. LouisSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
(–). Hammack was used primarily as a blocking fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
, but he still had 320 carries for 1,278 yards and seven touchdowns in his career.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1950–1959
- History of the Arizona CardinalsHistory of the Arizona CardinalsThis article details the history of the Arizona Cardinals American Football Club. The Cardinals are the oldest existing professional football club in the United States.-Chicago years :...
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of University of Florida alumni