Terry Hanratty
Encyclopedia
Terrence Hugh "Terry" Hanratty (born January 19, 1948) was a former professional American football
quarterback
in the NFL during the 1960s and 1970s, he earned two Super Bowl
rings as the backup quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers
, his hometown team.
, before attending the University of Notre Dame
where he was a three year starter and was twice an All-America
n, along with being a Heisman Trophy canidate. Hanratty and Jim Seymour
formed a formidable passing/receiving duo leading Notre Dame
to the national championship in 1966. Hanratty would also be teammates and friends with halfback
Rocky Bleier at Notre Dame before the two were teammates in Pittsburgh.
by the Steelers' new head coach, Chuck Noll
, and was the starting quarterback for a short time before losing the job to the Steelers' No. 1 overall draft pick Terry Bradshaw
. Hanratty would be the last Pittsburgh-area native to start a game at quarterback for the Steelers, until current backup and Homestead
native Charlie Batch
would fill in for an injured Ben Roethlisberger
for two games during the team's Super Bowl-winning
season in 2005
. Hanratty suited up for Super Bowl IX
, but did not see action. However, he did play in Super Bowl X
in what turned out to be his last game as a Steeler.
After that season, Hanratty was selected in the 1976 expansion draft
by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. The 1976
Tampa Bay Buccaneers were possibly the worst team in NFL history and the only team to finish a season 0-14 at the time. As the backup quarterback for Steve Spurrier
, Hanratty made a handful of appearances, and his sole start came in Week 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This would be Hanratty's final season in the NFL before retiring.
He finished his career with 2,510 passing yards, 24 touchdown passes, and 35 interceptions. He completed only 38 percent of his pass attempts, which led to a relatively poor overall quarterback rating of 43.0.
break his record for passing touchdowns.
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...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in the NFL during the 1960s and 1970s, he earned two Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
rings as the backup quarterback for 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...
, his hometown team.
College Career
Hanratty attended St. Paul Catholic School and Butler Senior High School in Western PennsylvaniaWestern Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
, before attending the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
where he was a three year starter and was twice an 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, along with being a Heisman Trophy canidate. Hanratty and Jim Seymour
Jim Seymour
James Patrick "Jim" Seymour was an American football wide receiver who played three seasons for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League. He was originally selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the 1969 NFL Draft, 10th pick overall...
formed a formidable passing/receiving duo leading Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
to the national championship in 1966. Hanratty would also be teammates and friends with halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
Rocky Bleier at Notre Dame before the two were teammates in Pittsburgh.
Professional Career
In 1969, Hanratty was selected in the second round of the NFL DraftNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Steelers' new head coach, Chuck Noll
Chuck Noll
Charles Henry "Chuck" Noll is a former professional American football player and coach, and a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. He served most notably as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League from 1969 to 1991...
, and was the starting quarterback for a short time before losing the job to the Steelers' No. 1 overall draft pick Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
. Hanratty would be the last Pittsburgh-area native to start a game at quarterback for the Steelers, until current backup and Homestead
Homestead, Pennsylvania
Homestead is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA, in the "Mon Valley," southeast of downtown Pittsburgh and directly across the river from the city limit line. The borough is known for the Homestead Strike of 1892, an important event in the history of labor relations in the United...
native Charlie Batch
Charlie Batch
Charles "Charlie" Batch is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
would fill in for an injured Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
for two games during the team's Super Bowl-winning
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
season in 2005
2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season began with the team trying to improve on their 15–1 record from 2004 in which they lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field. The Steelers, with the sixth and final seed to the playoffs, became just the second team ever to win...
. Hanratty suited up for Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX was an American football game played on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1974 regular season. It would be the last pro game at legendary Tulane Stadium...
, but did not see action. However, he did play in Super Bowl X
Super Bowl X
Super Bowl X was an American football game played on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1975 regular season....
in what turned out to be his last game as a Steeler.
After that season, Hanratty was selected in the 1976 expansion draft
1976 NFL Expansion Draft
The 1976 National Football League Expansion draft was held on March 30 – 31, 1976. The expansion teams, the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, each selected 39 players from the other 26 NFL teams. When one player was chosen from an existing team, that team was then permitted to...
by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. The 1976
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
Tampa Bay Buccaneers were possibly the worst team in NFL history and the only team to finish a season 0-14 at the time. As the backup quarterback for Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
, Hanratty made a handful of appearances, and his sole start came in Week 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This would be Hanratty's final season in the NFL before retiring.
He finished his career with 2,510 passing yards, 24 touchdown passes, and 35 interceptions. He completed only 38 percent of his pass attempts, which led to a relatively poor overall quarterback rating of 43.0.
Post Football Career
Following his retirement from football, Hanratty worked as a stock broker for many years. He is now retired from his second career, spending time with his family and coaching his daughter's championship softball team. Hanratty was on hand to see Brady QuinnBrady Quinn
Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Quinn was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-Early Years:Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn was born on...
break his record for passing touchdowns.