Former NFL defensive end Tommy Hart, a 10th-round pick in 1968, died at 80. He played for the 49ers, Bears, and Saints, and appeared in 177 games with 140 starts. Hart was part of the “Gold Rush” defensive line and was a second-team All-Pro in 1976. He also played in 17 postseason games with 14 starts. He was selected to the 1977 Pro Bowl.
Following his retirement from the NFL, Hart returned to the 49ers as an assistant defensive line coach (1983-91). He contributed to three of the team’s Super Bowl championships (XIX, XXIII and XXIV). He also spent two years (1992-93) as a scout for the team before joining the Cowboys as a defensive line coach (1996-97) and area scout (1998-2005).
Former NFL defensive end Tommy Hart died at 80
Former San Francisco 49ers player and coach Tommy Hart has passed away at the age of 80. Hart, a multi-time Super Bowl champion, played 13 NFL seasons, including 10 with the 49ers. He was selected to one Pro Bowl, made an All-Pro team, and played in over 170 games. He had 83 career sacks and won the Len Eshmont Award twice.
Hart attended Ballard High School. He accepted a football scholarship from Morris Brown College. He earned four letters in football as an offensive guard, offensive tackle and defensive tackle. He also earned three letters in track as a sprinter and shot putter. He was a three-time All-conference selection. He was named second-team NAIA All-American as a senior. In 1993, he was inducted into the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
Hart was picked by the San Francisco 49ers in the tenth round (261st overall) of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft. He was a one-time Pro Bowler in 1976,[1] when he made 16 sacks that included 6 in a single-game against the Los Angeles Rams. He had 17 sacks in 1972, when honored as all-NFC, honorable mention. In 1972 and 1976, Hart won the Len Eshmont Award, the 49ers most prestigious annual award. He was traded to the Chicago Bears before the start of the 1978 season.
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In 1981, he was hired as an assistant defensive line coach for the 49ers under head coach Bill Walsh. He was a part of three Super Bowl championship teams. His 1985 coached defensive line, helped the team collect 60 sacks, the second highest total in team history. From 1992 to 1993, he worked in the 49ers scouting department. He started working for the Dallas Cowboys in 1996 as defensive ends coach. In 1998, he became Cowboys West area scout.
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