View source for 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 (gridiron football)|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 = [[Wayne County High School (Georgia)|Jesup]]
| college     = [[Georgia Bulldogs football|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 All-Pro Team|1974]], [[1975 All-Pro Team|1975]])
* 5× [[Pro Bowl]] (1966, 1968–1970, 1972)
* [[Washington Commanders#90 Greatest|80 Greatest Redskins]]
* [[Washington Commanders#Ring of Fame|Washington Commanders Ring of Fame]]
* [[Georgia Sports Hall of Fame]] (1981) 
}}

'''Leonard Moore Hauss''' (July 11, 1942 – December 15, 2021) was an American professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[Center (gridiron football)|center]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) for the [[Washington Redskins]] (now Washington Commanders) from [[1964 Washington Redskins season|1964]] to [[1977 Washington Redskins season|1977]]. A five-time [[Pro Bowl]] selection, he was named one of the [[70 Greatest Redskins]]. Hauss played [[college football]] for the [[Georgia Bulldogs football|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 (Georgia)|Wayne County High School]]), where he played [[high school football]] as a [[Fullback (American football)|fullback]], [[Lineman (gridiron football)|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 [[touchdown]]s, 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.<ref name=":2">{{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}}</ref><ref name=lenhauss>{{cite web|work=[[Washington Redskins|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 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=[[Wayne County High School (Georgia)|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 }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{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}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{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}}</ref>

==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 [[Anterior cruciate ligament injury|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 [[List of All-SEC football teams|All-Southeastern Conference]] honors as a sophomore.<ref name=lenhauss /><ref name=":4">{{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}}</ref>

Hauss was a member of the [[Sigma Chi]] fraternity.<ref>{{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 }}</ref>

==Professional career==
Hauss was [[NFL Draft|drafted]] in the ninth round (115th overall) of the [[1964 NFL draft]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> He started his first game at center four games into the [[1964 NFL season|1964 season]], replacing [[Fred Hageman]], a job he would not lose until retirement.<ref name="lenhauss" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{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}}</ref>  Hauss helped lead the Redskins to the [[Super Bowl VII]] in 1972.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He started 192 consecutive games for the Redskins between 1964 and 1977.<ref name="lenhauss" /> He also started the seven post-season games in which he appeared.<ref name=":2" /> 

He was named to the [[Pro Bowl]] five times, in 1966, 1968–1970, and 1972.<ref name=":1">{{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}}</ref> 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|''The Sporting News'']] in those years.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In 1978, he was replaced by [[Bob Kuziel]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>

He was close with teammate quarterbacks [[Sonny Jurgensen|Sonny Jurgenson]] and [[Billy Kilmer]].<ref name=":4" /> His coaches included hall of famers [[Vince Lombardi]] and [[George Allen (American football coach)|George Allen]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

== Honors ==
He is a member of the Washington Commanders Ring of Fame.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 2002, he was named among Washington's 70 greatest players in franchise history, and in 2012 was named among the 80 greatest.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He is a member of the [[Georgia Sports Hall of Fame]] (1981) and the Wayne County Sports Hall of Fame.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{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}}</ref>

==After football==
After retiring from the NFL, Hauss entered the financial services industry, and had a 30-year banking career.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[Washington Redskins|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 }}</ref><ref name=":3" />

== Death ==
Hauss died on December 15, 2021, at the age of 79.<ref>{{Cite news|title=12.16.21 obituaries|work=The Press Sentinel|url=https://www.thepress-sentinel.com/obituaries/121621-obituaries}}</ref> He was survived by his wife of 59 years, Janis (Johnson) Hauss with whom he went to high school, and their daughter and grandchildren.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Redskins1964DraftPicks}}
{{Washington Commanders greatest players}}
{{Washington Commanders Ring of Fame}}
{{NFLPA presidents}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hauss, Len}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[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]]
[[Category:Trade unionists from Georgia (U.S. state)]]