Johnny Ray Hatley (March 16, 1930 – February 10, 2001) was an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...
player and coach, and rodeo performer. He played
college football at
Baylor,
Corpus Christi,
Southwest Texas JC and
Sul Ross State and was selected in the 16th round (186th overall) of the
1953 NFL Draft
The 1953 National Football League Draft was held on January 22, 1953, at Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the ...
by the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
. He played one season with the Bears before being traded to the
Chicago Cardinals
The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons.
Roots ...
, where he played for two seasons. Hatley was traded to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
in 1956 but did not play. He then retired from football to become a rodeo performer, winning several competitions and placing thirteenth at the 1959 National Finals. Hatley returned to pro football in
1960, being signed by the
Dallas Texans and later being traded to the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
. In
1961, he briefly had a stint with the
New York Titans. From 1966 to 1969, he was a player, coach, executive, and administrator in the
Texas Football League (TFL) with the
Odessa-Midland Comets and
Fort Worth Texans/Braves. Hatley was inducted into the
Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2004.
Early life and education
Hatley was born on March 16, 1930, in
Lometa, Texas. His parents moved to
Uvalde, Texas
Uvalde is a city and the county seat of Uvalde County, Texas, United States. The population was 15,217 at the 2020 census. Uvalde is located in the Texas Hill Country, west of downtown San Antonio and east of the Mexico–United States bord ...
, in 1933, where he grew up on the family
ranch
A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most oft ...
.
[ ][ ] Hatley attended
Uvalde High School
Uvalde High School is a public high school for grades 9–12 in Uvalde, Texas, in the United States. It has a current enrollment of about 1,250 students. The school is part of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District.
History
The first ...
and was an all-around athlete, competing in
track,
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...
,
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
, and
football.
A March 1948 article in the ''
Austin American-Statesman
The ''Austin American-Statesman'' is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is owned by Gannett.
The paper prints Associated Press, ''New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', and ''Los Angeles Times'' internation ...
'' wrote "In many ways Hatley rates as the year's most phenomenal trackman. A 220-pound football player, Hatley also runs the
100 ">etresin 10.7
econdsand high jumps five feet, seven inches, in addition to his
shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...
duties, where he is a consistent 50-footer. Few men of his size can perform those feats." In May 1948, Hatley won the state high school shot put championship with a throw of 52 feet, five more than second place.
In July 1948, it was reported that Hatley had enrolled at
Trinity University in
San Antonio, Texas
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
. However, Hatley ended up joining
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the ...
in
Waco, Texas
Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and Interstate 35, I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin, Texas, Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the List ...
.
He played as a
fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to:
Sports
* A position in various kinds of football, including:
** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position
** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...
for the
freshman
A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions.
A ...
team that year and weighed 215 pounds. A November report in the ''
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
The ''Corpus Christi Caller-Times'' is the newspaper of record for Corpus Christi, Texas.
History
There has been a newspaper in Corpus Christi for almost as long as there has been a town. In 1883, the ''Caller'' was started in a frame building ...
'' wrote that he "can, and has, played every position on the team."
In 1949, Hatley transferred to the
University of Corpus Christi, but later left for
Southwest Texas Junior College.
[ ] At the end of the season, he was named honorable mention All-
South Texas Conference at both
guard and fullback. The next year, he joined the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through ...
, serving with them until 1952.
In 1952, Hatley joined
Del Mar College, but transferred before the season started to
Sul Ross State. An article in the ''
San Angelo Standard-Times'' referred to him as a "240-pound
behemoth."
At the end of the year, Hatley was named All-
Lone Star Conference and was one of three unanimous selections to the
East–West Shrine Game
East West (or East and West) may refer to:
*East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture
Arts and entertainment
Books, journals and magazines
*''East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salma ...
.
Professional football career
1953–1956
Hatley was selected in the 16th round (186th overall)
1953 NFL Draft
The 1953 National Football League Draft was held on January 22, 1953, at Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the ...
by the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
. After joining the Bears, he "immediately attracted the attention of line coach
Phil Handler because of his speed and agility" and was trained to be the team's left
offensive guard
Offensive may refer to:
* Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative
* Offensive (military), an attack
* Offensive language
** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict in ...
.
[ ] Backfield coach and
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coac ...
r
Paddy Driscoll said of Hatley: "That guy can get out ahead of a
halfback in interference better than any man I've seen lately."
The ''
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' is an American daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. It is owned by The McClatchy Company.
History
In May 1905, Amon G. Carter ...
'' reported that in practice Hatley "has been impressive at guard." In the third exhibition, against the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Stee ...
, he got into a fight with
punter Pat Brady and was ejected from the game. Hatley ended up playing in ten regular season games, nine as a starter, as the Bears finished with a record of 3–8–1, fourth place in the Western Conference.
Hatley started the season with the Bears and was reported as "the sensation of the camp so far," having "won every sprint race to date" despite gaining 15 pounds. Shortly before the first game of the regular season, he was sent on waivers to the crosstown
Chicago Cardinals
The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons.
Roots ...
. Overall, in 1954, Hatley played in twelve games and started between eight and eleven of them, as the Cardinals finished 2–10.
He also made one
fumble
A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...
recovery and returned one kickoff for eleven yards.
In , he appeared in all twelve games and started eleven, as the Cardinals finished the season fourth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 4–7–1.
He recorded one fumble recovery and returned two kickoffs for thirteen yards.
In July , it was announced that Hatley had been traded to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
for an undisclosed
draft pick. He left the team shortly before the season started to become a full-time competitor in
rodeo.
1959–1961
While in
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
for the national rodeo finals in December 1959, Hatley agreed to return to professional football, signing a contract with the
Dallas Texans in the newly formed
American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...
(AFL). He played briefly for the semi-professional
Eagle Rock Athletic Club
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, ju ...
before signing with Dallas. In August 1960, Hatley was traded to the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
. In the home opener, a win against the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Ra ...
, he recovered a fumble. The Broncos finished the season with a record of 4–9–1, with Hatley starting in all fourteen games.
In
1961, Hatley was signed by the
New York Titans but was released at the roster cuts.
1966–1969
In 1966, Hatley became the defensive coach,
general manager, president, and a player for the newly formed
Odessa-Midland Comets of the
Texas Football League (TFL). Despite being 36 years old, Hatley ended the season being named to the league's all-star team. In January 1967, he submitted an application for a TFL team in
Fort Worth. The application was accepted, with the
Fort Worth Texans being the team's name. Hatley was named head coach.
[ ] In addition to serving as head coach, Hatley also played
offensive tackle for the team.
The season opener for Fort Worth was played against the Odessa-Midland Comets, his former team. The Texans finished the season with a record of 5–9.
In 1968, Hatley led Fort Worth (renamed the Braves that year) to a 10–2 record, placing second in the Western Division but narrowly missing the playoffs. The following year, Hatley retired from playing, at the age of 39, but continued as head coach and general manager.
The 1969 Fort Worth team played in the
Continental Football League
The Continental Football League (COFL) was a professional American football minor league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Football League, and hoped to beco ...
(CoFL), and finished with a record of 5–7 in league play, third place in the Texas Division West. Hatley retired from coaching after the season.
Rodeo career
Hatley became interested in
rodeo when at Sul Ross State and competed in the sport during the football off-season each year.
In 1956, he quit football to rodeo full time.
He said that year, "handling animals, even the bulls, isn't half as tough as playing football ... I've never gotten hurt in a professional rodeo, but in football, I'm always getting hurt."
[ ] In the next years he won
steer wrestling competitions in
Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrat ...
,
El Paso
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the ...
,
Uvalde,
Pecos Pecos may refer to:
Places
* Pecos River, rises near Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States
* Pecos, Texas, a city in Reeves County, Texas, United States
* Pecos County, Texas, named for the Pecos River
** Pecos Spring, a spring
* Pecos, New Mexico, a ...
, and
Waco, Texas
Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and Interstate 35, I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin, Texas, Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the List ...
;
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by la ...
;
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne ( or ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming, as well as the county seat of Laramie County, with 65,132 residents, per the 2020 US Census. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne metropolitan statistica ...
; and
Spokane, Washington
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the ...
.
He placed sixth nationally in steer wrestling in 1957 and moved up to fifth in the following year.
In 1959, he participated in the National Rodeo Finals and placed thirteenth.
He competed only part-time in the 1960s and had his last rodeo in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 1973.
Later life and death
Hatley later was in the trucking business.
He was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1998, which he described as one of the highlights of his life.
Hatley died on February 10, 2001, in
Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the age of 70.
He was posthumously inducted into the
Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2004.
References
Notes
Citations
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hatley, Johnny
1930 births
2001 deaths
People from Lampasas County, Texas
People from Uvalde, Texas
Military personnel from Texas
Coaches of American football from Texas
Players of American football from Texas
American football guards
American football tackles
American football fullbacks
Baylor Bears football players
Corpus Christi Tarpons football players
United States Marines
Del Mar College alumni
Sul Ross Lobos football players
Chicago Bears players
Chicago Cardinals players
Philadelphia Eagles players
Dallas Texans (AFL) players
Denver Broncos players
New York Titans (AFL) players
Continental Football League coaches