| NFL Teams: | Chicago Cardinals (1954-58), Green Bay Packers (1959-60), Baltimore Colts (1961-63) and San Francisco 49ers (1963). |
| Important Notes: | Was the first overall pick in the 1954 NFL draft; selected by the Chicago Cardinals...threw four touchdowns in a game twice as a Cardinal, versus Philadelphia November 4, 1956, and at Washington November 9, 1958...threw four touchdowns versus Detroit on October 4, 1959...played for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL in 1965...was part of the New Orleans Saints coaching staff from 1974-84...died of a heart attack in New Orleans, Nov. 23, 1998. |
| Important Stats: | 105 completions for 1,475 yards and six touchdowns in 1954...threw 22 interceptions in 1954...78 completions for 1,085 yards and 11 TD's in 1955...56 carries for 195 yards in 1,955...81 completions for 1,322 and 11 touchdowns with Green Bay...6,578 passing yards and 50 TD's with the Cardinals. |
| Arkansas Notes: | Lettered in 1951, '52, & '53...finished ninth in the 1953 Heisman trophy balloting...All-American at Arkansas...led the Southwest Conference in passing (1,107), total offense (1,516), punting (40.2), and punt returns (11.1 average) in 1953...elected to the UA Sport Hall of Honor in 1993...on the Arkansas All-Century Team and All-Decade Team of the 50's. |
| Links: | Razorback Football History. |
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Fan Memories: Razorback fans share their memories of former Hog greats. Send us an email and include your name if you want it listed. Or it can be anonymous. |
I had the honor of playing football for Lamar McHan in high school in Greenville, Mississippi. He had just retired from pro football. His wife was from Greenville, and her father, who owned an optician business there had just died. We had an opening for a backfield coach which occurred in January, 1966, so Lamar was offered the job, and he accepted. He coached in Greenville only through the next season after which he went on to coach at both the college and pro levels. We all were in awe of him. One day he approached me after practice to tell me that my English teacher had complained to him that I was being disrespectful to her in class. She didn't bother to go to the principal since she knew how we all looked up to Coach McHan. All he said was that he was disappointed that I had acted in that way, and that was all it took. I would have jumped off of the Mississippi River Bridge that connects Greenville to his home town of Lake Village, Arkansas for that man. All of us would have. He was also our baseball coach. The spring of my senior year (1967) we won the district championship and decided to throw Coach McHan in the shower. It took the entire team to get him in the shower! We also threw the sports editor of the Delta Democrat Times in with him which didn't sit too well with that person. Coach McHan and I stayed in touch for many years long after I had finished playing football in college. To this day, I have a letter he wrote me on New Orleans Saints letterhead congratulating me on the birth of my daughter in 1980. He was the kindest and most humble coach I have ever been around. I have never seen any coach who genuinely delighted in the accomplishments of his players more than did Coach McHan. One day, before practice when all of the
quarterbacks were warming up, he casually mentioned that he had
received a call that day from Don Schula who was the coach of
the Baltimore Colts at that time. He offered Coach McHan $25,000
to play 3 games for the Colts since Unitas and his backup, Gary
Cuozzo, were both out with injuries. To this day, I miss Lamar McHan. I am thankful
to God that I could know such a fine man. I did not attend his
funeral because I only found out that he had died after it had
taken place. However, a few months later, I put my wife and one
of my sons on a plane in New Orleans, and I called his son, Lance,
to get directions to the cemetery. Rest in peace my dear friend and know that you are loved by many. J. Henderson |