Lamar McHan

Clarence Lamar McHan (December 16, 1932 – November 23, 1998) was an American football player and coach. He played professionally for ten seasons as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Colts, and San Francisco 49ers.[1]

Lamar McHan
refer to caption
As a collegian at Arkansas, circa 1953
No. 8, 17, 14, 15
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born:(1932-12-16)December 16, 1932
Lake Village, Arkansas, U.S.
Died:November 23, 1998(1998-11-23) (aged 65)
Jefferson, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:201 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:Lake Village (AR) Lakeside
College:Arkansas
NFL Draft:1954 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Pass attempts:1,442
Pass completions:610
Percentage:42.3
TD-INT:73-108
Passing yards:9,449
Passer rating:50.3
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early years

Born and raised in Lake Village, Arkansas, McHan graduated from its Lakeside High School and played college football at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville where he was a single-wing tailback.[2][3] He was ninth in the 1953 Heisman Trophy balloting and played in the Blue-Gray Game in December and the College All-Star Game in Chicago in August 1954.[1]

Playing career

McHan was the second overall selection of the 1954 NFL draft, taken by the Chicago Cardinals. He played with the Cardinals for five seasons, through 1958,[4] but was suspended and fined by the team in November 1956 for insubordination.[5][6][7]

McHan was traded to the Green Bay Packers in May 1959,[8] under first-year head coach and general manager Vince Lombardi. In 1959, he was the starting quarterback for the first six games, then had a minor leg injury, and was replaced by future hall of fame quarterback Bart Starr.[9][10] McHan started and won several games in 1960, then was traded to the Baltimore Colts in March 1961,[10][11][12] and played behind Johnny Unitas. He was waived by the Colts in September 1963 and was picked up by San Francisco.[13] He played briefly with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 1965, winning the starting job at training camp, only to be cut after losing his first two starts.[14][15][16]

Coaching career

After retiring from football, McHan became an assistant coach at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, and at the University of Texas at Arlington. He finished out his coaching career back in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints from 1974 to 1984 under three different head coaches: John North, Dick Nolan, and Bum Phillips.[17] (He was not on the staff of Hank Stram in 1976 and 1977.)

Death

McHan died at age 65 in Jefferson, Louisiana, a suburb west of New Orleans, of a heart attack in 1998. He is buried at Garden of Memories in Metairie.

References
  1. "Lamar McHan". The Day. New London, Connecticut. Associated Press. November 27, 1998. p. D8.
  2. "Strong Arkansas back rated as best". Southeast Missourian. Cape Girardeau. Associated Press. November 7, 1953. p. 4.
  3. "McHan sparks Arkansas win". Spencer Sunday Times. Iowa. Associated Press. November 29, 1953. p. 11.
  4. Lea, Bud (September 4, 1960). "'New' McHan set to plague Cards". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. S3.
  5. "Chicago Cardinals fine McHan $3,000 for refusal to drill". Toledo Blade. Ohio. Associated Press. November 21, 1956. p. 15.
  6. "Chicago Cards may relent on $3,000 fine if quarterback McHan shows proper spirit". Milwaukee Journal. press dispatches. November 21, 1956. p. 7, part 2.
  7. "Suspended McHan drills with Cards". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 22, 1956. p. 42.
  8. "McHan traded to Packers". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. May 23, 1959. p. 1, part 3.
  9. Johnson, Chuck (December 11, 1959). "Starr's comeback secret of Packers' success". Milwaukee Journal. p. 15, part 2.
  10. Johnson, Chuck (March 28, 1961). "Lombardi trades McHan to Baltimore for draft pick". Milwaukee Journal. p. 14, part 2.
  11. "Packers deal back McHan to Baltimore". Milwaukee Journal. March 27, 1961. p. 1, final.
  12. "Packers send McHan to Baltimore Colts". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. March 28, 1961. p. 22.
  13. "Brodie out six weeks, arm broken". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. October 2, 1963. p. 2, part 2.
  14. "Argonauts sign McHan". Montreal Gazette. Canadian Press. March 24, 1965. p. 33.
  15. "McHan signs with Toronto". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. March 23, 1065. p. 14, part 2.
  16. "Argonauts cut Lamar McHan". Montreal Gazette. Canadian Press. August 16, 1965. p. 23.
  17. "McHan set". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. February 4, 1981. p. 21.
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