By Darin Hayes October 20, 1965 – Elberton, Iowa – Chad Hennings, a Defensive Tackle from the Air Force Academy, was born.
Chad played his first season at Air Force as a tight end, but he switched over to the defensive side of the ball as a sophomore. In 1985, the Falcons had their best season ever, as they finished ranked fifth in the nation and sported a 12-1 record.
The NFF reports that as a senior, Chad led the nation with 24 sacks and won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior lineman. He was also a unanimous All-America selection and repeated as an Academic All-America. Chad Hennigs was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Chad wore Jersey No. 87 for the Falcons and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Additional Contributions and Accolades
- Military Service: After being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 11th round of the 1988 NFL Draft, Hennings first fulfilled his military commitment, serving on active duty for four years as an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot. He flew 45 combat sorties over Northern Iraq in support of Operation Provide Comfort before joining the Cowboys in 1992.
- NFL Career: Hennings played nine seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, wearing Jersey No. 95, and was a key member of the defensive line rotation.
- Championships: He won three Super Bowl championships (Super Bowl XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX) with the Cowboys, contributing to the only NFL franchise to win three Super Bowls in a four-year period (1992–1995).
- College Honors: He was a two-time First-team All-WAC selection and was named the WAC Defensive Player of the Year in 1987. He was also named to the WAC Defensive Player of the Decade (1980s) team.
- Hall of Fame Status: He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame (2006) and the Air Force Academy Athletics Hall of Fame (2007).