Stiff competition @ KR

[madness]

I just read this off of BB.com and would love to see a clip of Hang returning kicks.

Originally Posted by PantherFan007
Hello Bills Fans,

Just wanted to drop in and say hello (I come in peace), and give my opinion on Hangartner.

I am the owner of a Carolina Panthers Fans Message Board, and 99% of our fans hoped we would keep Hang. He is highly versatile, playing both Center and Guard (and could even fill in at Tackle if needed). We all knew he would be a starter on about any other team, but he was a casualty of our depth combined with the organization's decision to tag Peppers and force him to stay in Carolina.

The fans loved him not only for his attitude and personality, but for his acclaimed (and often hilarious to watch) attempts as Kick Returner. Yep, they were slow and cumbersome, but it always took several defenders to take him down.

Anyways, good luck with your season and I hope Hangman does as good a job for you all as he did for us.

A couple other comments...

LOL... It was classic. They used him probably three or four times. I tried to find a video on it, but can't find one yet. It was great; he was like a bulldozer plowing slowly down the field with several defenders hanging off him.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Heaven Thanks for the info, i hope he is stout enough to deal with the monsters in our division. Oh, good job on Everette Brown, he is the guy i wanted most to be a Bill, should be a stud for you guys.

As far as Hangartner, he's pretty stout, and I forgot to mention he's quite the jokester in the locker room, so that always helps liven things up a bit.

As for Brown, thanks, I'm surprised we were able to get him and believe he will fit into Meeks' plans on revamping our defense, and also "just in case" Peppers goes elsewhere.

[madness]

Re: Stiff competition @ KR

I found some old articles on the subject as well. Funny stuff.

Hangartner getting it done at guard and as a 301-pound kick returner

Submitted by WWAY on 20 December 2007 - 3:59pm.

• Sports
• Carolina Panthers

Story body

CHARLOTTE (AP) -- The Carolina Panthers' Geoff Hangartner is proving that versatility is important.
The six-foot-five, 301 pound Hangartner started at center last year. He's starting at right guard now.
But he's especially proud of his role as a kick returner.
Hangartner has returned three kicks this year and he says he's given the team good field position. He pointed out that his return average increased from 13 yards to 14 yards after Sunday's win over the Seattle Seahawks.
He had a 16-yard return on a botched kickoff against the Seahawks. The starting field position on the Carolina 39 led to John Kasay's go-ahead field goal in the 13-10 win.
Center Justin Hartwig joked that teams should kick away from Hangartner, a blocker on the return team.

http://www.wwaytv3.com/sports/hangartner_getting_it_done_at_guard_and_as_a_301_pound_kick_returner/12/2007

[madness]

Re: Stiff competition @ KR

COLUMN: Panthers 'returner' Hangartner reaching cult hero status


CHARLOTTE – One teammate compared him to Devin Hester.
Granted, he weighs about 115 pounds more than Hester and might be a tad slower than the Chicago Bears Pro Bowl kick returner. And true, he’s not received the notoriety that Hester has -- perhaps because he’s not (yet) returned a kickoff for a touchdown -- but offensive lineman Geoff Hangartner is quickly becoming a household name in the Carolinas.
And it has nothing to do with the way he protects the passer or leads a sweep.
When Panther fans think Hangartner, they think kickoff returns – long returns. Game-changing returns.
Well, long returns for an “up back.”
Three times this season Hangartner has fielded a short kickoff bounding along the ground and all three times he’s responded with big returns. The first went for 10 yards. The other two went for 16 yards. Just last week his fourth-quarter return led to what turned out to be a game-winning field goal by John Kasay.
By this time next year, Hangartner might be taking them to the house, shattering Hester's records.
In this lost season for the Panthers, Hangartner has emerged as a cult hero of sorts.
Fans want more short kickoffs so they can see Hangartner plow straight ahead with both hands wrapped around the football, Larry Csonka style.
And you can’t argue with his production -- the Panthers win two out of every three games Hangartner returns a kickoff.
“Yeah, I mean, I don’t know why teams don’t start kicking away from him every time,” said Panthers center Justin Hartwig, who must have had something in eye causing him to roll them as he spoke.
“I mean the guy is getting 20 yards a return. He’s the obvious lethal weapon back there. I’d just kick it deep every play if I was the other team.”
Hangartner may run a 6.5 in the 40, but when he runs, he runs with fortitude, determination and pure brut strength.
But like any good kick returner, he’s quick to give credit to guys on the wedge.
Vinny Testaverde, a slow-moving statuesque quarterback, has watched Hangartner perform from a distance and is impressed, going as far as to call him “dependable.”
“The first thing he does is he covers the ball up,” Testaverde said with a grin. “He just has to work on getting low. You know, he’s a big target. But most linemen when they get the ball they’ll go down right away, so he’s done a good job, to take it and give us some decent field position. Not that we’re expecting him to break one, but at least when he gets the ball now we know he’s going to make a couple of yards and good things will happen.”
That’s right, good things happen when Hangartner touches the ball, Vinny.
Maybe that’s why the Panthers sometimes line him up as a tackle eligible. Why not give the man the ball?
Hangartner is far too modest when he talks about his return skills.
“I know that I'm not going to take it the house,” he said, a statement that would probably draw a chuckle from most teammates. “I don't think that any special teams coach in the league is losing sleep at night worrying about me returning kicks.”
His strategy?
Like Hangartner himself, it’s simple, but sneaky.
“I try to run where they're not,” he said. “If all of them are to the left, I try to run right at them and then sneak over to the right. I just try not to run into a huge pile of them, that's my goal.”
Those who've seen No. 63 return kicks can only wonder when the big one is coming.
Remember, it took the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32 years and over 1,800 attempts to return their first kickoff for a touchdown. My guess is Hangartner will snap that string sooner if given as many attempts.
So why has Hangartner received so many opportunities to return kickoffs from the up back position?
“It's not on purpose,” Hangartner says, again showing his modest side. “I'll tell you that. The kickers miskick it. It's like hitting a bad golf shot. The kicker hits it bad. It usually knuckles and then bounces in front of me and comes right to me.
“So there's really not any other option but to pick it up. There's nowhere to let it go to because the returner is too far behind me, so I just have to pick it up.”
And one he does, the magic begins.
The crowd roars and the stadium shakes with each giant, earth-shattering step from the 301-pounder.
The big question, of course, is will Hangartner be able to maintain his high level of success?
After all, two weeks ago he moved into the starting lineup at right guard, replacing Jeremy Bridges. If Steve Smith doesn’t return punts, then shouldn’t Hangartner be rested for kickoffs?
The thing is, you don’t want to take a guy this talented off the field. You have to wonder what’s next – maybe the old fumble-rooskie play?
The thing about Hangartner is he doesn’t seem to grasp the impact he’s had on Carolina fans.
“It must be a really boring day in sports. Am I the only player in the locker room?” Hangartner says to a few reporters as he looks over their shoulders. “I've been in here for 10 minutes talking about returning kicks and just making (crap) up.”
So why is Hangartner fever sweeping Panther nation?
That’s easy.
It’s the same reason Bears fans once loved William “The Refrigerator” Perry. People love to see the fat... uh, I mean… big guy run with the ball.
Only Perry was never this special. He couldn’t hold Hangartner’s goatee. Perry plunged ahead for a yard or two. But not Hangartner.
Give him the ball and he’ll get you 14 yards a pop on average – and he’ll almost certainly get a rise out of the crowd.
Just like Devin Hester – sort of.
“I heard I was the (Pro Bowl) alternate to Devin,” said Hangartner with a laugh. “They don’t list the alternates for kick returners, though.”

http://www.carolinagrowl.com/Read.aspx?Story=438

[The last buffalo fan]

Re: Stiff competition @ KR

Insurance policy if PArrish leaves, I like it!

[Forward_Lateral]

Re: Stiff competition @ KR

LMAO at running a 6.5 40. Did he run it in a potato sack?

[Mitchell55]

Re: Stiff competition @ KR

Cool, no short kicks trying to get it away from Leodis.

[cocamide]

Re: Stiff competition @ KR

At least we fulfilled the fun-loving, locker-room personality void that Royal left behind.

[Mitchell55]

Re: Stiff competition @ KR

Didnt Nelson and Byrd have some returns at one point in there career.

So, McKelvin, Parrish, McGee, Reed, Evans, Nelson, Han, Byrd, both rookie CBs, and Fred Jackson all have returned kicks. Also Omon probably did. 3 of those players have set records. McKelvin, best KR in NFL. Parrish, in stats the best PR in NFL history. McGee pro bowl return man not long ago.

[jamze132]

Re: Stiff competition @ KR

Didnt Nelson and Byrd have some returns at one point in there career.

So, McKelvin, Parrish, McGee, Reed, Evans, Nelson, Han, Byrd, both rookie CBs, and Fred Jackson all have returned kicks. Also Omon probably did. 3 of those players have set records. McKelvin, best KR in NFL. Parrish, in stats the best PR in NFL history. McGee pro bowl return man not long ago.

I'm pretty sure the Hangartner return topic is a joke. Obviously he isn't or will never be the primary returner like Leodis or Terrence.

[madness]

Re: Stiff competition @ KR

I'm pretty sure the Hangartner return topic is a joke. Obviously he isn't or will never be the primary returner like Leodis or Terrence.

Sprinkled with a subtle hint of "Carolina fans think very highly of him and expected he would go to another team and be a starter".

[LABillsFan]

Re: Stiff competition @ KR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63IwRII3ROo

[madness]

Re: Stiff competition @ KR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63IwRII3ROo

Thanks! That was one of the short ones though. I want to see one of the longer runs!