Ted Hendricks

Lore & Background

Hendricks was born on November 1, 1947, in Guatemala City to a Guatemalan-born mother of Italian descent. His parents met in Guatemala while working for Pan American Airlines. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Hialeah, Florida. Hendricks was raised in Miami Springs, Florida.

He was an honor student at Hialeah High School, where he competed in basketball, baseball, track and field and football. Hendricks was raised bilingual and speaks fluent Spanish. He received 4 scholarship offers (baseball, basketball, football and academic) from the University of Miami. He accepted the academic scholarship and took the honors curriculum as a math major and psychology minor.

He is best known for his football prowess while playing stand-up defensive end for the University of Miami during the 1966 through 1968 seasons. He was a three-time All-American (1966, 1967, 1968), consensus first-team All-American in 1967-68, and finished fifth in the 1968 Heisman Trophy voting. In 1968, he was named National Lineman of the Year by the United Press. While in college, Hendricks became a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity.

While playing for Miami, Hendricks made 327 total tackles (the most ever by a Miami defensive lineman). He also led the team in solo tackles by a defensive lineman with 139. Hendricks also recovered 12 fumbles during his playing career. He recorded a career-high of 4 quarterback sacks against the University of Florida in 1968.

In his junior year of 1967 he caused nine turnovers. It was at Miami that the tall, thin Hendricks gained the nickname "the Mad Stork." It was a nickname that would follow him until his NFL days, when he was simply called "the Stork." His Baltimore Colts teammate Mike Curtis attested to the appropriateness of the moniker, noting that when the 6'7" Hendricks ran with "those long, skinny legs flapping every which way...he really does look like a mad stork."

(Hendricks has long advocated Curtis be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.) Hendricks's Miami jersey was retired in 1997. In 1987, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. In 2020, ESPN selected its list of the top 150 players in the history of college football, naming Hendricks at number 85.

Hendricks was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1980. The Ted Hendricks Award is given annually to college football's top defensive end.

Reader's Guide

Hendricks began his professional football career as a second-round pick of the Baltimore Colts in the 1969 NFL/AFL draft. He was initially listed as a defensive end, which is why he had the unusual number (for a linebacker) of 83. After coach Don Shula converted him to linebacker, he entered the starting lineup in the sixth game of his rookie 1969 season, the beginning of 69 consecutive starts with the Colts. He made 32 tackles and 2 sacks on the quarterback and knocked down 2 passes and blocked a field goal.

He played a key role in the Colts' 1970 Super Bowl V-winning season. He was the starting strong-side linebacker and recorded 67 tackles and 1-1/2 sacks while intercepting a pass. He also recorded 2 blocked kicks and knocked down 5 passes. He had the key sack of Oakland Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica in the AFC Championship Game, leading the Colts toward the Super Bowl.

He and fellow linebackers Mike Curtis and Ray May anchored a unit that was one of the NFL's best in defending against the run; which was 102.8 yards per game – 6th in the NFL, and allowing only 6 rushing touchdowns all season (tied with the Los Angeles Rams for second in the NFL). They allowed only 234 points, 7th in the NFL. He was chosen to the first of four All-Pro selections in 1971 by the Associated Press (AP), Pro Football Writers of America, the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), and Pro Football Weekly.

He had 63 tackles and picked off 5 passes while batting away 7 passes. He also recorded 5 sacks and blocked 2 more kicks. He returned a fumble 31 yards for a touchdown. The Colts defense was ranked #1 in the NFL in fewest rushing yards allowed and lowest rushing attempt.

The Colts made the playoffs but did not advance to the Super Bowl, losing to the Miami Dolphins. In 1972 Hendricks recorded 99 tackles, 6 sacks, knocked down 7 passes, intercepted two passes and blocked 2 field goals. The following season Hendricks made 86 tackles and 4 sacks (bringing his Colt total to 18-1/2) and picked off 3 passes (making his Colt total 11) for 33 yards, while batting away 7 passes for the third consecutive season and blocking a punt.

He was named second-team All-Pro in both 1972 and 1973 by the NEA, first team All-Conference both years by the AP, and United Press International (UPI) named him first team All-Conference in 1972 and second team All-Conference in 1973.