Wisconsin Football Countdown: No. 89, Albert Hannah and Garrett Graham
By Jim Oxley
As the countdown to the first Wisconsin football game of the season continues, Badger of Honor is taking a look at Badgers by the numbers, checking in on a different Badger or Badgers players who wore the number corresponding with the remaining days until the Badgers head to Texas to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide Saturday, Sept. 5.
Next up in our countdown, signifying 89 days until college football is back, is a duo of Badgers pass catchers in Albert Hannah and Garrett Graham.
Wisconsin Badgers
Albert Hannah
At UW from 1969-1971, Hannah was the Badgers leading receiver in 1971 when he caught 39 passes for 608 yards.
He still sits tied with Luke Swan for sixth all time in career average yards per reception at 17.4 yards per catch, and he had four career 100-yard games while at UW.
He clearly played in a much different era, as he was the 415th overall selection in the 1972 NFL Draft, taken in the 16th round by the Miami Dolphins.
Hannah never appeared in an NFL game.
Garrett Graham
Thirty-five years after Hannah left UW, Graham enrolled at Madison and donned No. 89 from his tight end position. Graham was at UW from 2006-2009, and became one of the better receiving tight ends in school history.
In his career at Wisconsin, Graham amassed 1,492 receiving yards, the 14th best mark in school history. His 121 career receptions tied Pat Richter for eighth all time at UW. His 16 career touchdowns also sits at No. 8 in the school record book, tied with Chris Chambers.
He had a three-touchdown game in 2009 in the Big Ten opener against Michigan State.
Following his career at UW, Graham was a fourth round selection (118 overall) by the Houston Texans. He spent the next couple years in Houston developing into a starter, and in the past few seasons has become a dependable NFL tight end.
Heading into his sixth season in the league, Graham has 96 career receptions for 1,029 yards and nine touchdowns. He signed a three-year contract with the Texans in 2014.
Who wore No. 89 first?
• Tackle James Wright first wore No. 89 in 1934.
Who wears No. 89 now?
• Redshirt freshman tight end Sam Eckart currently wears No. 89 for the Badgers.
Stay tuned to Badger of Honor as we continue our daily countdown in preparation of the season opener against Alabama.