Former NFL defensive end, coach and scout Tommy Hart has died, the 49ers announced Thursday. Hart was 80.
The 49ers made him a 10th-round pick in 1968, and Hart played 10 seasons with San Francisco. He also spent time with the Bears (1978-79) and Saints (1980).
During his playing career, Hart appeared in 177 games with 140 starts. He totaled 83 sacks, eight fumble recoveries with two returned for touchdowns, and two interceptions.
He also appeared in 17 postseason contests with 14 starts and recorded one fumble recovery and half a sack.
Hart, a member of the defensive line known as “The Gold Rush,” received second-team All-Pro honors in 1976 and was named to the 1977 Pro Bowl.
Hart also was a two-time recipient (1972 and 1976) of the prestigious Len Eshmont Award, selected by his teammates for his inspirational and courageous play.
Hart was born in Macon, Georgia, and attended Morris Brown College (1964-68), a historically Black college, where he played all four seasons at offensive guard/tackle and defensive tackle. He earned second-team NAIA All-America honors in 1968 and all-conference honors for three consecutive seasons.
In 1993, Hart was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
Following his retirement from the NFL, Hart returned to the 49ers as an assistant defensive line coach (1983-91). He contributed to three of the team’s Super Bowl championships (XIX, XXIII and XXIV). He also spent two years (1992-93) as a scout for the team before joining the Cowboys as a defensive line coach (1996-97) and area scout (1998-2005).