Where are they now? Merton Hanks

Merton Hanks played defensive back for Iowa from 1987 to 1990. Hanks played both corner back and safety during his four years at Iowa and excelled on special teams. During his time at Iowa, Hanks intercepted 10 passes and still holds the Hawkeye record for most blocked kicks in a career with 7. Two of those came in the 1987 Holiday Bowl (View highlight)when Hanks blocked a punt which was returned for a Hawkeye touchdown, and later blocked a 52-yard field goal attempt which sealed Iowa's 20-19 win over Wyoming. Hanks also blocked three kicks during his senior year and was named 1st Team All-Big Ten defensive back in 1990. Merton Hanks was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 5th Round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played nine seasons in the NFL, eight with the 49ers before playing his final season with the Seattle Seahawks in 1999. Hanks finished his NFL career with 33 interceptions and 6 total touchdowns (3 INT, 2 fumble returns, 1 punt return TD). He was named to the Pro Bowl four times and was a member of the Super Bowl XXIX Champion San Francisco 49ers in 1994. Merton Hanks retired from the NFL after the 1999 season and has since worked for the National Football League. Hanks is currently Senior Manager and Director of Operations for the NFL. His responsibilities in that role range from college relations to approving fabrics for NFL jerseys. He had also worked with former Representative Jim Leach (R-Iowa) in the past few years to help propose a bill to ban Internet gambling within the United States.