John Hennessy

John William Hennessy (born March 12, 1955) is an American former professional football player. He played college football at the linebacker position for the University of Michigan from 1974 to 1976. He also played in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets from 1977 to 1979.

Early life Hennessy was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1955. He attended high school at Gordon Tech, now known as DePaul College Prep in Chicago.

Professional football Hennessy was drafted by the New York Jets in the tenth round (256th overall pick) of the 1977 NFL draft. As a rookie in 1977, he appeared in 14 games (two as a starter) for the Jets. The following year, he was a starter at linebacker in all 16 regular season games for the 1978 New York Jets. In 1979, he again appeared in all 16 games for the Jets, though none as a starter.

In May 1980, Hennessy was claimed by the Green Bay Packers after being placed on waivers by the Jets. He was released the Packers in late July 1980.