At the snap of the ball the lineman would come out of his stance and club the blocker upside the head with his forearm. Done with sufficient force, it could knock an opponent off-balance or even off his feet.
The NFL eventually outlawed the head slap because it was deemed too dangerous, but in the 1960s and ‘70s it was the go-to move for pass rushers and none used it better than Claude Humphrey.
When the 6-foot-5, 260-pound Humphrey slammed his hand against the helmet of an offensive lineman, it sounded like a sledgehammer hitting a rock. There were times when Humphrey landed a blow and the opponent’s knees would buckle. The poor guy’s ears would be ringing the rest of the day.
“Deacon Jones (Rams Hall of Famer) may have invented the head slap, but Claude Humphrey got it outlawed,” said former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil. “Claude’s head slap was devastating.”
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