J.C. Hassenauer was a High School football player in Minnesota dreaming of playing for Alabama when he was under 6 feet tall and weighed less than 200 lbs as a freshman in High School. Hard work and a growth spurt helped him end up a top center in the 2014 recruiting class, allowing him to fulfill his dream of playing for the Crimson Tide.
Hassenauer was never the starter at the beginning of any season at Alabama, but he played in 25 games including an overtime win over Georgia in the playoffs. Undrafted, Hassenauer was on the Falcons practice squad in 2018, joined the AAF in 2019 then joined the Steelers after the AAF shut down, spending some time on the practice squad.