Bobby Layne

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Born in Santa Anna, Texas, Layne grew up on a farm in Coleman County. His father died of a heart attack when Layne was eight, and his mother could not keep the family together. Layne was sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Highland Park, Texas, who eventually adopted him. He attended Highland Park High School, where his best friend and football teammate was Doak Walker. In his senior year, Layne was named to the all-state football team, played in the Oil Bowl All-Star game, and led Highland Park to the state semifinals. In college, Layne was a four-time All-Southwest Conference selection and consensus All-American. He spent eight months in the Merchant Marine during his sophomore year. In the 1946 Cotton Bowl, he set NCAA and Cotton Bowl records, accounting for all 40 points in Texas's win over Missouri. He finished his Texas career with a school-record 3,145 passing yards and 28 wins. Layne also excelled in baseball, earning All-Southwest Conference honors all four years and posting a perfect 28–0 conference record. After one season of minor league baseball, he chose the NFL over offers from MLB teams.

In Their Own Story

The turning point in Layne's relationship with the Chicago Bears came immediately following his rookie season in 1948. Sitting behind legends Sid Luckman and Johnny Lujack, Layne made it clear he would not return as a backup. He began working to force a trade, first targeting the Green Bay Packers while the Chicago Cardinals also attempted to acquire him. Halas intervened decisively. Rather than letting his star move to a direct competitor, Halas sold Layne's rights to the New York Bulldogs for $50,000 and two draft picks. The deal included a unique stipulation: Layne could never play for the Chicago Cardinals. When Violet Bidwill later tried to trade her inherited Bears stock to acquire Layne directly, Halas rejected the offer, citing the fractured relationship between the franchises. He instead used the $50,000 from the Bulldogs trade to buy out Violet's shares himself, effectively locking Layne away from the Cardinals and ending his Chicago tenure permanently.

Reader's Guide

Layne was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers but traded to the Chicago Bears after refusing to play for the Steelers. He played one season with the Bears in 1948 as the third-string quarterback behind Sid Luckman and Johnny Lujack. After that season, he refused to return and tried to engineer a trade to the Green Bay Packers. The Bears traded him to the New York Bulldogs for two draft picks and $50,000. He later played for the Detroit Lions (1950–1958) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (1958–1962).

Did You Know?

• Layne was the third overall pick in the 1948 NFL draft and also the second overall pick in the 1948 AAFC Draft by the Baltimore Colts.
• He was offered $77,000 to play for the Colts but chose the Bears after George Halas 'sweet talked' him into signing.
• Layne's number 22 is retired by both the Texas Longhorns and the Detroit Lions.
• He threw the first and second no-hitters in University of Texas baseball history in 1946.