Paul Hornung
The Golden Boy: Heisman winner, NFL MVP, Packers legend, and versatile halfback-kicker.
Paul Vernon Hornung (December 23, 1935 – November 13, 2020), nicknamed "the Golden Boy", was an American professional football halfback and kicker who played for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 to 1966 (except the 1963 NFL season, for which he was suspended after a scandal involving gambling and associating with gamblers). He played on teams that won four NFL titles and the first Super Bowl. He was a Heisman Trophy winner who also won the NFL Most Valuable Player award and was inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame, following Doak Walker, who achieved all three first.
- Role
- Halfback / Kicker
- Era
- Vince Lombardi Dynasty (1960-1966)
- Accolades
- Heisman Trophy, NFL MVP, 5x Pro Bowl, 4x First-team All-Pro
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Hornung was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He was an outstanding athlete at Flaget High School and chose to attend Notre Dame over Kentucky. At Notre Dame, he played football and basketball. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1956 despite Notre Dame's 2–8 record. He was the first overall pick in the 1957 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers. He led the league in scoring for three straight seasons (1959–61) and set an all-time record with 176 points in 1960. He was suspended for the 1963 season for gambling. He did not play in Super Bowl I due to a pinched nerve. He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the expansion draft but retired during training camp due to a neck injury.
In Their Own Story
The Lambeau Field turf was slick with December rain, the air thick with the breath of twenty thousand shivering fans. Hornung adjusted his helmet, the gold 'G' gleaming under the floodlights. He wasn't just a runner; he was the conductor of chaos. As the ball snapped, he didn't look for a hole; he looked for the seam in reality itself. One cut left, a spin move that sent a linebacker stumbling into oblivion, and suddenly he was sprinting toward the end zone with nothing but open field and destiny ahead of him. The roar of the crowd wasn't just noise; it was a tidal wave rising to meet the Golden Boy.
Reader's Guide
Hornung was a halfback, quarterback, and kicker. He was known for his versatility and was called "the greatest player I ever coached" by Vince Lombardi. He holds records for most games with 30+ points (2), most games with 25+ points (3), and most games with 13 points in a season (8 in 1960). He also holds the dubious record for most missed field goals in a season (26 in 1964). He is one of only nine players to have won both the Heisman Trophy and the NFL MVP award.
Did You Know?
- Hornung was a Heisman Trophy winner who won the NFL MVP award and was inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame, though Doak Walker accomplished all three before him.
- He set an NFL scoring record of 176 points in a 12-game season in 1960, a record that stood until 2006.
- He was suspended for the entire 1963 season for betting on NFL games.
- He did not play in Super Bowl I due to a pinched nerve in his neck.
- He was the first player to make a 50+ yard fair catch kick, in 1964.
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