Blue and Gold Illustrated

Dec 5, 2020

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com DEC. 5, 2020 53 "I was supposed to be like a big brother and watch over him," said Lattner, who was immediately awed by Hornung's size and athletic skills. "So before school started I said to him one time, 'Let's go to a movie!' He didn't want to and took me to Misha- waka and some bars I never heard of. "We had only a couple of beers, but after a couple of days with him I said, 'Paul, if I stay with you, I won't make the team.'" One of only two black men who enrolled at Notre Dame in 1955, Hawkins recalled a day when he was not seated at a local highly popular pizza parlor because he "didn't have a reservation." The real reason was he was not the right color. "All of the students who were from Notre Dame got up, left their food and didn't pay the bill, and Father [school president Theodore] Hes- burgh immediately put the pizza parlor on the list that Notre Dame personnel could not patronize," Hawkins recalled. Shortly thereafter, a knock on Hawkins' dorm room came from Hornung, who had befriended him. "He said, 'Damn you, Hawk, I'm missing out on all of my lasagna and pizza, and it's because of your ass,'" Hawkins said with a laugh. "So he said, 'C'mon, we're going down- town, and we're going to get your apology and eat.' "I got the apology, and Father Hesburgh took the restaurant off the list." His exploits off the field made the "Golden Boy" a legend in other ways. "Never get married in the morning — you never know who you'll meet that night," Hornung once said, yet was married to wife Angela for 41 years until death did them part. After repeatedly fining Hornung for his late-night shenanigans, the ex- asperated martinet Lombardi finally decided to raise the fine to a much higher level. "And if you find anyone worth that much — call me," the ul- timate taskmaster Lombardi report- edly told Hornung. Suspended all of 1963 by NFL com- missioner Pete Rozelle for gambling and mingling with "undesirables," Hornung was reinstated the follow- ing year. A generous supporter of a convent orphanage in Louisville and George- town's Lombardi Cancer Center, Hornung had various business en- terprises in his native Louisville and was a longtime broadcaster in the NFL and for the Castleman D. Ches- ley Sunday morning Notre Dame highlights with partner Lindsay Nel- son in the late 1960s and 1970s. Nelson and Hornung were paired together in 1967, the year of Hor- nung's retirement from the NFL, and the duo did games together for more than a decade. It was quite the run, beyond just the football field. As Nelson might say, "and now, we move to further action." ✦ Paul Hornung By The Numbers 1 Hornung's selection in the 1957 NFL Draft. It came down to a coin flip between the Chicago Cardinals and Green Bay Packers for the right to choose first. Hornung hoped for Chicago to win the toss because of better business opportunities and nightlife, but the Packers won — and ultimately, so did Hornung. 5 Touchdowns scored by Hornung in 1965 during a 42-27 victory over the Baltimore Colts in a regular-season game. The effort was overshadowed by Gale Sayers' six-touch- down effort in a victory at San Francisco that same day. Whenever he saw Sayers afterwards, Hornung jokingly referred to him as "the upstaging SOB." Sayers passed away this Sept. 23. 6 Notre Dame football players enshrined in both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. Wayne Millner (1933-35), lineman/linebacker George Connor (1946-47), quarterback/halfback/kicker Hornung (1954-56), defensive lineman Alan Page (1964-66), tight end Dave Casper (1971-73) and wide receiver Tim Brown (1984-87). 7 Different statistical categories Hornung led Notre Dame in during his senior year when he won the Heisman Trophy: rushing, passing, scoring, kickoff returns, punt returns, punting and passes broken up. He also was second in tackles and interceptions and caught three passes. 31 Yards per kickoff return averaged by Hornung as a senior (16 for 496 yards) — a Notre Dame single-season record (minimum 1.5 returns per game) that still stands. At No. 2 is Rocket Ismail in 1989 with a 29.5 average (17 for 505) and No. 3 is Tim Brown in 1986 at 28.6 (27 for 773). 176 Points scored by Hornung during the 1960 NFL regular season — a record that stood 46 years before getting broken by LaDainian Tomlinson. Hornung scored 15 touch- downs, booted 15 field goals and added 41 point-after tries. Just as amazing is the point total was accomplished when the NFL was playing just a 12-game regular season. 1,337 Yards of total offense produced by Hornung as a Notre Dame senior, finishing second nationally to Stanford's John Brodie. As a junior, Hornung finished fifth in the same category with 1,215 yards. Hornung made the College Hall of Fame as a quarterback and the Pro Hall of Fame as a running back. Since 2010, the most versatile high-level performer in college football receives the Paul Hornung Award. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS

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