Biography of Paul Hornung

The blond, 220-pound Golden Boy, despite a mediocre Notre Dame team, carried the ball 94 times his senior year for 420 yards for an average of 4.5 yards per try. He completed 59 of 111 passes for 917 yards, three touchdowns and a .532 completion percentage. This gave him a total offensive figure of 1,337 yards. The jack-of-all- trades could run, pass, and block and tackle. He was probably the greatest all-around player in Notre Dame's history and is the only Heisman winner to have played on a losing team as the Irish were 2-8 in '56. As almost every football fan knows, Hornung went to the Green Bay Packers, led the NFL in scoring for three straight years and was voted MVP in 1960 and 1961. He accomplished his records despite injuries and military obligations, and it is no wonder that his coach Vince Lombardi called him "the most versatile man who ever played the game." He is a member of the National High School, the College Football and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is President of Paul Hornung Sports Showcase and Paul Hornung Enterprises, Inc., and is Vice-President of Real Estate and Investment Co

Paul Hornung, Notre Dame's "Golden Boy", is the only Heisman winner from a losing team. The Fighting Irish finished 2-8 in 1956. He also was the first Heisman winner who did not lead in first place votes. Tom McDonald of Oklahoma had the most first place votes with 205 to Hornung's 197. Johnny Major of Tennessee, who went on to become one of the great college coaches, was second in the voting with 172 first place votes. Hornung won only in the Midwest, as Jim Brown of Syracuse won in the East, Majors led the South, McDonald led the Southwest and Brodie was first in the West, the first instance of five different leaders in the five sections.