Notre Dame Football: 15 best quarterbacks in Fighting Irish history
By John Buhler
Paul Hornung did a little bit of everything at an elite level for the Irish in the mid-1950s. “The Golden Boy” played all over the gridiron during his time in South Bend. He was used primarily as a backup fullback as a sophomore in 1954. His collegiate career would take off as a junior in 1955, as Hornung moved to halfback in the Notre Dame offense and played in the defensive backfield for the Irish.
Hornung was a First-Team All-American in 1955, finishing fifth in Heisman Trophy voting. He completed 44.7 percent of his passes for 743 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions. As a runner, he had 92 rushes for 472 yards. Turns out, he was just getting started in his stellar career at Notre Dame.
It just so happened that Hornung’s senior season in 1956 became the stuff of legend. Frankly, Notre Dame was a terrible football team that year. The Irish won only two games that season, but that didn’t stop him from winning the Heisman Trophy. So how did that happen for the all-purpose star from Louisville?
Well, Hornung completed 53.2 percent of his passes for 917 yards, three touchdowns and 13 interceptions. As a ball carrier, he had 94 carries for 420 yards and six rushing touchdowns. Hornung also had three catches for 26 yards as a receiver. Keep in mind he did this for one of the worst teams in Notre Dame’s illustrious history. He is the only Heisman winner to have earned the honor starring for a sub-.500 team to date.
The two-time First-Team All-American and 1956 Heisman Trophy winner would go on to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 1957 NFL Draft. Hornung would be named NFL MVP, win four NFL Championships, make three All-Pro teams and earn two trips to the Pro Bowl in his decade-long stint in Titletown. He finished up his NFL career attempting to play for the expansion-era 1967 New Orleans Saints before hanging up the spikes.
Hornung’s football legacy is robust. He was selected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985 and a year later into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Beginning in 2010, the Paul Hornung Award has been given out to the most versatile player in college football. He may not have been the best passer of the football, but Hornung was an incredibly valuable signal-caller for the Golden Domers in the mid-1950s.