Chuck Hunsinger
Encyclopedia
Charles Ray "Chuck" Hunsinger (July 25, 1925 – March 23, 1998) was an American college and professional football
player who was a running back
in the National Football League
(NFL) and the Canadian Football League
(CFL) for six seasons during the 1950s. Hunsinger played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Chicago Bears
of the NFL and the Montreal Alouettes
of the CFL.
in 1925. He attended Harrisburg High School, and played for the Harrisburg Bulldogs high school football
team.
, where he was a running back for coach Bear Wolf
's Florida Gators football
team from 1946 to 1949. He rushed for 2,017 yards in his college career, with 842 yards in 1948 and 774 yards in 1949. Hunsinger was popular with the Florida student body, and the "Humdinger Song" (including the lyric "Hunsinger is a humdinger") was written by a pair of Alabama sports writers and sung by students. Memorably, in 1948, he had a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown
against the Alabama Crimson Tide
, and his 842 total yards for 1948 would remain the Gators' single season rushing record until it was broken by Nat Moore
in 1972. Hunsinger had two outstanding games in 1949, rushing for 199 yards versus the Furman Hurricanes and 174 yards and three touchdowns against the Georgia Bulldogs
. He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection in 1948 and 1949.
Hunsinger graduated from the Florida with a bachelor's degree
in 1950, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."
, and he had a three-year career with the Bears, from to . He played thirty-four games in all, rushing for 834 yards (his best year was with 369) and catching twenty-three passes. Hunsinger also returned punts and kickoffs, and was the fourth-ranked kick returner in the league in , averaging 28.6 yards per return.
. His Alouettes were leading by five points in the final minutes of the game, and were threatening to add to the lead with the ball on the Edmonton Eskimos
' ten yard-line. In a 1968 interview with The Toronto Star, Hunsinger recalled,
"I was right back and the play was a sweep to the left. Their right tackle broke through and I saw I wasn't going anywhere, so I decided to pass. . . . Just as I was about to throw, someone hit me from behind—not hard, mind you—but enough to shake the ball loose. Somebody was lying across my legs and I was sick when I looked up to see Jackie Parker
taking off down the field."
Canadian Football Hall of Fame great Parker returned the ball a record ninety yards to score the game-winning touchdown. It was one of the greatest plays in Grey Cup
history.
Hunsinger recounted picking up his wife at Toronto's Royal York Hotel after the game, and heading straight home to Harrisburg with a sick feeling in his stomach. He also recalled the elation of arriving at his home to find an 800-foot-long "Cheer up, Chuck" telegram with the signatures of 21,947 Montreal Alouettes fans.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) and the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
(CFL) for six seasons during the 1950s. Hunsinger played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL and the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
of the CFL.
Early life
Hunsinger was born in Harrisburg, IllinoisHarrisburg, Illinois
Harrisburg is a city and township in Saline County, Illinois, United States. It is located about southwest of Evansville, Indiana, southeast of St. Louis, Missouri. The 2010 population was 9,017, with a township population of 10,790. It is the county seat of Saline County...
in 1925. He attended Harrisburg High School, and played for the Harrisburg Bulldogs high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team.
College career
Hunsinger attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, FloridaGainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he was a running back for coach Bear Wolf
Raymond Wolf
Raymond Bernard "Bear" Wolf was an American football player and coach. Wolf was a native of Illinois and an alumnus of Texas Christian University, where he played college football and baseball...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1946 to 1949. He rushed for 2,017 yards in his college career, with 842 yards in 1948 and 774 yards in 1949. Hunsinger was popular with the Florida student body, and the "Humdinger Song" (including the lyric "Hunsinger is a humdinger") was written by a pair of Alabama sports writers and sung by students. Memorably, in 1948, he had a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
against the Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
, and his 842 total yards for 1948 would remain the Gators' single season rushing record until it was broken by Nat Moore
Nat Moore
Nathaniel "Nat" Moore is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for thirteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. Moore played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for...
in 1972. Hunsinger had two outstanding games in 1949, rushing for 199 yards versus the Furman Hurricanes and 174 yards and three touchdowns against the Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
. He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) selection in 1948 and 1949.
Hunsinger graduated from the Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1950, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears selected Hunsinger in the first round (third pick overall) of the 1950 NFL Draft1950 NFL Draft
The 1950 National Football League Draft was held on January 20–21, 1950.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
, and he had a three-year career with the Bears, from to . He played thirty-four games in all, rushing for 834 yards (his best year was with 369) and catching twenty-three passes. Hunsinger also returned punts and kickoffs, and was the fourth-ranked kick returner in the league in , averaging 28.6 yards per return.
Montreal Alouettes
Hunsinger also played three years (twenty-seven games from to ) with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL. He is best (or most infamously) remembered for one play in 's 42nd Grey Cup42nd Grey Cup
The 42nd Grey Cup football game was played on November 27, 1954, before a full house at Varsity Stadium in Toronto, Canada.The underdog Edmonton Eskimos won a contest over the Montreal Alouettes by the score of 26 to 25...
. His Alouettes were leading by five points in the final minutes of the game, and were threatening to add to the lead with the ball on the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
' ten yard-line. In a 1968 interview with The Toronto Star, Hunsinger recalled,
"I was right back and the play was a sweep to the left. Their right tackle broke through and I saw I wasn't going anywhere, so I decided to pass. . . . Just as I was about to throw, someone hit me from behind—not hard, mind you—but enough to shake the ball loose. Somebody was lying across my legs and I was sick when I looked up to see Jackie Parker
Jackie Parker
John Dickerson "Jackie" Parker was an American football player who became an All-American in college football and an outstanding professional football player in the Canadian Football League at the running back, quarterback, defensive back, and kicker positions. He is primarily known for his play...
taking off down the field."
Canadian Football Hall of Fame great Parker returned the ball a record ninety yards to score the game-winning touchdown. It was one of the greatest plays in Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
history.
Hunsinger recounted picking up his wife at Toronto's Royal York Hotel after the game, and heading straight home to Harrisburg with a sick feeling in his stomach. He also recalled the elation of arriving at his home to find an 800-foot-long "Cheer up, Chuck" telegram with the signatures of 21,947 Montreal Alouettes fans.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1940–1949
- List of Chicago Bears first-round draft picks
- List of Chicago Bears players
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of University of Florida alumni