Dick Hoerner
Encyclopedia
Lester Junior "Dick" Hoerner (July 25, 1922 – December 11, 2010) was an American football
player. He played fullback
for the University of Iowa
in 1942 and 1946 and for the Los Angeles Rams from 1947 to 1951. He helped lead the Rams to three consecutive National Football League
championship games from 1949 to 1951, played for the 1951 Los Angeles Rams
team that won the 1951 NFL Championship Game, and was selected to play in the inaugural 1951 Pro Bowl
. He was the Rams' all-time leading rusher at the end of his playing career with the team. He concluded his professional football career as a member of the Dallas Texans
in 1952.
, Hoerner was a state track champion while attending Dubuque High School. He also led Dubuque to Mississippi Valley Conference championships in 1939 and 1940 and was twice selected as an All-Iowa player. He enrolled at the University of Iowa
in 1941 and played for the Iowa Hawkeyes football
team as a sophomore in 1942. He ran 88 yards for a touchdown against Fritz Crisler
's 1942 Michigan Wolverines
. In May 1943, Hoerner was inducted into the U.S. Army. After missing three years due to war-time service, including service overseas in the field artillery, Hoerner returned to the Iowa Hawkeyes football
team in 1946.
, he tied a club record with three rushing touchdowns and was described as "unstoppable." Hoerner also played linebacker for the Rams. In December 1948, the Los Angeles Times wrote that Hoerner was a "6 foot 4 inch speedster" and "a murderous line backer."
In June 1949, Hoerner signed a 1949 contract with the Rams. The Los Angeles Times reported that he was both the fastest man on the team and "by far the hardest hitting." The Times noted that Hoerner had been "coveted by more rival National Football League clubs than any other member of the Los Angeles Rams." He helped lead the Rams to the 1949 NFL Championship Game, led all fullbacks in rushing during the 1949 NFL season
and ranked among the league's leaders in rushing yards (6th, 582 yards) and yards from scrimmage (7th, 795 yards).
In 1950, Hoerner helped lead the Rams to their second consecutive NFL championship game. He scored 11 touchdowns, the second highest total in the NFL, and was selected to play in the inaugural 1951 Pro Bowl
. He also totaled 827 yards from scrimmage in 1950, with 381 rushing yards and 446 receiving yards. In November 1950, Frank Finch of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "Many stars have twinkled for the Rams this season, but none more brilliantly than Dick Hoerner. Off the field the 220-yard Ram fullback wears glasses, but on the field he wears a mean expression with a disposition to match." In the 1950 NFL Championship Game, Hoerner scored two touchdowns and accounted for 86 of the Rams' 106 rushing yards, but the Rams lost in a close game to the Cleveland Browns
by the score of 30-28. After the 1950 season, the Los Angeles Times wrote that, although he had been dogged by injuries in 1947 and 1948, "the giant Hoerner has been probably the hardest running fullback in the league since."
In his final year with the Rams, Hoerner helped lead the 1951 Rams
to the NFL championship as part of the Rams' famed "Bull Elephant" backfield
along with Paul "Tank" Younger and "Deacon" Dan Towler
. Hoerner rushed for 569 yards in 1951, ranking 7th in the NFL. He also averaged 6.1 yards per carry, the 4th best average in the league, and scored a touchdown in the 1951 NFL Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns
. Tank Younger, who in 1949 became the first NFL player from a historically black college
, recalled that Hoerner pitched in unselfishly to help Younger learn Clark Shaughnessy
's offensive system, even though they were both competing for the same position. Interviewed in 1970, Younger noted, "I used to go up to Dick's room every afternoon to study the offensive formation and the terminology. Dick helped me a great deal."
After five seasons with the Rams, Hoerner was the team's all-time career leader with 2,020 rushing yards. He also held the Rams' record for most rushing attempts in a season (455 attempts in 1949) and ranked second in team history in touchdowns scored in a single season behind Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch
.
as part of an 11-for-1 deal that sent Les Richter
to the Rams. The trade was described as "unquestionably the biggest shift of pigskin personnel in National Football League history." When Hoerner returned to Los Angeles as a member of the Texans, he expressed his desire to prove that the Rams had erred in trading him:
The Texans compiled a record of 1–11–0 in 1952, and Hoerner rushed for 162 yards and a career-low 2.9 yards per carry. After only one season, the Dallas Texans folded, and Hoerner signed in the spring of 1953 with the Detroit Lions
. However, Hoerner retired from football in July 1953 before appearing in any regular season games with the Lions.
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. He played fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
for the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
in 1942 and 1946 and for the Los Angeles Rams from 1947 to 1951. He helped lead the Rams to three consecutive 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...
championship games from 1949 to 1951, played for the 1951 Los Angeles Rams
1951 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1951 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 14th year with the National Football League and the sixth season in Los Angeles.-NFL Draft:* 1 - Bud McFadin, Texas, G* 2 - Herb Rich, Vanderbilt, B* 3 - Charlie Toogood, Nebraska, T...
team that won the 1951 NFL Championship Game, and was selected to play in the inaugural 1951 Pro Bowl
1951 Pro Bowl
The 1951 National-American Pro Bowl was played on January 14, 1951. American Conference beat National Conference by a score of 28-27. Otto Graham was named the game's Most Valuable Player....
. He was the Rams' all-time leading rusher at the end of his playing career with the team. He concluded his professional football career as a member of the Dallas Texans
Dallas Texans (NFL)
The Dallas Texans played in the National Football League for one season, 1952, with a record of 1–11.-History:After the 1951 NFL season, the financially troubled New York Yanks franchise were put on the market. Ted Collins had founded that franchise in 1944 as the Boston Yanks, moved it to New...
in 1952.
Iowa
A native of Dubuque, IowaDubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
, Hoerner was a state track champion while attending Dubuque High School. He also led Dubuque to Mississippi Valley Conference championships in 1939 and 1940 and was twice selected as an All-Iowa player. He enrolled at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
in 1941 and played for the Iowa Hawkeyes football
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
team as a sophomore in 1942. He ran 88 yards for a touchdown against Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
's 1942 Michigan Wolverines
1942 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1942 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1942 college football season. The 1942 team compiled a record of 7–3 and was ranked No. 9 in the final Associated Press poll...
. In May 1943, Hoerner was inducted into the U.S. Army. After missing three years due to war-time service, including service overseas in the field artillery, Hoerner returned to the Iowa Hawkeyes football
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
team in 1946.
Los Angeles Rams
Hoerner was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and played for the team from 1947 through 1951. After he signed with the Rams, the Los Angeles Times touted his potential: "When you find a 6-foot, 4-inch, 220-pounder that can move, you have something. But when you run across one who is downright fast, can handle himself like a 160-pounder and can kick and pass to boot, they you have Lester (Dick) Hoerner, the Los Angeles Rams' great fullback prospect." As a rookie in 1947, he was sidelined by a broken foot in an October 1947 game against the Chicago Cardinals. In 1948, Hoerner was the Ram's leading rusher with 354 yards and average of 4.7 yards per carry that ranked 4th in the NFL. In a November 1948 game against the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, he tied a club record with three rushing touchdowns and was described as "unstoppable." Hoerner also played linebacker for the Rams. In December 1948, the Los Angeles Times wrote that Hoerner was a "6 foot 4 inch speedster" and "a murderous line backer."
In June 1949, Hoerner signed a 1949 contract with the Rams. The Los Angeles Times reported that he was both the fastest man on the team and "by far the hardest hitting." The Times noted that Hoerner had been "coveted by more rival National Football League clubs than any other member of the Los Angeles Rams." He helped lead the Rams to the 1949 NFL Championship Game, led all fullbacks in rushing during the 1949 NFL season
1949 NFL season
The 1949 NFL season was the 30th regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, Boston Yanks owner Ted Collins asked the league to fold his team due to financial woes, and give him a new one in New York City...
and ranked among the league's leaders in rushing yards (6th, 582 yards) and yards from scrimmage (7th, 795 yards).
In 1950, Hoerner helped lead the Rams to their second consecutive NFL championship game. He scored 11 touchdowns, the second highest total in the NFL, and was selected to play in the inaugural 1951 Pro Bowl
1951 Pro Bowl
The 1951 National-American Pro Bowl was played on January 14, 1951. American Conference beat National Conference by a score of 28-27. Otto Graham was named the game's Most Valuable Player....
. He also totaled 827 yards from scrimmage in 1950, with 381 rushing yards and 446 receiving yards. In November 1950, Frank Finch of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "Many stars have twinkled for the Rams this season, but none more brilliantly than Dick Hoerner. Off the field the 220-yard Ram fullback wears glasses, but on the field he wears a mean expression with a disposition to match." In the 1950 NFL Championship Game, Hoerner scored two touchdowns and accounted for 86 of the Rams' 106 rushing yards, but the Rams lost in a close game to the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
by the score of 30-28. After the 1950 season, the Los Angeles Times wrote that, although he had been dogged by injuries in 1947 and 1948, "the giant Hoerner has been probably the hardest running fullback in the league since."
In his final year with the Rams, Hoerner helped lead the 1951 Rams
1951 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1951 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 14th year with the National Football League and the sixth season in Los Angeles.-NFL Draft:* 1 - Bud McFadin, Texas, G* 2 - Herb Rich, Vanderbilt, B* 3 - Charlie Toogood, Nebraska, T...
to the NFL championship as part of the Rams' famed "Bull Elephant" backfield
Bull Elephant backfield
The "Bull Elephant" backfield was a title first used in reporting American Professional Football, when referring to the dominating offensive running backs of the 1950s Los Angeles Rams. The line consisted of Dick Hoerner, Paul "Tank" Younger and "Deacon" Dan Towler....
along with Paul "Tank" Younger and "Deacon" Dan Towler
Dan Towler
"Deacon" Dan Towler was a National Football League running back for the Los Angeles Rams from 1950 through 1955. He was the NFL leading rusher in 1952...
. Hoerner rushed for 569 yards in 1951, ranking 7th in the NFL. He also averaged 6.1 yards per carry, the 4th best average in the league, and scored a touchdown in the 1951 NFL Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Tank Younger, who in 1949 became the first NFL player from a historically black college
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
, recalled that Hoerner pitched in unselfishly to help Younger learn Clark Shaughnessy
Clark Shaughnessy
Clark Daniel Shaughnessy was an American football coach and innovator. He is sometimes called the "father of the T formation", although that system had previously been used as early as the 1880s. Shaughnessy did, however, modernize the obsolescent T formation to make it once again relevant in the...
's offensive system, even though they were both competing for the same position. Interviewed in 1970, Younger noted, "I used to go up to Dick's room every afternoon to study the offensive formation and the terminology. Dick helped me a great deal."
After five seasons with the Rams, Hoerner was the team's all-time career leader with 2,020 rushing yards. He also held the Rams' record for most rushing attempts in a season (455 attempts in 1949) and ranked second in team history in touchdowns scored in a single season behind Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch
Elroy Hirsch
Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch was an American football running back and receiver for the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Rockets, nicknamed for his unusual running style.-Early life:...
.
Dallas Texans
In June 1952, Hoerner was traded to the newly formed Dallas TexansDallas Texans (NFL)
The Dallas Texans played in the National Football League for one season, 1952, with a record of 1–11.-History:After the 1951 NFL season, the financially troubled New York Yanks franchise were put on the market. Ted Collins had founded that franchise in 1944 as the Boston Yanks, moved it to New...
as part of an 11-for-1 deal that sent Les Richter
Les Richter
Leslie Alan Richter was a Los Angeles Rams National Football League football player, former head of operations for NASCAR and president of the Riverside International Raceway. He played in 8 Pro Bowls as a linebacker. Richter was born in Fresno, California...
to the Rams. The trade was described as "unquestionably the biggest shift of pigskin personnel in National Football League history." When Hoerner returned to Los Angeles as a member of the Texans, he expressed his desire to prove that the Rams had erred in trading him:
"Hoerner gladly would sacrifice his right arm all the way up to the armpit to squash a few Rams and score a couple of touchdowns by way of informing the Ram high command that they were plain loco when they cut him loose. And as an added incentive to make his personal crusade, the terrible-tempered neo-Texan has all the warm affection for his old backfield coach, J. Hampton PoolHamp PoolHampton John "Hamp" Pool was a football player, coach and scout who was part of two National Football League championship teams during his playing career and served as head coach for three professional teams....
, that a cobra has for a mongoose."
The Texans compiled a record of 1–11–0 in 1952, and Hoerner rushed for 162 yards and a career-low 2.9 yards per carry. After only one season, the Dallas Texans folded, and Hoerner signed in the spring of 1953 with the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. However, Hoerner retired from football in July 1953 before appearing in any regular season games with the Lions.