Dick Hoerner

Iowa

A native of Dubuque, Iowa, 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 Hawkeyes football team in 1946.

Los Angeles Rams

Hoerner was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1945 NFL draft 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. 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." 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.

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.

Dallas Texans

In June 1952, Hoerner was traded to the Dallas Texans 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." 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. However, Hoerner retired from football in July 1953 before appearing in any regular season games with the Lions.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Later years

After retiring from football, Hoerner went into business in Southern California where he specialized in turning around struggling businesses, taking them "out of the red and into the black."

References

References

1. Jim Leitner. (December 17, 2010). ["A humble star ahead of his time: Dubuque's Dick Hoerner was the engine behind one of the NFL's all-time great offenses"](http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=305611 }}{{dead link). Dubuque Telegraph Herald.
2. (November 29, 1942). "Michigan Romps Over Iowa Hawks, 28 to 14: Dick Hoerner in Sensational 88 Yard Touchdown Run". The Telegraph-Herald.
3. (May 16, 1943). "Hoerner, Iowa Full Back, Faces Service Induction". Chicago Daily Tribune.
4. [http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-passings-20101215,0,2712316.story "PASSINGS: Dick Hoerner, John A. Ferraro" ''Los Angeles Times''] 15 December 2010
5. (August 10, 1947). "Know Your Redskin and Ram Pro Gridders". Los Angeles Times.
6. (October 23, 1947). "Dick Hoerner Sidelined by Broken Foot". Los Angeles Times.
7. Frank Finch. (November 15, 1948). "Rams Rally to Whip New York 52 to 37: Dick Hoerner Scores Three Touchdowns". Los Angeles Times.
8. Frank Finch. (December 10, 1948). "Dick Hoerner Repaired for Steeler Tilt". Los Angeles Times.
9. Frank Finch. (June 12, 1949). "BIG BACK: Dick Hoerner Returns to Ram Corner". Los Angeles Times.
10. (August 4, 1950). "Rams' Dick Hoerner Twice All-American". Los Angeles Times.
11. "Dick Hoerner". pro-football-reference.com.
12. Frank Finch. (November 29, 1950). "HUGE HAWKEYE: Rams' Hoerner Can Run 'Em, Catch 'Em". Los Angeles Times.
13. (June 10, 1951). "Dick Hoerner Signs Pact With Rams". Los Angeles Times.
14. (September 1970). "The Black Athlete In The Golden Age of Sports". Ebony.
15. Frank Finch. (June 13, 1952). "RAMS TRADE HOERNER, 10 OTHERS FOR LES RICHTER". Los Angeles Times.
16. Frank Finch. (October 29, 1952). "Dick Hoerner Back to Vex Ex-Mates". Los Angeles Times.
17. Frank Finch. (April 19, 1953). "Scouting the Pros". Los Angeles Times.
18. (July 28, 1953). "Colts, Lions Deal Off". Los Angeles Times.
19. (December 17, 2010). "Lester J. "Dick" Hoerner". Orange County Register.