Dick Hoerner facts for kids
Hoerner on a 1950 Bowman football card
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| No. 31 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Fullback | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | July 25, 1922 Dubuque, Iowa, U.S. |
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| Died: | December 11, 2010 (aged 88) Fullerton, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Dubuque (Dubuque, IA) |
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| College: | Iowa | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1945 / Round: 17 / Pick: 169 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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Lester Junior "Dick" Hoerner (born July 25, 1922 – died December 11, 2010) was a talented American football player. He played as a fullback for the University of Iowa and later for the Los Angeles Rams.
Dick helped the Rams reach the NFL championship game three times in a row, from 1949 to 1951. He was part of the 1951 Rams team that won the 1951 NFL Championship Game, and he was even chosen for the very first 1951 Pro Bowl. When he left the Rams, he was their all-time leading rusher! He finished his pro football career with the Dallas Texans in 1952.
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Early Life and College Football
Dick Hoerner grew up in Dubuque, Iowa. He was a state champion in track while attending Dubuque High School. He also led his high school football team to win the Mississippi Valley Conference championships in 1939 and 1940. He was twice named an All-Iowa player for his amazing skills.
In 1941, Dick enrolled at the University of Iowa. He played for the Iowa Hawkeyes football team as a sophomore in 1942. One memorable play was when he ran 88 yards for a touchdown against the 1942 Michigan Wolverines.
In May 1943, Hoerner joined the U.S. Army. He served overseas in the field artillery during World War II, missing three years of football. After his service, he returned to the Iowa Hawkeyes football team in 1946.
Playing for the Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams drafted Dick Hoerner, and he played for them from 1947 to 1951. When he signed with the Rams, the Los Angeles Times newspaper was very excited about his potential. They wrote that a player who is 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds, but can move like a smaller player, is very special. They also noted he could kick and pass, making him a "great fullback prospect."
As a rookie in 1947, Dick broke his foot in a game against the Chicago Cardinals. But he came back strong! In 1948, he was the Rams' top rusher with 354 yards. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry, which was the 4th best in the NFL. In a November 1948 game, he tied a club record by scoring three rushing touchdowns against the New York Giants. People said he was "unstoppable." Dick also played as a linebacker for the Rams, showing his versatility. The Los Angeles Times called him a "6 foot 4 inch speedster" and a "murderous line backer."
Leading the Rams to Championships
In 1949, Dick signed a new contract with the Rams. The Los Angeles Times reported that he was both the fastest and "by far the hardest hitting" player on the team. Many other NFL teams wanted him! He helped the Rams reach the 1949 NFL Championship Game. He led all fullbacks in rushing during the 1949 NFL season. He also ranked among the league's top players in rushing yards (6th with 582 yards) and total yards from scrimmage (7th with 795 yards).
In 1950, Dick helped the Rams get to their second straight NFL championship game. He scored 11 touchdowns, which was the second highest in the NFL that year. He was also chosen to play in the very first 1951 Pro Bowl. He gained 827 yards from scrimmage, with 381 rushing yards and 446 receiving yards. A sports writer named Frank Finch said that Dick Hoerner was one of the brightest stars for the Rams. He noted that Dick wore glasses off the field, but on the field, he had a "mean expression with a disposition to match." In the 1950 NFL Championship Game, Dick scored two touchdowns and ran for 86 yards. Even though the Rams lost a close game to the Cleveland Browns (30–28), Dick showed his incredible talent.
In his last year with the Rams, 1951, Dick helped them win the NFL championship! He was part of the Rams' famous "Bull Elephant backfield" along with Paul "Tank" Younger and "Deacon" Dan Towler. Dick rushed for 569 yards in 1951, ranking 7th in the NFL. He also averaged 6.1 yards per carry, which was the 4th best in the league. He even scored a touchdown in the 1951 NFL Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns.
Tank Younger, who was the first NFL player from a historically black college, shared a story about Dick. He said that Dick was very helpful and unselfish. Even though they played the same position, Dick helped Younger learn the team's offensive system. Younger remembered, "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, Dick Hoerner was the Rams' all-time leading rusher with 2,020 yards. He also held the Rams' record for most rushing attempts in a season (455 attempts in 1949). He ranked second in team history for touchdowns scored in a single season, just behind Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch.
Time with the Dallas Texans
In June 1952, Dick Hoerner was traded to the Dallas Texans. This trade was a huge deal, described as "unquestionably the biggest shift of pigskin personnel in National Football League history." When Dick returned to Los Angeles to play against his old team, he really wanted to show the Rams they made a mistake by trading him.
The Texans had a tough season in 1952, with a record of 1 win and 11 losses. Dick rushed for 162 yards that year. After just one season, the Dallas Texans team moved to Baltimore and became the Colts. Dick signed with the Detroit Lions in the spring of 1953, but he decided to retire from football in July 1953 before playing any regular season games with them.
Later Years
After his football career, Dick Hoerner went into business in Southern California. He was known for helping struggling businesses become successful. Dick Hoerner passed away in December 2010 at the age of 88 after having a stroke. He was survived by his wife, Kathy, his daughters, Cecilia, Leslie, and Louise, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
