2) Paul Hornung is the first pro football player to win the Heisman trophy in college, be drafted #1 overall in the NFL, win the NFL Most Valuable Player Award, and also be inducted into the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
3) Durning the 1961 season, Paul was called to active duty to serve in the U.S. Army. Hornung was able to get weekend passes in order to play in games on Sundays throughout the season. He was also given a pass to play in the NFL Championship vs. the New York Giants thanks to Vince Lombardi's friendship with President John F. Kennedy.
D: What was the best part about having Vince Lombardi as a coach?
Paul Hornung: Well, first of all, he was the best coach in the world. The #1 coach. We all enjoyed playing for him and the best part was we won. When you're winning everyone is pretty happy.
D's Follow Up: My soccer team is the Red Dragons. It feels pretty good to win. When we win we cheer for each other and we all leave the field happy.
J: What was the best part about being in Super Bowl 1?
Paul Hornung: The best part about the Super Bowl is that we won. Our team did what we set out to do at the beginning of the season. We had the best team at the time.
J's Follow Up: I know how it feels to have the best team because my soccer team is the best in our league. In the first half of the season we were undefeated and in the spring we had one loss and one tie. It felt good to win almost all the time and it was fun to be around my teammates all the time.
What an awesome opportunity we had to meet one of the greatest players in NFL history, Paul Hornung. I knew of the Golden Boy but didn't realize how special he was both in college and when he played professionally. I'm impressed that he was the first player to be inducted into the College and Pro Football HOF along with winning the Heisman trophy, getting drafted #1 overall, and winning an NFL MVP award. It's a feat that may never be accomplished again!
When I saw that Mr. Hornung was scheduled to appear at the Mars Cheese Castle in Wisconsin, I knew this was the perfect time for Danny to meet his first Packers legend. A terrible storm slowed us down on our way to Wisconsin and apparently scared away many other Packers fans too. It turned out to be perfect for us. We asked him questions about his Packers days and Vince Lombardi and got an up close look at his Heisman Trophy ring.
Danny asked about Vince Lombardi and the message we heard from Paul Hornung's answer was to fun of winning. It's true that when you're winning, it's easier for the team to stay positive. Players will be happier being around each other throughout the long football season if they are winning and in good moods. Winning is something that happened often for the Packers in the early 60's. Ultimately, you play to win the game and Paul and his teammates were great at winning more often than not.
Jordan was curious about Paul Hornung's Super Bowl 1 experience. After meeting him, I did some more research and we found out that he was the only player who did not play in the Super Bowl that year because of injury. He was out most of the 1966 season with a severe neck injury and didn't want to risk further injury by playing in the Super Bowl. Despite this, at the end of the day, Hornung was one of their best players and he earned his first Super Bowl ring but looking back on it I'm sure he wishes he could have played a snap in what is now known as one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
A few months ago, I read the book Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin. It was fascinating to read about Jim Thorpe and all he accomplished as an athlete. There was so much I didn't know about football! For example, I didn't know it started off as a sport that was played in college before it became a professional sport and I didn't know football was initially played without any passing of the ball. At the same time, I learned that Jim Thorpe was an American Indian, how he and his team were treated, and the lasting impact they had on the game of football.
Reading books like Undefeated helps me learn about history through the context of story. Meeting Paul Hornung was an opportunity to meet someone who was part of history in person. It was inspiring to talk to someone who played such a big role in football history. After we met Mr. Hornung, my dad told us that he remembers Paul Hornung and looked up to him as a role model when he was young and played football in high school. I hadn't heard of Paul Hornung before we met him but now I know just how amazing he was in college and in the NFL.
I love that our kids get to meet athletes but that they ask them questions about what they have accomplished on and off the field. The famous athletes we cheer for on TV are people too. People who have worked hard to achieve all that they have and who have accomplished so much through hard work and dedication. They make it look easy but the truth is, it takes a lot to be a successful athlete. Meeting current athletes and legends like Paul Hornung is a great opportunity to learn about what it takes to play at a high level and about current and past sports history.
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