The Golden Boy

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Winslow

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The Golden Boy

Pro football in the 1950s and ‘60s was dominated by three teams: the Cleveland Browns, the Baltimore Colts, and the Green Bay Packers. Within those august ranks a select handful of individual players—household names and Hall of Famers all—stood above the rest. We’re talking about men like Johnny Unitas, Bart Starr, Jim Brown and, most importantly for our purposes, “The Golden Boy” Paul Hornung.

Paul Hornung was born in Louisville, KY, in 1935. His parents divorced when he was a toddler and he was raised by his mother, a clerk for the WPA. A natural athlete, Hornung played football (quarterback, running back, place kicker and safety), basketball and baseball. Football, of course, was his main gig, and his skill earned him a full-ride to Notre Dame (though he continued to work every summer at a brewery in Louisville.)

As a running back with the Green Bay Packers from 1957 to 1969, Hornung was the lynchpin of coach Vince Lombardi’s ferocious offense, and the team won five NFL championships between 1960 and 1968, including the first two Super Bowls. Model-handsome, Hornung lived large on magazine covers and in several movies. He also set a standard for living, uh, lushly, that we can all look up to.

His biographer, Billy Reed, says Hornung “led the Packers, and maybe the NFL, in chasing women, hanging out in bars and nightclubs, and generally trying to circumvent the strict rules of Vince Lombardi.” And famed sportswriter Dick Schaap, who spent a week with Hornung leading up to a game vs. Cleveland, summed up an average Hornung day: “At three (after practice) he’d come home, mix a pitcher of martinis, and drink martinis with Ron Kramer and the others. Then they’d go out an have dinner, a group of players. Scotch before dinner. Wine with dinner. Brandy after dinner. Then back on scotch. Every day. I lost count by the time it had reached more than 60. Also, he never went to bed before four in the morning and he never went to bed alone.”

Hornung disputes the 60-drink figure, saying 30 was closer to the truth.

As his fame and income increased, Hornung adopted a storybook playboy lifestyle. He was a fixture at the best parties and clubs. In Hollywood, he frequented the Moulin Rouge and the Whisky A Go-Go, burning up the night with Don Rickles, Janis Joplin, Donna Reed, and Steve McQueen. He also loved New York, especially Toots Shor’s saloon, where he knocked ‘em back with Toots himself, Jackie Gleason, Frank Sinatra and Teamsters Union boss Jimmy Hoffa, who was Shor’s silent partner.

Hornung retired from football in 1970, but his desire to have a good time never abated. He hosted a local sports talk-show in Louisville, where his status as a living legend allowed him to book A-list guests, including Brett Favre. They got together the morning of the show to play a round of golf. Before teeing-off, Favre suggested they “warm up” with a couple Bloody Marys. They drank eight each before the turn. Still thirsty, they decided a few cold beers would improve the look of the back nine, so Hornung bought a case, which they polished off before the 18th hole. The show went off a few hours later without a hitch.

Nothing better illustrates Paul Hornung’s abilities than his actions on one December weekend in 1965. The Packers were in Baltimore for a showdown with the Colts. Hornung had been nursing an injury and didn’t expect to play, so he and a friend who played for the Redskins got together with a couple girls at a bar about halfway between Baltimore and D.C. Hornung rushed back to the Packers’ hotel for the 11pm bed-check, then snuck back out to meet his friend and the ladies. They caroused until well after sunrise and the half-drunk/half-hungover Hornung didn’t get back to the hotel until after 8:30 Sunday morning. While eating breakfast with the team, he was approached by Vince Lombardi, who wanted to know how he felt. When Hornung lied and said he felt fine, Lombardi said, “Good. You’re starting today.”

Paul Hornung went out and had one of the best games of his career. He scored 5 touchdowns as the Packers shellacked the Colts 42-27 and won the Western Division title.

The next time some doofus tells you that booze and sports don’t play nice together, hit him with the following list of Paul Hornung’s career accomplishments:

He was active in the Army Reserves from 1957-62. During his senior season at Notre Dame he lead the team in rushing, passing, scoring, punting yards, total offense, field-goal kicking, kick off return average, minutes played, and was second on the team in tackles. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1956, the only player to do it while on a team with a losing record. He was the #1 NFL draft pick in 1957. He led the NFL in scoring from 1958-1961. In 1960 he set a single-season scoring record (176 points) that still stands today. He was named Player of the Year in 1960 and 1961. And he is a member of the high-school, college, and pro football Halls of Fame.

Winslow :sunny:
 
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