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Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame at Ohio State is five days away

On3 imageby:Patrick Engel•08/29/22•

PatrickEngel_

On3 image
Paul Hornung won the Heisman Trophy in 1956 (Photo by John G. Zimmerman /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images).

To preview one of the most anticipated games for Notre Dame this century and the official start of the Marcus Freeman era, BlueandGold.com is counting down the days to the matchup against Ohio State on Sept. 3.

This daily series of 99 stories celebrates by the numbers some of the most notable names, dates, moments and memories related to the past and present of Notre Dame football. 

With five days until kickoff, here’s a look back at the career of former Notre Dame quarterback Paul Hornung, who wore No. 5 for the Irish from 1954-56 and became the fifth player in school history to win the Heisman. His college career earned him the nickname “The Golden Boy.”

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He was a quarterback in designation only.

A more accurate description of Paul Hornung’s duties would be “offensive weapon” or “three-way player.”

Hornung threw the ball, ran it, returned kickoffs and punts, kicked field goals and played safety. That level of versatility was unmatched even in those days. He was proficient in every area, especially as a senior in 1956.

That year, Hornung threw for 917 yards, three touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing 53.2 percent of his passes. He led Notre Dame in rushing yards (420), averaging 4.5 yards per carry and scoring six touchdowns. He totaled 559 return yards and intercepted two passes on defense. He accounted for more than half of the Irish’s scoring. He even caught three passes for 26 yards.

It was enough to give Hornung the Heisman over Tennessee’s John Majors and Oklahoma’s Tom McDonald, even though Notre Dame went 2-8 in 1956. Hornung’s 1,066 points in the Heisman poll edged Majors’ 994 and McDonald’s 973, though McDonald earned more first-place nods. He remains the only player from a losing team to win the Heisman.

Hornung entered that year as one of the nation’s best returning players after a standout junior year in 1955. He rushed for 472 yards on 5.1 yards per carry. He completed 46 of 103 passes for 743 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His 1,215 combined passing and rushing yards ranked fourth nationally. He was fifth in Heisman voting, a first-team All-American and helped Notre Dame go 8-2.

His trademarked versatility extended to multiple sports when he began his career. Hornung was the backup fullback as a sophomore and averaged 6.1 points per game for the Notre Dame men’s basketball team.

The 1956 Heisman season launched Hornung to a Hall of Fame NFL career. The Green Bay Packers took him with the No. 1 pick in the 1957 draft. He played nine NFL seasons, all but one of them in Green Bay. He earned two first-team All-Pro nominations, led the league in rushing touchdowns in 1960 and was the NFL’s top scorer for three straight seasons (1959-61). A neck injury forced him to retire in 1967.

Hornung’s do-everything ways are still recognized more than 60 years after his Notre Dame career ended. The Paul Hornung Award was created in 2010 and is presented annually to the most versatile player in college football. No Notre Dame player has won it yet, but running back Kyren Williams was a finalist last season.

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