Notre Dame's 1956 Heisman winner — won the award on a losing team, the only player to do so.
Paul Vernon Hornung was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1935 and attended the University of Notre Dame. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1956 — uniquely, while playing on a 2-8 Notre Dame team, making him the only Heisman winner in history on a team with a losing record. The award was based entirely on his individual excellence in an era of very different team contexts. He was an All-American and the most versatile player in the college game — capable of playing quarterback, halfback, and kicking. Notre Dame was between dynasties and he was carrying the offence almost alone. Green Bay Packers selected him first overall in the 1957 NFL Draft. He became one of the defining players of the Vince Lombardi dynasty — winning five NFL championships (1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967) and the NFL MVP in 1961. His college career — carrying a struggling Notre Dame team to individual Heisman glory — established that the award could recognise individual excellence regardless of team context. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
Heisman Trophy (1956)
Career Honours
- Heisman Trophy (1956)
- All-American
- Notre Dame legend
- Only Heisman winner on a losing team