Robert Hoernschemeyer Robert James " Bob " " Hunchy " Hoernschemeyer ( September 25 , 1925 – June 18 , 1980 ) was an American football running back for the Chicago Rockets ( 1946 – 47 ) , Brooklyn Dodgers ( AAFC ) ( 1947 – 1948 ) , Chicago Hornets ( 1949 ) , Detroit Lions ( 1950 – 1955 ) . He attended United States Naval Academy and Indiana University . Early life . Hoernschemeyer was the son of William A . J . Hoernschemeyer and Emma M . Byrnes ( Delaney ) Hoernschemeyer . Bob ' s father was in the Ice , Coal and Hauling business and died when he was in eighth grade . " Hunchy " enrolled in Elder High School , where he got the nickname ; setting many school records , becoming football team captain for the 1942 season and graduating in 1943 . He scored 131 points during his high school varsity career with 20 TD ' s and 11 PAT ' s . College career . October 9 , 1943 The football history of Indiana University has not been particularly noted for its hordes of great players and outstanding teams . But one of the brightest stars in the gridiron past of the Hoosiers was a tailback named Bob ( Hunchy ) Hoernschemeyer , who passed Nebraska silly one afternoon in 1943 while he was just a 17 - year - old freshman . Hoernschemeyer was a complete triple threat tailback , yet it was his forward passing talents that would bring him the most recognition . A tremendously accurate passer , Hunchy was equally dangerous in throwing to either long or short patterns . A solid ball - carrier inside the ends , Hoernschemeyer was a threat for a breakaway run at any time . The season of 1943 found most colleges fielding teams made up primarily of players still below draft age , which was certainly the case for both teams when Indiana traveled to Lincoln to tangle with Nebraska . Hoernschemeyer got the Hoosiers rolling midway in the first quarter as he returned a punt 20 yards to the Indiana 37 , and the following drive was finally capped off with a one - yard plunge for the score by fullback Jim Allerdice . It was still in the first quarter when Pete Pihos recovered a fumble for Indiana at the Nebraska 33 yard line , and on the next play Hoernschemeyer rifled a long pass to Don angold as he went into the end zone , to make it 14 – 0 . Then with the second period just underway , Hunchy struck again with a 38 - yard scoring strike to Ed Scheinbein . With plenty of time remaining until halftime , Hoernschemeyer went to work again on the young Cornhusker defense . Three pass completions paced a Hoosier march deep into Nebraska territory , and then Hunchy lofted a fourth down aerial to Frank Torak in the end zone from five yards out — and Indiana went to the intermission with a 27 – 0 lead . Nebraska came out throwing the football in the third quarter , and the Cornhuskers reached paydirt early in the stanza on a 22 - yard scoring pass of their own . But Hoernschemeyer went right back to work after the kickoff , this time using both his running and passing skills to lead a punishing 75 - yard match up the field , finally capping it all off with another touchdown pass to Torak , this one covering 20 yards . Nebraska fought back with a touchdown in the third quarter , this one coming on a 48 - yard scoring pass , to make it a 34 – 13 ball game heading into the final stanza . Then Hoernschemeyer returned to the airways again to lead the Hoosiers up the field for the score that finally broke this game open ; his pass completion to Pihos at the Cornhusker 13 yard line setting up a short touchdown run moments later . A short time later Hoernschemeyer and Pihos hooked up again , this touchdown pass covering 23 yards , with the rugged Hoosier end making the catch as he narrowly avoided a full - speed collision with the goal post . Hunchy stayed in the game long enough to victimize the exhausted Nebraska defense one last time ; this scoring play covering 37 yards , with Mangold making a juggling catch just before heading into the end zone . For the day Hoernschemeyer completed 14 of 18 pass attempts for 345 yards and six touchdowns . His performance in this 54 – 13 romp over Nebraska went a long way toward his eventual place as the nation ’ s total offense leader for the 1943 season . Military . Hoernschemeyer entered the U . S . Naval Academy and played quarterback in the 1945 season . Professional career . Following his short time in the military , Hoernschemeyer played for the Chicago Rockets / Hornets and Brooklyn Dodgers in the AAFC . When the AAFC folded in 1950 , he was obtained by the NFL ' s Detroit Lions . Hoernschemeyer led the Lions in rushing for four consecutive seasons , 1950 through 1953 . He was selected to two Pro Bowls in a six - year career with Lions .