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NFL Hall of Famer 'Crazylegs' Hirsch Dies at 80
34 minutes ago Add Sports - Reuters to My Yahoo!
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch, a National Football League Hall of Fame receiver nicknamed for his splay-legged running style, died on Wednesday, University of Wisconsin officials said.
Hirsch, 80, died of natural causes in Madison, Wisconsin, where he spent part of his college career, a spokesman for the school's athletic department said.
The long "bombs" caught by Hirsch and fellow Hall of Fame receiver Tom Fears from quarterbacks Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin for the Los Angeles Rams in the early 1950s helped redefine the sport.
One commentator said Hirsch's legs appeared to go in six directions at once.
Hirsch was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968 and was named to the league's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team the following year.
"Elroy Hirsch helped revolutionize the game of pro football as one of the first big-play receivers," said Hall of Fame President John Bankert.
"I'm just a busted-down, retreaded halfback who happened to get lucky," Hirsch once said.
Hirsch amassed 60 touchdowns -- including a then-record 17 scores in 1951, since broken by Jerry Rice (news) -- with 387 catches for 7,029 yards in his pro career. After three years in the rival All-American Football Conference, he joined the Rams from 1949 to 1957.
A running back in college, Hirsch led the college All-Stars to victory against his future team, the Rams, who would convert him to receiver.
The Rams' frequent use of three receivers was a key ingredient in their 1951 championship season.
During his playing days, Hirsch also had a radio sports program and was a professional bowler. After football, the golden-haired Hirsch tried acting, starring in the crime drama "Unchained" in 1955.
Born June 17, 1923, in Wausau, Wisconsin, he returned to the University of Wisconsin to serve as athletic director from 1969 to 1987.
NFL Hall of Famer 'Crazylegs' Hirsch Dies at 80
34 minutes ago Add Sports - Reuters to My Yahoo!
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch, a National Football League Hall of Fame receiver nicknamed for his splay-legged running style, died on Wednesday, University of Wisconsin officials said.
Hirsch, 80, died of natural causes in Madison, Wisconsin, where he spent part of his college career, a spokesman for the school's athletic department said.
The long "bombs" caught by Hirsch and fellow Hall of Fame receiver Tom Fears from quarterbacks Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin for the Los Angeles Rams in the early 1950s helped redefine the sport.
One commentator said Hirsch's legs appeared to go in six directions at once.
Hirsch was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968 and was named to the league's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team the following year.
"Elroy Hirsch helped revolutionize the game of pro football as one of the first big-play receivers," said Hall of Fame President John Bankert.
"I'm just a busted-down, retreaded halfback who happened to get lucky," Hirsch once said.
Hirsch amassed 60 touchdowns -- including a then-record 17 scores in 1951, since broken by Jerry Rice (news) -- with 387 catches for 7,029 yards in his pro career. After three years in the rival All-American Football Conference, he joined the Rams from 1949 to 1957.
A running back in college, Hirsch led the college All-Stars to victory against his future team, the Rams, who would convert him to receiver.
The Rams' frequent use of three receivers was a key ingredient in their 1951 championship season.
During his playing days, Hirsch also had a radio sports program and was a professional bowler. After football, the golden-haired Hirsch tried acting, starring in the crime drama "Unchained" in 1955.
Born June 17, 1923, in Wausau, Wisconsin, he returned to the University of Wisconsin to serve as athletic director from 1969 to 1987.
