American professional football player, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986. His career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) was shortened by injury, but he led the NFL in scoring for three consecutive seasons from 1959 to 1961.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Hornung was an outstanding all-around athlete in high school. In 1953 he entered the University of Notre Dame, where he developed into a versatile football player. Hornung, a quarterback, won All-American honors—awarded each year to the best amateur athlete in the United States—in 1955 and 1956, and won the Heisman Trophy as the nation's best college football player in 1956.
Hornung was first pick in the NFL's 1957 draft and was chosen by the Green Bay Packers, for whom he played his entire career. Hornung's first two seasons with the Packers were unremarkable, but his performance improved dramatically after Vince Lombardi became head coach in 1959. Hornung became left halfback for the team, and the Packers had their first winning season in more than ten years. Hornung also served as the team's place kicker and punter. He was the leading scorer in 1959 and 1960, scoring a record-setting 176 points in 1960, and winning the league's most valuable player award both years. The Packers won the NFL championship in 1961—Hornung was named the championship game's outstanding player—and 1962. In 1963 Hornung was suspended for a year for betting on NFL games. He returned to the Packers in 1964 and retired in 1967 after being picked by the New Orleans Saints in the expansion draft.