Hornung to be honored in Louisville

Former Green Bay Packers great and Class of 1986 enshrinee Paul Hornung will be recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Allstate Insurance Company in Louisville, Ky. on Tuesday, March 13, as part of Hometown Hall of Famers™,   a national program honoring the hometown roots of the sport’s greatest players with special ceremonies and plaque dedication events in local communities.

“’Hometown Hall of Famers™’ has been warmly embraced by communities and Hall of Famers alike,” said George Veras, Pro Football Hall of Fame Enterprises president and CEO.  “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Allstate to bring the Pro Football Hall of Fame to communities across the country and congratulate Paul Hornung and Trinity High School on bringing a piece of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to Louisville.”

A former high school standout at the now-closed Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget High School in Louisville, Hornung will be presented with his Hometown Hall of Famer™ plaque during a special ceremony at 4 p.m. ET Tuesday at Trinity High School, where the plaque will live permanently to serve as an inspiration for the entire community. The presentation will be made by Will Wolford, Hornung’s long-time friend and former NFL offensive lineman.

“To be part of a program that brings the prestige and tradition of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to cities like Louisville is an honor for Allstate, our agents and employees,” said Lisa Cochrane, Allstate’s senior vice president of marketing.

The ceremony will be attended by Hornung’s family members and close friends, as well as Louisville community members. John Asher, vice president of communications at Churchill Downs, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies.

In addition to the plaque, a commemorative Paul Hornung  Hometown Hall of Famer™ road sign will be on display in the city.

As a standout student-athlete in high school, Hornung lettered four years in football, baseball and basketball. After high school, Hornung excelled as a versatile offensive and defensive threat at Notre Dame where he earned the nickname the “Golden Boy” and won the Heisman Trophy in 1956.

Hornung was the first overall selection by the Green Bay Packers in the 1957 NFL Draft. He remains one of just 13 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to be drafted first overall. Hornung, a versatile halfback who also handled the Packers’ kicking duties, rushed for 3,711 yards, caught 130 passes, and scored 760 career points. He was named the NFL’s Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons (1960-61). His record of 176 points during the 1960 season stood for decades.

Hometown Hall of Famers™ presented by the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Allstate is the Hall of Fame’s first nationwide plaque program and will lead into the celebration of its 50th anniversary in August 2012.