Hirsch, "Crazylegs" (Elroy L.)
Football
b. June 17, 1923, Wausau, WI
A halfback, Hirsch was ninth in the nation in rushing at the University of Wisconsin in 1942, when he averaged 5.5 yards a carry. His coach, Harry Stuldreher, said of him, "Hirsch is one of the best athletes I ever saw--fast, smart, dead game, and hard to bring down."
He was transferred to the University of Michigan for military training and he played there in 1943. After leaving the service in 1946, he signed with the Chicago Rockets of the All America Football Conference. In 1948, his skull was fractured just behind the right ear when he carried the ball into the line. He missed the rest of the season and it was suspected he would never play again.
However, Hirsch joined the NFL's Los Angeles Rams in 1949 and wore a special protective helmet for the rest of his career. He played sparingly as a running back during his first season, but also saw action as a flanker in Clark Shaughnessy's new three-end formation, which was used primarily in passing situations.
In 1950, Joe Stydahar took over from Shaughnessy as the Rams' head coach and used the three-end formation as the team's base offense. Hirsch caught 42 passes for 687 yards and 7 touchdowns.
He followed that with a sensational 1951 season, catching 66 passes for 1,495 yards, a 22.7 average, and 17 touchdowns to lead the NFL in each category. His average touchdown reception that year covered 47.8 yards. Boasting the league's highest scoring offense, the Rams beat the Cleveland Browns 24-17 to win the NFL championship.
After the 1954 season, Hirsch announced his retirement, but he returned in 1955 because the Rams were depleted by injuries and he played three more seasons. He caught a total of 387 passes for 7,029 yards, an 18.2 average, and 60 touchdowns. He also rushed for 3 touchdowns, scored 1 on a punt return, and 1 on an interception return.
Hirsch had a brief career in the movies and then served as Wisconsin's athletic director from 1969 to 1987.