Clarke Hinkle

William Clarke Hinkle (April 10, 1909 – November 9, 1988) was an American professional football player for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL).

He played on offense as a fullback, defense as a linebacker, and special teams as a kicker and punter.

William Clarke Hinkle was born in Toronto, Ohio, located on the Ohio River approximately 40 miles west of Pittsburgh, in 1909.

He was the son of Charles Hinkle and Lillian Ault Clark, both Ohio natives.

His father was an engineer and later a forger at a steel mill.

Hinkle attended Toronto High School.

Hinkle played college football for Bucknell University, where he set several records for the Bucknell Bison football team as a fullback playing offense and defense.

A native of Toronto, Ohio, Hinkle played college football for Bucknell from 1929 to 1931.

He scored eight touchdowns and scored 50 points in a game against Dickinson on Thanksgiving Day 1929.

He finished the 1929 season with 21 touchdowns and 128 points scored.

He had 37 touchdowns over his career at Bucknell from 1929 to 1931.

In 1929, he led the East in scoring with 128 points.

At the time, the Packers were the best team in the NFL, having won three consecutive NFL championships from 1929 to 1931.

He scored 50 points in a single game as a sophomore and led Bucknell to an undefeated season in 1931.

In 1931, he led the team to a 6–0–3 win–loss record.

Hinkle's coach at Bucknell, Carl Snavely, called him: "Without a doubt, the greatest defensive back I have ever seen or coached."

Known as one of the toughest players in the era of iron man football, Hinkle played for the Packers from 1932 to 1941 and held the all-time NFL records for rushing yardage and carries when his playing career ended.

Hinkle played for the East team in the East-West Shrine Game in San Francisco on New Year's Day 1932.

He was the leading ground gainer in the game, and a United Press correspondent wrote: "If there was a single star in the long drawn battle of line plunges and punting it was Clark [sic] Hinkle of Bucknell whose stabs through tackle were a revelation in driving power."

While at Bucknell University he became a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

In January 1932, after watching Hinkle play in the Shrine Game, Curly Lambeau signed Hinkle to play professional football for the Green Bay Packers.

As a rookie in 1932, Hinkle appeared in 13 games and led the Packers with 331 rushing yards on 95 carries.

He quickly developed a reputation not only for his two-way play on both offense and defense, but also as the best punter in the NFL.

The 1932 Packers finished second in the NFL with a 10–3–1 record, and Hinkle was selected as a first-team All-Pro in 1932 by Collyer's Eye magazine and as the second-team fullback (behind Bronko Nagurski) on the United Press (UP) and NFL All-Pro teams.

He was hailed by Curly Lambeau at the end of the 1932 season as a second Jim Thorpe, and by some critics as "the greatest football player in the world today."

After spending the off-season working for a steel construction firm in his home town of Toronto, Ohio, Hinkle returned to Green Bay in September 1933.

In his second NFL season, Hinkle again led the team with 413 rushing yards, but the Packers' record fell to 5–7–1, the only losing season suffered by the Packers in their first 25 years in the NFL.

Despite the team's poor showing, Hinkle was selected as a second-team All-Pro by the UP, Chicago Daily News, and Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Hinkle presented a rare combination of power, speed, and accurate kicking.

He was selected as a first- or second-team All-Pro in each of his 10 NFL seasons and helped lead the Packers to three NFL championship games and NFL championships in 1936 and 1939.

Hinkle played for the Packers for his entire ten-year NFL career, was selected as a first- or second-team All-Pro every year, and helped lead the Packers to NFL championships in 1936 and 1939.

He led the NFL in touchdowns (seven) in 1937, in points scored (58) in 1938, and in field goals made and field goal percentage in both 1940 and 1941.

In 1937, he led the NFL with seven touchdowns and ranked second with 552 rushing yards.

In 1938, he led the NFL in scoring with 58 points scored on seven touchdowns, seven extra points, and three field goals.

He also continued to excel as a punter, ranking second in the NFL in punting yards in 1939 and averaging 44.5 yards per punt in 1941.

He led the NFL in field goals and field goal percentage in both 1940 and 1941.

Hinkle's playing career was cut short after the 1941 season by wartime military service.

His playing career was cut short in 1942 by military service.

He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of its second class of inductees in 1964.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971.