Heartley “Hunk” Anderson bulldozed opponents as a legendary guard for Notre Dame before anchoring the Chicago Bears’ offensive line and eventually succeeding the great Knute Rockne as head coach.
of Hunk Anderson. Darin Hayes’ personal collection.
Football Bio
September 22, 1898 – Heartley “Hunk” Anderson was a guard at the University of Notre Dame, playing from 1918 to 1921.
His freshman season in 1918 is significant to Notre Dame football history, as it was the first under the leadership of Knute Rockne, the team’s head coach.
Hunk Anderson blocked for George Gipp that season, and Rockne later said Anderson was “the greatest lineman he ever coached.”
After a single loss in his freshman season, Hunk and the Irish did not lose another game until his senior season, when the Iowa Hawkeyes upset them.
Against Purdue, Hunk blocked not one but two punts and recovered them both in the end zone!
With performances like those, Anderson played well enough that season to earn First-Team All-American honors.
After college, the great lineman turned pro and played for the Chicago Bears for four seasons.
The Chicago Bears team of 1924. From left are: Ralph Scott, Oscar Knop, George Trafton, Ed Healey, Jim McMillen, Vern Miller, Hugh Blacklock, Frank Hanny, Joe LeFleur, Ralph Lanum, Roy White, George Halas, Hunk Anderson, Larry Walquist, Ed Sternaman, and Joe Sternaman. Courtesy of a kind uploader to Wikimedia Commons. Original taken on September 1, 1924.
He later returned to his alma mater and became the head coach after Rockne’s untimely death in 1931.
Hunk Anderson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974. [National Football Foundation]
Heartley Anderson left his mark on gridiron history, transitioning seamlessly from a dominant blocker for historic backfields to a respected head coach in both the collegiate and professional ranks.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- Guided the Irish line as a key blocker for legendary halfback George Gipp.
- Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974.
- Named a Consensus First-Team All-American in 1921.
- Played four seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears (1922β1925).
- Served as the head coach of Notre Dame (1931β1933), succeeding Knute Rockne.
- Served as co-head coach of the Chicago Bears (with Luke Johnsos) from 1942 to 1945, leading the team to the 1943 NFL Championship.
Chicago Bears co-head coach Hunk Anderson. Courtesy of a kind uploader on Wikimedia Commons.
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