Professional Football Career
Hirsch was drafted by the Chicago Rockets of the All-America Football Conference, where he played from 1946 to 1948, in three injury-prone seasons. After the Rockets and the AAFC merged with the NFL, he joined the Los Angeles Rams through 1957, where he gained his fame. Coach Clark Shaughnessy made Hirsch the first full-time "flanker" in NFL history, splitting the talented receiver outside from his previous halfback position. Additionally, he was one of the first to sport the molded plastic helmet that is the industry standard today in the NFL, which Coach Shaughnessy fitted for him as a precaution, as he was injured when first joining the Rams. When playing for Chicago in an All-America game against the Cleveland Browns, Hirsch was tackled so badly that his right knee ligaments were torn. He also suffered a fractured skull above his right ear. He was key to the Rams victory in the 1951 NFL championship with a NFL record 1,495 yards receiving, a record that stood for 19 years. He also had 66 catches, and 17 touchdowns that same year. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968 with a career 387 receptions, 7,029 yards, and 60 touchdowns.
Read more about this topic: Elroy Hirsch
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