Bobby Layne

Robert Lawrence "Bobby" Layne, Sr. (December 19, 1926 – December 1, 1986) was an American football quarterback who played for 15 seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1948, the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950–1958, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1958–1962.

Layne was selected by the Bears with the third overall pick of the 1948 NFL draft. He played college football at the University of Texas. Layne was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1968. His number, 22, has been retired by the University of Texas Longhorns and Detroit Lions.

Early years

Born in Santa Anna, Texas, Layne's family moved when he was very young to Fort Worth, where he attended elementary and junior high school. His mother died when he was only eight years old, and Layne moved in with his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Wade Hampton. He attended Highland Park High School in University Park, where he was a teammate of fellow future hall of famer Doak Walker, the Heisman Trophy winner in 1948 for the SMU Mustangs and a pro teammate with the Detroit Lions.