Dick Hoerner
Hoerner on a 1950 Bowman football card
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| Date of birth | July 25, 1922 |
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| Place of birth | Dubuque, Iowa, United States |
| Date of death | December 11, 2010 (aged 88) |
| Place of death | Fullerton, California |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Running Back |
| College | Iowa |
| NFL draft | 1945 / Round: 17 / Pick: 169 |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1947–1951 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1952 | Dallas Texans |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Pro Bowls | 1 |
| Career stats | |
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Lester Junior "Dick" Hoerner (July 25, 1922 – December 11, 2010) was an American football player. He played fullback for the University of Iowa in 1942 and 1946 and for the Los Angeles Rams from 1947 to 1951. He helped lead the Rams to three consecutive National Football League championship games from 1949 to 1951, played for the 1951 Los Angeles Rams team that won the 1951 NFL Championship Game, and was selected to play in the inaugural 1951 Pro Bowl. He was the Rams' all-time leading rusher at the end of his playing career with the team. He concluded his professional football career as a member of the Dallas Texans in 1952.
A native of Dubuque, Iowa, Hoerner was a state track champion while attending Dubuque High School. He also led Dubuque to Mississippi Valley Conference championships in 1939 and 1940 and was twice selected as an All-Iowa player. He enrolled at the University of Iowa in 1941 and played for the Iowa Hawkeyes football team as a sophomore in 1942. He ran 88 yards for a touchdown against Fritz Crisler's 1942 Michigan Wolverines. In May 1943, Hoerner was inducted into the U.S. Army. After missing three years due to war-time service, including service overseas in the field artillery, Hoerner returned to the Iowa Hawkeyes football team in 1946.
Hoerner was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and played for the team from 1947 through 1951. After he signed with the Rams, the Los Angeles Times touted his potential: "When you find a 6-foot, 4-inch, 220-pounder that can move, you have something. But when you run across one who is downright fast, can handle himself like a 160-pounder and can kick and pass to boot, they you have Lester (Dick) Hoerner, the Los Angeles Rams' great fullback prospect." As a rookie in 1947, he was sidelined by a broken foot in an October 1947 game against the Chicago Cardinals. In 1948, Hoerner was the Ram's leading rusher with 354 yards and average of 4.7 yards per carry that ranked 4th in the NFL. In a November 1948 game against the New York Giants, he tied a club record with three rushing touchdowns and was described as "unstoppable." Hoerner also played linebacker for the Rams. In December 1948, the Los Angeles Times wrote that Hoerner was a "6 foot 4 inch speedster" and "a murderous line backer."
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