Michigan's Greatest Pro Football Players

Here is a short capsule of one of Michigan's 50 greatest pro football players. From time to time I'll highlight a former Michigander who grew up in this state and/or played high school football here before going on to star at the professional level. Players from high schools throughout the Upper and Lower Peninsulas have gone on to receive Hall of Fame enshrinement, earn All-Pro accolades and start in Super Bowls during their distinguished professional football careers.

Calumet native Heartley "Hunk" Anderson is the second installment in my "Michigan's 50 Greatest Pro Football Players" series. I hope it's enjoyable and educational.

HEARTLEY ANDERSON

Heartley “Hunk” Anderson was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula town of Calumet, Michigan. The blue collar, copper country Keweenaw Peninsula locale also produced George Gipp, Anderson’s boyhood friend. Gipp, later made famous by Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne’s “Win one for the Gipper” speech, helped recruit Anderson to the Fighting Irish.

Anderson (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) played football for Notre Dame under Rockne from 1918 through 1921. Enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974, Anderson helped lead the Fighting Irish to consecutive undefeated seasons in 1919 and 1920. An All-American offensive guard, he started all four years at Notre Dame and is the only college football interior lineman to score three touchdowns in one game.

As a professional, Anderson played for the Chicago Bears under Hall of Fame coach George Halas from 1922 through 1926. During that time span, he also was an assistant coach with Rockne at Notre Dame. While with the Irish as a coach, Anderson helped develop the Seven Mules, the storied offensive line that blocked for the legendary Four Horsemen in 1924.

As a player in the NFL’s early days, Anderson was one of the game’s best linemen. Despite his size, he gained an advantage over larger defensive players using quickness, unmatched tenacity and technical superiority. During his years with the Bears, Anderson was the main blocker for Hall of Fame running back Red Grange.

Because of his blocking talents and football savvy, Anderson was selected to the NFL’s 1920s All-Decade Team.

From 1931 through 1933, Anderson succeeded Rockne as Notre Dame head coach. With the Irish he compiled an overall record of 16-9-2. From 1934 through 1936, he was head coach at North Carolina State University, ending his Wolfpack career with a mark of 11-17-1. In 1939, Anderson was a coach for his home state Detroit Lions.

In 1940, Halas hired Anderson as Chicago offensive line coach. During World War II, Halas went back into the service, but before leaving for war, he named Luke Johnsos and Anderson as co-head coaches of the Bears. With Halas away, Anderson and Johnsos led Chicago to two division titles and an NFL championship from 1942 through 1945. In 1943, the Bears defeated the Washington Redskins 41-21 to win the NFL title. With the win, Chicago avenged its only loss of the year. The Redskins had defeated the Bears 21-7 in Week 9 of that season. The previous year in 1942, Chicago had swept through the regular season with a perfect 11-0 record before losing to Washington 14-6 in the NFL championship game. Playing for Anderson on that 1942 squad was fellow Upper Peninsula native and Michigan All-Time Top 50 gridder Caspian’s Ray Bray. Anderson and Johnsos helped lead Chicago to a 23-11-2 overall record during their four-year co-head coaching career.

In total, Anderson spent 11 years with the Bears, retiring from pro football in 1951.

In 1972, Anderson was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame.