Elroy Hirsch

High school

Wausau East High School

College

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Pro team(s)

Chicago Rockets, Los Angeles Rams

Hall of Fame

⭐ Pro Football Hall of Fame

Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, and became one of the most dynamic and electrifying receivers in the history of professional football. His nickname — coined by a sportswriter who described his running style as "a crazy man running with his legs going every which way" — became one of the most enduring in sports. Hirsch starred at the University of Wisconsin and then served in the Marine Corps before joining the Los Angeles Rams in 1949. In 1951, playing as a flanker — a novel position at the time — he had one of the greatest single seasons a receiver has ever had: 66 catches for 1,495 yards and 17 touchdowns, helping the Rams to the NFL championship. He was instrumental in establishing the modern wide receiver position and inspired a generation of pass-catchers with his combination of speed, hands, and football intelligence. His life was portrayed in the 1953 film "Crazylegs," one of the first major sports biography films in Hollywood history. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968.