Hunk Anderson Explained

Heartley Anderson
Birth Date:22 September 1898
Birth Place:Calumet, Michigan, U.S.
Death Place:West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Player Years1:1918–1921
Player Team1:Notre Dame
Player Years2:1920–1921
Player Team2:Canton Bulldogs
Player Years3:1922–1923
Player Team3:Chicago Bears
Player Years4:1923
Player Team4:Cleveland Indians
Player Years5:1924–1925
Player Team5:Chicago Bears
Player Positions:Guard
Coach Years1:1927
Coach Team1:Notre Dame (assistant)
Coach Years2:1928–1929
Coach Team2:Saint Louis
Coach Years3:1930
Coach Team3:Notre Dame (line)
Coach Years4:1931–1933
Coach Team4:Notre Dame
Coach Years5:1934–1936
Coach Team5:NC State
Coach Years6:1937
Coach Team6:Michigan (line)
Coach Years7:1939
Coach Team7:Detroit Lions (assistant)
Coach Years8:1942–1945
Coach Team8:Chicago Bears
Overall Record:34–34–4 (college)
24–12 (NFL)
Awards:
Cfbhof Year:1974
Cfbhof Id:1368

Heartley William "Hunk" Anderson (September 22, 1898 – April 24, 1978) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Saint Louis University (1928–1929), University of Notre Dame (1931–1933), and North Carolina State University (1934–1936), compiling a career college football record of 34–34–4. From 1942 to 1945, Anderson was the head coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), tallying a mark of 24–12 and winning the 1943 NFL Championship.

From 1918 to 1921, Anderson played as a guard for the Notre Dame football team, under new head coach Knute Rockne. During his time in South Bend he played under an assumed name for the Canton Bulldogs in 1920–1921, but Anderson later argued that he had only played in exhibition games.[1] From 1922 to 1926, he played professionally for the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Bears. Anderson played in 39 career games while starting in 32 of them. In 1939, he was an assistant coach for the Detroit Lions under Gus Henderson.

Born in Calumet, Michigan, on the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula, Anderson attended Calumet High School. He was and weighed 170lb. Anderson was named to the National Football League 1920s All-Decade Team, and is one of only two players on the list not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1974.

A head coach at Saint Louis for two years, he returned to Notre Dame as an assistant under Rockne in 1930 and the Irish won all ten games. The following spring, Rockne was killed in a and Anderson was promoted to head coach ten days

Head coaching record

NFL

Team Year Regular Season Post Season
Won LostTiesWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
CHI19426001st in NFL Western0 1 Lost to Washington Redskins in NFL Championship Game.
CHI19438111st in NFL Western1 0 1943 NFL Champions
CHI19446312nd in NFL Western
CHI19453704th in NFL Western
CHI Total 23 11 2
Total 23 11 2

Personal life

Anderson was a Freemason.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Taylorville Scandal.
  2. Web site: 10,000 Famous Freemasons By William R. Denslow - Volume 1 "A-D" . 2023-03-12 . www.phoenixmasonry.org.