The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Bobby Dillon selected to Pro Football Hall of Fame
01.15.2020 | Football
The 1951 All-American is the fourth Longhorn to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Football legend Bobby Dillon is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Centennial Class of 2020, the NFL announced Wednesday. Dillon is the fourth Longhorn to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, joining Bobby Layne (Class of 1967), Tom Landry (Coach – Class of 1990) and Earl Campbell (Class of 1991).
In addition to the four Longhorn Lettermen mentioned, UT graduate Tex Schramm is another former Longhorn enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Schramm, while not a student-athlete at Texas, graduated from the University with a degree in journalism in 1947.
In 1951, Dillon became the 11th Longhorn to earn first-team All-America honors. He earned recognition from the Associated Press and Football Writers Association of America that season. He was also a team captain and All-Southwest Conference honoree during his final season on the Forty Acres.
Dillon's efforts as a junior in 1950, particularly in UT's road win over Baylor, were instrumental in helping the Longhorns finish 9-2, ranked No. 3 nationally and as Southwest Conference Champions with a perfect 6-0 record. In Waco, Dillon broke a 20-20 tie when he scored on an 84-yard punt return with 5:41 left. He then intercepted Baylor's last-ditch pass attempt to seal Texas' 27-20 victory. Dillon also helped the Horns defeat No. 1 SMU, 23-20, that season to give Texas its first win over an AP No. 1 team in school history.
Dillon finished his UT career with 13 interceptions, and his career total of 190 interception return yards stood as a school record for 44 years (1951-1995). He was a three-year letterman in football (1949-51) and twice lettered in Track & Field (1950-51) at Texas. Dillon was a member of both the Longhorns' 1950 SWC Champion football and track & field teams.
After concluding his collegiate career, Dillon was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round (28th overall) of the 1952 NFL Draft. He played for the Packers from 1952-59, appearing in 92 games, and retired at the conclusion of Vince Lombardi's first season as head coach in Green Bay. Lombardi, just months into his tenure in Green Bay, called Dillon the best player in the league at his position and labeled him as one of three untouchables on his 1959 roster, per Packers.com.
Dillon was selected to at least one All-Pro team in six straight seasons (1953-58) and was a Pro Bowler from 1955-58. His four-year run of Pro Bowl selections was the longest streak by a Longhorn for decades before Earl Thomas made five from 2012-16. Dillon retired with 52 NFL interceptions, still the Packers career record and a number at the time surpassed only by future Pro Football Hall of Famer Emlen Tunnell, who had played four more seasons that Dillon. The star safety led the Packers in interceptions in seven of his eight seasons with the team and three times intercepted nine passes during what were then 12-game seasons.
Dillon still holds the Packers' record for return yardage on interceptions with 976 and shares the team's single-game record for interceptions with four. He returned five interceptions for touchdowns, a team record at the time.
Dillon was inducted into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor in 1972 and later the Texas Sports Hall of Fame (1996) and Texas High School Sports Hall of Fame (2001). The Longhorn Legend passed away on Aug. 22, 2019, at his home in Temple, Texas. He was 89.
Details for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's annual Enshrinement Ceremony and the Centennial Celebration will be revealed in the coming weeks. For more information, visit profootballhof.com.
