Throwback Thursday: Bobby Layne

January, 01 2015

As one of the greatest bowl players of all time, Hall of Famer Bobby Layne was no stranger to the New Year’s Six.

A four-time All Southwestern Conference quarterback for the Texas Longhorns, Layne’s performance in the 1946 Cotton Bowl was nothing short of spectacular. Responsible for all 40 of Texas’ points in the 40-27 victory over Missouri, Layne passed for two touchdowns, rushed for three, caught a 50-yard touchdown pass and kicked four PATs. His historic and incredible performance earned him one of the first spots in the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame. 

Two seasons later, Layne resurged the Longhorns’ dominance, earning the team a spot in the 1948 Sugar Bowl.

It was a clash of the quarterback titans, matching up Layne against Alabama’s gunslinger, Harry Gilmer. Layne shined in the spotlight, out-dueling his counterpart by throwing for a touchdown and rushing for another, leading his team to a 27-7 victory and earning Sugar Bowl MVP honors.

Layne finished his career at Texas with a school-record 3,145 passing yards, completing more than 50 percent of his passes. Following college, Layne was drafted by the Chicago Bears and later joined his high school teammate and good friend Doak Walker on the Detroit Lions, where together they won two championships.

Layne was inducted into the University of Texas Hall of Fame in 1963, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1968.