Merwin Luther Hodel (May 27, 1931 – June 15, 1988) was an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

fullback who played one season with the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He was selected by the Giants in the fourth round of the 1952 NFL draft after playing

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

at the

University of Colorado Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University o ...

Early life

Hodel attended Rockford West High School in

Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, Winnebago and Ogle County, Illinois, Ogle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located in far northern Illinois on the banks of the Rock River (Mississippi River tributary), Rock River, Rockfor ...

College career

Hodel played for the Colorado Buffaloes, earning First-team All- Big Seven honors in 1950 and 1951. He rushed for 597 yards and six touchdowns on 137 attempts his senior year in 1951. He was also hurdles champion of the Big Seven Conference.

Professional career

Hodel was selected by the

with the 38th pick in the 1952 NFL draft. He spent the 1952 off-season with the Giants before leaving the team due to a foot injury. He later signed with the Giants on October 29, 1953 and played in two games for the team during the 1953 season.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hodel, Merwin 1931 births 1988 deaths American football fullbacks Colorado Buffaloes football players New York Giants players American male hurdlers Colorado Buffaloes men's track and field athletes Players of American football from Rockford, Illinois 20th-century American sportsmen