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Paul Horn and Mike McInerney
To some he is known as
"Horny." Those who attended Jersey Township High School in the
late 1920's knew him as "Squawk horn." And to residents of
Jerseyville he is known as a model citizen.
With the help of Chris Skinner and Tom Goetten, I got the opportunity to
meet Paul Horn. At 93, Horn is the oldest living football player in Jersey
history. He was born October 20, 1911 in Jerseyville. Paul was the only child, and lived with his parents just a
couple of doors down from where he currently calls home. His father John
was a tailor.
Horn saw his first football action in the 1926-27 season as a freshman.
"The Coach didn't like me, so he put me in to stop him", Horn
replied when I asked him what his most memorable football moment was. This
particular incident involved future Chicago Bear captain and NFL Hall of
Fame inductee, George "Moose" Musso. At the time, Musso was a
member of the Collinsville Kahoks. "He damn near killed me" he
said with a chuckle, they beat us 62-6."
The year 1927 also rekindled another unusual memory. Paul went to Greenfield for a
basketball game by train and came home by train. "We had a railroad
back in those days that ran to Springfield and then back through
Greenfield, those were the good old days." Horn continued by saying
that nobody had any money and nobody worried about it. Horn then said with
a bit of sarcasm, "The reason I got to play is because I had a
football and a basketball, if they wouldn't let me play, I would just take my
football and basketball and go home."
Paul
Horn in 1928 (left) and in 1929 (right)
Horn attended Illinois College
upon graduation in hopes of becoming a doctor. His fondest memory from
college was a track meet race against Ronald Reagan, who attended Eureka
College. Reagan won the race while Horn finished third; "If I would
have caught him, I would have been vice president," he joked.
Paul married his high school sweetheart, Ginny in 1931 and have one
daughter, Janet Feyerabend. Janet also resides in Jerseyville after a career in
travel and tourism. The Horn's have been married for 73 years, Ginny is
92. Horn owned and operated three movie theatres and was a banker before
becoming a general insurance agent. The agency, "Whitworth-Horn-Goetten"
is still in existance today.
Until just recently the Horn's made every Jersey football game.
"Dewey Skinner was the best football player to ever wear a Panther
uniform, it seemed like he scored every time he got the ball," Horn
exclaimed. Quite a compliment coming from someone whose lettermen sweater
sits in the Jerseyville historical museum. "I am the oldest living
three time (football, basketball and track) letterman around," Horn
said in closing.
As I sat there I couldn't help but wish I was Marty McFly from the movie
"Back to the Future". How great it would be to travel back in
time just for a day or two. I can almost feel the vibration of that train
as we head to Greenfield or the smell of the leather helmet that Paul strapped on
just before entering that game against Collinsville in 1927. But then I realized
how lucky I was just to be sitting in the Horn living room and hearing all
these wonderful stories first hand.
To those who pose the curious question, "Why are you so interested in
documenting the long ago past?" Well thats easy, I do it for all the
current players that I have enjoyed watching. I do it for all of my
favorite players from the recent past and I do it for all those players that
I never got a chance to see play. But I also do it for my new friend Paul
Horn, a member of the 1927-30 Jersey football team.
As I was leaving the Horn house, his caretaker walked up to me and said
"Mr. Horn has been anxiously awaiting your visit all day," I
couldn't help but think, me too Mr. Horn.
by Mike McInerney
1929-30
Football Letter Men. (Paul Horn is top row, second from left)
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