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Clarke Hinkle

Halfback

Inducted 1971

Date of Birth

4/10/1909

Birthplace

Toronto, OH

School

Bucknell University (1929-1931)

Bio

Generally considered the finest football player to wear a Bucknell uniform, Clarke Hinkle possessed the purist gifts of speed and mobility which gave him excellent range, whether on offense or defense. Hinkle first achieved notoriety in 1929, his sophomore season, when he led the East in scoring with 128 points. A Toronto, Ohio, native, Hinkle never lacked for all-around brilliance as he continued to impress football observers, eventually leading Bucknell through an undefeated campaign in 1931 - the only unblemished record logged by an Eastern school that year. Hinkle capped his collegiate career with an "outstanding player" performance in the East-West Game at San Francisco and went on to further acclaim with the Green Bay Packers. Hinkle's coach at Bucknell, Carl Snavely, called him: "Without a doubt, the greatest defensive back I have ever seen or coached." Those words were uttered by a man who had seen and coached many of the nation's best. Hinkle was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971; he also is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His full name was William Clarke Hinkle; he was born April 10, 1909, in Toronto, OH, and died November 9, 1988.