Curly Hinchman: The NFL Speedster from Indiana Who Rated Second-Fastest in the League

Long before the Indianapolis Colts made Indiana synonymous with professional football, a young man from Greenfield, Indiana named Hubert Edward "Curly" Hinchman was making his mark as one of the fastest running backs in the National Football League.

Born on November 12, 1907, in Illinois, Curly grew up in Greenfield, Indiana, where he became an all-around athlete at Greenfield High School from 1923 to 1927. He was fast, physical, and versatile — qualities that would carry him from a small Indiana town to the professional gridiron.

College Football: All-State Twice, Top Scorer in Indiana

Curly attended Butler University in Indianapolis, where he quickly established himself as one of the premier players in the state. In 1928, he scored 67 points to lead all Indiana college football players in scoring — a remarkable total for the era of low-scoring single-wing offenses. He was named all-state in Indiana that year.

He then transferred to New River State (now West Virginia University Institute of Technology) in West Virginia, where he played both football and basketball and was again named all-state in 1932 — making him an all-state honoree at two different schools in two different states. His versatility, speed, and football intelligence had only grown.

The NFL Years: Cardinals and Lions

In 1933, Curly Hinchman joined the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League as a fullback and halfback — the kind of utility backfield player who could line up in multiple positions depending on the game plan. He played for the Cardinals in 1933 and 1934 before being picked up by the Detroit Lions for the 1934 season.

It was in Detroit that Curly received his highest professional compliment. Potsy Clark, the Lions' head coach, publicly rated Hinchman as the second-fastest player in the entire NFL — an extraordinary assessment in a league full of athletic talent. To be identified as the second-fastest man in professional football in any era is a significant distinction; in 1934, when the NFL was a lean, bruising game played by hard men, it was a genuine badge of honor.

Curly appeared in 22 NFL games total, six as a starter, recording 171 rushing yards and 27 receiving yards across his professional career.

World War II Service

After his playing career, Curly served in the United States Navy during World War II. His assignment reflected his athletic background — he was stationed at training centers in Norfolk, Virginia, and Memphis, Tennessee, where he served first as a radio instructor and later as an athletic instructor in drill, hand-to-hand combat, boxing, and swimming. He also supervised the demanding commando course — the kind of physical and mental conditioning program that prepared men for combat.

Life After Football

After the war, Curly worked as a teacher and coach in Indiana high schools before eventually becoming a "time study man" for Delco-Remy in Anderson, Indiana — the electrical components manufacturer that was a major employer in central Indiana for generations.

Hubert "Curly" Hinchman died in Anderson, Indiana, on January 9, 1968, at age 60. He was the second-fastest player in the NFL, a two-time all-state college player, a World War II Navy veteran, and a Hinchman who made his family name known on the gridirons of the professional game.