Football: Darwin Horn Spotlight

6-foot-2, 215 pounds, called “Big Dar” by fans.

Two-time All-American.

Member of the National Small College Championship team of 1947.

Played in every game, led the team in scoring all three years.

Elected to the Pepperdine University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980.

Pepperdine Football All-Time Record-Holder

RUSHING YARDS Career: 1,577 yards

RUSHING YARDS Single Season: 564 yards

TOUCHDOWNS Career: 38

TOUCHDOWNS Single Season: 19

TOUCHDOWNS Single Game: 3

POINTS Career: 234

POINTS Single Season: 115

POINTS Single Game: 18

1942

Graduated from Inglewood High School, where he was captain of the football team and named to the All-Bay League team.

1943

Joined the U.S. Navy. Became a member of the San Diego Naval Training Station football team before departing to the Asia-Pacific in WWII. Assigned to the USS Serene in the Western Pacific during 1944-1945.

1946

Completed his naval service in March. Attended a local community college for a year while deciding what four-year school to play for.

“Many of my high school and service friends attended the big colleges in town but the sheer number of people just milling about made everything seem so crowded. Then I visited Pepperdine,” he would recall.

Horn enrolled in a pre-engineering course at Pepperdine College in September 1946. He arrived on the campus, a 21-year-old freshman following nearly three years of service in the U.S. Navy. Soon after, he would join the football team.

“It was so quiet, so calm and a drastic change from the other places. The teachers took time to visit as a friend as I crossed campus. The football coach (Head Coach Warren Gaer) talked with us not just once a  day, but twice. I was so impressed with the people there,” Horn said.

1946 SEASON

Third in scoring among small college teams. Scored 100 points (16 touchdowns) in just eight games, which nearly doubled the opponents’ total points scored against the Waves (56). Accounted for half of the Waves total points for the season (202). Named Little (College) All-American by the Associated Press and the United Press.

 

1947 SEASON

Led Pepperdine College to an undefeated season and the National Small College Championship trophy. Ended the season tied for the national scoring title, accounting for 115 points in just nine games. One of the very few to be named honorable mention Big (College) All-American by the Associated Press and the United Press. Named Little (College) All-American and first team Little (College) All-Pacific Coast by the Associated Press.

“Potentially, he has all the makings of another Ernie Nevers. If Horn were playing for a major college team he would, by his junior or senior year, become one of the immortals of football,” said Bill Schroeder, Managing Director of the Helms Athletic Foundation, recalling the play of Darwin Horn in the 1947 season.

1948 SEASON

Gained 458 yards on the season, leading the team. Helped lead the Waves to a homecoming victory over Loyola University in the annual “Little Big Game”, the last of his collegiate career.

 

“Pepperdine was a great school for me. I met my wife there, made so many friends and am so happy to still be involved with the college today. I just cannot seem to say Âno’ to anything when asked by the alumni office to help. The people were special, and the experience still is,” said Darwin Horn.

AFTER GRADUATION

1949-1951: Became a patrolman with the Los Angeles Police Department.

1951: Joined the U.S. Secret Service. He protected nine presidents, from Eisenhower to Reagan, as well as many kings, queens, prime ministers, and other foreign political VIPs spanning over 75 countries.

1981: Retired after 30 years with the agency.

He wrote an autobiography titled “Dar’s Story: Memoirs of a Secret Service Agent.” The book was published in 2002.

Horn met and married his Pepperdine sweetheart, Shirley, who passed away in January 2006. 

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