Don Horn--1971
With a name like Del Barba, I am
often asked about its’ origin.
Spanish? Nope. Italian. I understand
it translates to “of the barber” or “of
the hair”, which is ironic given the
receding hairlines of the males on my
family tree--- of which none of us are
barbers.
As for nicknames, I was often called
Del, mostly by coaches who couldn’t
get the entire name out during
timeouts or in shouts from the
dugout. In fact, I still use “Del” when
ordering pizzas and with reservations
at restaurants. It’s just easier for
people to handle.
So, it leads me to Don Horn. An All-
American quarterback at San Diego
State University, Horn had the
misfortune to be selected by the
Green Bay Packers in the first round
of the 1967 draft. Playing behind
future Hall of Famer Bart Starr, Horn
saw limited action in the NFL until he
joined the Broncos in time for the
1971 Topps set, but before he could
have a picture taken in a Denver
uniform.
With the Broncos, Horn went 2-6-1 in
1971 as a starter. The signal caller
completed 51.4% of his passes in ’71
of which only three resulted in
touchdowns, while 14 landed in the
opposition’s hands. That’s not good.
He would complete just four more
passes over the next three NFL
seasons, before landing in the World
Football League with the Portland
Thunder during the league’s second
season.
But my question is… during Horn’s
travels thru five organizations and
two different leagues, did he ever
have the nickname “Horny”?
often asked about its’ origin.
Spanish? Nope. Italian. I understand
it translates to “of the barber” or “of
the hair”, which is ironic given the
receding hairlines of the males on my
family tree--- of which none of us are
barbers.
As for nicknames, I was often called
Del, mostly by coaches who couldn’t
get the entire name out during
timeouts or in shouts from the
dugout. In fact, I still use “Del” when
ordering pizzas and with reservations
at restaurants. It’s just easier for
people to handle.
So, it leads me to Don Horn. An All-
American quarterback at San Diego
State University, Horn had the
misfortune to be selected by the
Green Bay Packers in the first round
of the 1967 draft. Playing behind
future Hall of Famer Bart Starr, Horn
saw limited action in the NFL until he
joined the Broncos in time for the
1971 Topps set, but before he could
have a picture taken in a Denver
uniform.
With the Broncos, Horn went 2-6-1 in
1971 as a starter. The signal caller
completed 51.4% of his passes in ’71
of which only three resulted in
touchdowns, while 14 landed in the
opposition’s hands. That’s not good.
He would complete just four more
passes over the next three NFL
seasons, before landing in the World
Football League with the Portland
Thunder during the league’s second
season.
But my question is… during Horn’s
travels thru five organizations and
two different leagues, did he ever
have the nickname “Horny”?
