Football Hall of Fame

Hank Bruder, who starred at both Pekin High School and Northwestern University, went on to become one of the more outstanding pro football players ever produced by Central Illinois as his brilliant ten-year career with the Green Bay Packers would attest. He captained the 1930 Northwestern squad that was undefeated before bowing to Notre Dame in the season finale.

He played on four championship teams at Green Bay and led them to the NFL title in his rookie year, 1931, with a 12-2 record. The 1936 Packers went 10-1-1 in the first year of the new NFL playoff system and then whipped the Boston Redskins, the champions of the East, 21-6.

The Pack was 76-32-3 during the decade Bruder played, and he was one of the most valued of the Packers, both on offense and defense. He scored 16 touchdowns and four extra points in Green Bay, his 100 points putting him 32nd on the all-time Packer scoring list at the time of his induction. Bruder was named to the Packer Hall of Fame in 1972.