13 Facts About Bobby Hoppe

Robert Hoppe was an American football halfback who played on the 1957 National Championship team at Auburn University.

Bobby Hoppe attended and played high school football at Chattanooga Central High School, class of 1954, where he led his team to three state championships and two undefeated seasons.

Bobby Hoppe earned his nicknames as a prolific running back, gaining nearly 1,500 yards in his senior season and scoring 33 touchdowns during his junior and senior seasons.

Bobby Hoppe was named the first high school All-American from Chattanooga, TN after his senior season.

Bobby Hoppe was one of the most highly recruited football players of his era with 19 colleges seeking his commitment, including Auburn, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana State, Miami, Rice, Indiana, SMU, and Texas Tech.

Bobby Hoppe accepted a scholarship to play for Auburn under head football coach Shug Jordan.

Bobby Hoppe continued to run the football and finished his Auburn career in 4th position on the all-time rushing list.

Bobby Hoppe played his senior season under a heavy personal cloud that did not come fully to light until 31 years later.

Just prior to his senior season Bobby Hoppe allegedly shot and killed a Chattanooga bootlegger, Don Hudson.

Bobby Hoppe was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round, and traded to the Washington Redskins after one year.

Bobby Hoppe made a short comeback with the Chattanooga Cherokees in 1965.

Bobby Hoppe earned his Master of Science in Educational Administration at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and became athletic director at two Tennessee community colleges before retiring in 1999.

Bobby Hoppe's trial became a national media event that ended with a hung jury.