(Originally published in October 2025 for Harlem's football history book. Hearns actually didn't play in the Big Eight/NIC-10. Harlem hadn't joined the conference when he was a senior in 1959-1960. Still, he spent 20 years as an adult playing with a variety of NIC-10 legends.)
Harlem High School's Prince Hearns may have had the most unique local football career ever - he certainly had the longest.
The 6-3, 235-pound Hearns still had professional football dreams, though. When the Madison Mustangs were formed in 1964 to compete in the Central States Football League, Hearns was back on the field.
Hearns excelled, being named first team All-CSFL in 1965 and 1966 and playing well enough to earn an unsuccessful tryout with the Atlanta Falcons in 1967.
In 1968, Hearns got a chance to cut down on his gas bills when local investors launched the Rockford Rams to join the CSFL. Hearns joined Rockford at a time when minor league football drew serious talent. Among his Rams teammates were former New York Jets player and Rockford West graduate Marshall Starks and future World Football League player and Auburn grad Seth Miller. Otis Sistrunk, who would later play for the Oakland Raiders for seven seasons, got his pro career going in the CSFL playing for the West Allis (Wis.) Spartans.
Hearns would anchor the Rams defensive line for five years, making three more all-CSFL teams and helping the Rams win the league title in 1971 and 1972.
In 1973, Hearns, who had joined the Winnebago County Sheriff's Department in 1972, retired - for the first time.
The CSFL folded after the 1975 season, but in 1981 the Rockford Rams were reborn as a member of the Northern States Football League. The 39-year-old Hearns decided he wanted more. His teammates now included former NFL running back Jerry Latin and former Purdue star Russell Pope of Rockford East.
In 1982, Hearns played well enough to be second team all-NSFL at the age of 40. Even better, Hearns got his 15 minutes of national fame. That season, CBS newscaster Dan Rather did a story on Hearns' career in minor league football. In the piece, Hearns said he was playing his last season.
That wasn't true. He played for the Rams again in 1983. He didn't retire until 1984.
In 1986, the American Football Association put a nice bow on his career by inducting him into the Minor League/Semi-Pro Hall of Fame, which was created in 1981 and was still adding players as of 2024. What's ironic about the honor is that Hearns has never been added to Harlem's Wall of Fame, which was created in 1983.
Hearns, who by this point had become the first Black patrol sergeant in Winnebago County history, still wasn't done. In 1987, the Rockford Panthers were launched to play in the National Triple A Pro Football League. Harlem teacher Richard "Lucky" Mitchell was the general manager and coach. One of the first players he signed was the now 45-year-old Prince Hearns.
The Panthers would go 13-2 and win the league championship and Hearns retired - this time for good.
Hearns would work another 10 years, retiring from the county in 1997. Prince died in 2015 at the age of 73.
No comments:
Post a Comment