In a surprising but celebratory announcement, the National Football League has officially lifted the historical suspension of legendary Green Bay Packers star Paul Hornung, decades after his involvement in off-the-field controversies. With his reinstatement, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced that Hornung will receive special recognition for his full contributions to the game.

Hornung, who passed away in 2020, was one of the most iconic figures in NFL history. Known as “The Golden Boy,” he was a Heisman Trophy winner, No. 1 overall draft pick in 1957, and a key member of Vince Lombardi’s powerhouse Packers teams of the 1960s. He helped lead Green Bay to four NFL championships and scored an incredible 176 points in the 1960 season alone — a record at the time.

However, Hornung’s legacy was clouded in 1963 when then-NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle suspended him indefinitely for gambling on NFL games — a shocking decision that rocked the league. Although he was reinstated in 1964 and continued to play until 1966, the stain of the suspension followed him throughout his post-playing career.

Now, in a gesture of reflection and recognition of the evolving standards of accountability and forgiveness, the NFL has formally lifted the ban from Hornung’s historical record.

In a statement, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said: “Paul Hornung was a generational talent and a fierce competitor. While his actions off the field were taken seriously at the time, today we recognize that his overall impact on the game — and his efforts to make amends — merit full recognition. It’s never too late to honor the complete legacy of a player who helped shape the NFL’s golden era.”

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will be hosting a special posthumous tribute to Hornung later this year in Canton, Ohio, which will feature archival highlights, personal reflections from former teammates, and a commemorative exhibit celebrating his on-field brilliance.

Fans across the football world — particularly in Green Bay — are welcoming the news as a long-overdue celebration of one of the sport’s all-time greats. As one fan put it: “The Golden Boy is finally getting the golden respect he earned.”