Jeff Hornacek

[Bobber]

Anybody know what Jeff's up to now? He's probably one of the most successful NBA players ISU has ever produced, but I never seem to hear him talked about much even on this site.

I thought about him when it was announced Sean Haluska is going to be a walk on next year for us. Jeff Hornacek was a walk on believe it or not.

Jeff was a great player. Very unselfish with the ball and he could can the big shots. If Sean turns out to be half as good we'll have a heck of a player.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Yeah, I'm not sure what Jeff is up to these days. He was one of my favorite players. He played his whole career with the same intensity that took him from walk on to the NBA. It's good to remember that he was a walk on, because some of these kids that noone thinks twice about could use him as a role model and do very well.

 

[Stumpy]

I used to be a big Jazz fan because of Hornacek. I was one of those kids that used to mimic my favorite player but instead of sticking my tongue out like Jordan, I was brushing my face on free throws like Hornacek.

At any rate, I just heard a bit of news about Jeff last month. I was kind of surprised when I came across it because I haven't heard anything about him since his jersey was retired. Apparently he was called upon by Andre Kirilenko to help with his jump shooting. Click here for that story.

 

[Cyvilian]

I used to be a big Jazz fan because of Hornacek. I was one of those kids that used to mimic my favorite player but instead of sticking my tongue out like Jordan, I was brushing my face on free throws like Hornacek.

At any rate, I just heard a bit of news about Jeff last month. I was kind of surprised when I came across it because I haven't heard anything about him since his jersey was retired. Apparently he was called upon by Andre Kirilenko to help with his jump shooting. Click here for that story.

Wow, the Jazz retired his number...I didn't know that, or if I did, I killed that brain cell.

 

[cyputz]

Jeff and his with Stacie are two class people.
I had an opportunity to play softball (Grand Daddy's)here in Ames with Jeff between his junior and senior season at ISU. Safe to say, Jeff was exceptional player. He was our shortstop, beautiful anticipation of the game. In fact in the semi-finals, we moved our Third Baseman (Chris Boskey) from thrird base to right behind second base and Jeff handled the complete left side of the in-field. We won class "A" state that year. Stacie was always supportive of the team and Jeff was so strong on his support to Stacie.

When ISU honored Orr team with Jeff and teammates, it was really special to get a car flag with all thier autographs, and Jeff was kind enough to call afterwards and talk about some of the ol' gang.

 

[ketelmeister]

Jeff and his wife lived on a normal person's salary while he was in the NBA and put the rest in the bank. He can now live comfortably for the rest of his life. Love to see him in some capacity at ISU someday. Class guy with his head on straight.

 

[herbicide]

I remember an interview with Jordan some years ago, and he mentioned Hornacek was the toughest player he had to guard because of his running shot. Too bad he never won a title, I think if he did it would have made him a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame.

 

[herbiedoobie]

I met Hornacek back in 1985. I was lifting weights at Beyer gym, and he was playing pickup basketball with the guys who always used to play in there. My girlfriend, (who is now my wife of 19 years) was standing outside the weightroom waiting for me to finish my workout, and Hornacek was talking to her.

After Jeff went back to his game, and I finished my workout, my girlfriend remarked casually, "I think that goofy looking dork was trying to hit on me." Of course, she had never seen a single basketball game and didn't know who he was....

 

[nfrine]

A link with a little more about Jeff at the time of his retirement from the NBA...

deseretnews.com | Jeff Hornacek: Gone, but never forgotten

 

[ISUFan22]

A link with a little more about Jeff at the time of his retirement from the NBA...

deseretnews.com | Jeff Hornacek: Gone, but never forgotten

This is an amazing article. I urge all of you to read it.

 

[OWLCITYCYFAN]

Jeff and his with Stacie are two class people.
I had an opportunity to play softball (Grand Daddy's) here in Ames with Jeff between his junior and senior season at ISU. Safe to say, Jeff was exceptional player. He was our shortstop

I played in a 24-hour tournament in Newton against you guys that Summer and I was the opposing shortstop. Suffice it to say, I was ready to move to extra-hitter after my team-mates compared my range to his! You guys also had an ex-football player (Tom Randall?) who launched some moon-shots and generally made playing left-side infield a scary proposition!

I worked food service at the Towers for a year, and Stacie was my "partner" at the dish machine two nights / week. Very nice girl and always upbeat, which is hard to be when you're scrubbing pots and pans...

As for Jeff's walk-on status, I'm 99.9% positive he enrolled at a non-scholarship Ivy League (Brown? Cornell?) school, didn't like it early and enrolled at ISU after classes had begun. I think that explains why he was a walk-on, as opposed to his being an "unknown" to Orr & company...

 

[Bobber]

A link with a little more about Jeff at the time of his retirement from the NBA...

deseretnews.com | Jeff Hornacek: Gone, but never forgotten

Great article! Thanks for sharing. We need to get Jeff and some of the other "greats" back in town sometime...

 

[ss]

when i was a kid, horny was one of 3 of my favorite players. barry stevens, and grayer were the other two. great article. thanks for posting.

 

[nfrine]

Jeff is an all-time favorite of mine. A last minute walk-on that led the team in desire and hustle (as well as a lot of the traditional stats). I can remember Jeff going toe-to-toe with an opponent (often much bigger than him) that was messing with one of his team members. There were a lot of good players that became outstanding players when Jeff was on the court.

He is what it's all about when it comes to collegiate sports. It would be great to have another Jeff or two around!

 

[pulse]

A couple of years ago I used to work with a guy who was invited to try out at one of the Suns' camps years ago. I learned he played when Jeff was with the Suns, so I asked him what he thought about Jeff Hornacek. (Note, the guy had no idea I went to Iowa State). The guy went on and on about him. He said it was absolutely incredible how hard/fast and accurate his passes were. Probably the best he's seen. "He's got skills" I believe was another quote.

 

[CloneFan65]

I got to play with Hornacek at Beyer during Thanksgiving break one time. He was just goofing around while the rest of us were busting our butts. Once on a fast break I was headed toward the basket in heavy traffic. From mid court Hornacek lets a bounce pass fly and before I knew what happened the ball was in my hands. He was an amazing passer. I thought it was interesting that he's known in the pros for his shooting, because when I think of him playing at ISU I think about what a great point guard he was. When he was drafted I remember thinking, "Gee it's nice he got recognized for what he did at ISU eventhough he'll probably get cut by the end of camp."

Eventhough he didn't play here (Phoenix) that long, he's still mentioned as a fan favorite among Suns fans.

 

[cyclonenum1]

I was in school at the same time as Hornacek as well. Frankly, I think he was not appreciated at the time as much as he now is in retrospect.

He did walk on at ISU after deciding to not go to Cornell I believe. He was given a shot at ISU because his dad was a HS coach in Illinois and knew Johnny. He came in as a 6-4 guard that probably weighed 150 pounds max...a real bean pole! He was a good shooter (very unorthodox sidespin release) at ISU, an excellent passer, and most importantly knew how to control the tempo to our favor (he knew when to push it and when to pull it back).

I, like most people, was stunned when he not only was drafted but actually made the team in Phoenix. I think he was as well, he and his wife were both accounting grads and they decided to live on $50,000 per year because that is what they thought their combined income would be as accountants at the time (even though the league minimum was significantly higher).

I also recall hearing that some of his Suns teammates gave him a hard time after he made the All Star Game because he was still driving the same 78 Plymouth Duster that he had while at ISU and did not own a suit and tie.

It is interesting that he totally changed his shot mechanics (got rid of the sidespin release) while in the NBA and is now known primarily for his shooting ability.

I think he lives in the Phoenix area today and spends time with his wife and kids. I would imagine that he might get into coaching after his kids are grown.

 

[pulse]

I also recall hearing that some of his Suns teammates gave him a hard time after he made the All Star Game because he was still driving the same 78 Plymouth Duster that he had while at ISU and did not own a suit and tie.

Although 78 Plymouth Duster is funnier, I think it was just a not-as-funny-sounding Honda Accord. He was an accountant, not a Lincoln Tech graduate.

 

[Bob]

Did Rick Reilly write an article about Jeff Hornacek? Or am I dreaming?

 

[CTTB78]

Great article. One thing surprised me though. After spending as much time as I have in SLC, I'm surprised Jeff would live there after BB. It's one weird place. As much money as Jeff has, he could live any where.

The most unanswered question in Utah-- were are the tablets now??