Roch Hontas
Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame
Football, 1976-79
Tulane University
Inducted: 1988
A native of Canton, Ohio, Roch Hontas shattered every Tulane passing record in 1979 en route to leading the Green Wave to a 9-2 regular season record and a berth in the prestigious Liberty Bowl. The 6-0, 190-pound Hontas broke school records for passes completed and attempted (215 of 267), passing yardage (2,345), pass completion percentage (58.5%) and touchdown passes (21) in that memorable season.
In addition to the highlight of the bowl bid (they lost to Penn State), the Greenies closed the regular season with four straight wins including a 24-13 victory over LSU at the Louisiana Superdome.
Hontas left Tulane with school career marks for pass attempts (502 of 857 for a 58.5 percentage), touchdown passes (39), yards passing (5,669), and total offensive yards (5,668).
Hontas, who was inducted into the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame in 1986, passed up a chance to play in the NFL to continue his education. He would graduate from Tulane Medical School and become a successful orthopedic surgeon in the New Orleans area.
