Robert E. Decker attended Omaha Holy Name High School from 1946 through 1950 excelling in football, basketball, and baseball along with being an accomplished student.   Small in stature even for this time period, perhaps 150 lbs. at a height of 5'7'', Bob was renowned for his athleticism and fierce competivness. His successes contributed to Omaha Holy Name being recognized as a small school powerhouse.  Bob garnered a multitude of honors, awards, and accolades from his freshman seasons through his senior year.  Below is a brief chronicle of these accomplishments by the sports played.

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FOOTBALL 

Bob Decker was a superb running back and place kicker; The Omaha World Herald in a 1949 article called him “Bouncing Bobby Decker” and said that “he was the best runner in Omaha preps in years”.  During the years Bob played football at Holy Name, the teams recorded 31-1-2,  playing several Class A schools.   His honors and accomplishments in football include:

 

Started and lettered all four years

 

The Omaha World Herald Nebraska Class B All State Team for the years of 1947, 1948, and 1949

 

Kiwanis Club of Downtown Omaha Outstanding Holy Name High School Football Athlete for the years of 1947 and 1949

 

Omaha World Herald Athletic Roll Of Honor Star of the Week for Football

                     1947            2                   1948            2                   1949            2

 

Omaha Junior Chamber of Commerce Award of Merit as the Outstanding High School Athlete of the Year for 1948 and 1949

 

Led all scorers in the Omaha Area for years 1947, 1948 and 1949

 

The leading scorer for Nebraska  Class B in 1947 and 1948

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BASKETBALL

Greg McBride, Omaha World Herald sports writer sums Bob Decker up in a article written in 1949 “Little Bobby Decker directs the Holy Name Machine, which rolled through the season with only two defeats.  He is a sharp shooter at long range, a clever passer, and a brilliant floor man”.   Bob started all four years for perennial championship contender Holy Name winning the Nebraska Class B State Championship twice during his time.  His honors and accomplishments in basketball include

 

The Omaha World Herald Nebraska Class B All State Team for the years of 1949 and 1950

 

The Nebraska State Journal  Nebraska Class B All State Team for the years of 1949 and 1950

Kiwanis Club of Downtown Omaha Outstanding Holy Name High School Basketball Athlete for the years of 1948 and 1950

 

Omaha World Herald Athletic Roll Of Honor Star of the Week for Basketball

                     1947            2                   1949            2                   1950            1

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BASEBALL

 Holy Name started competing in baseball in 1949 at a time Nebraska HS baseball took a backseat to Track and Field for publicity recognition.  There were not many HS baseball teams in the classes below Class A resulting in Holy Name playing in essence a Class A schedule including well-known Omaha baseball powers; North, Tech, Benson, Central, and Creighton Prep.  Holy Name won a majority of these encounters in no small due to their slugging short stop Bob Decker.  It is Junior Legion Ball that we see Bob’s prowess as an all city shortstop, hitting .429 and.340 his last two seasons.  As a 17-yr. old graduating high school senior Bob was recruited to play for a premiere Audubon Iowa Cardinal semi-pro team of the established Iowa State League.  He did very well with the older more experienced players and in fact was this teams leading hitter.

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COLLEGE

Bob was awarded a football athletic scholarship to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.  Bobby lettered his sophomore year in football playing defensive back, kicking extra points, and returning punts resulting in honorable mention on the Big-Seven football team by the Associated press.   In the spring he played on the varsity baseball making the All Big- Seven and All District-Five baseball teams at third base. Bob left Nebraska after two years and enrolled at Santa Clara University in California only to have Santa Clara drop football.  Bob then went to the University of Tulsa.  There he kept up the “Decker Tradition” by not only making the football team but being selected for the All Missouri Valley team as quarterback a position that he had very rarely played.  He led the team in total offense and in rushing.

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PROFESSIONAL

Bob signed a professional contract to play baseball with the Cincinnati Reds