Clarence Herschberger
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 24, 1876 Peoria, Illinois |
| Died | December 14, 1936 (aged 60) Chicago, Illinois. |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago |
| Playing career | |
| 1894–1898 | Chicago |
| Position(s) | Fullback, placekicker |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1899 | Chicago (assistant) |
| 1902–1904 | Lake Forest |
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College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1970 (profile) |
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Clarence Bert "Herschie" Herschberger (July 24, 1876 – December 14, 1936) was an American football fullback, punter and placekicker. He played for the University of Chicago from 1896 to 1898 and became the first western player to be selected as a first-team All-American in 1898. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970.
A native of Peoria, Illinois, Herschberger enrolled at the University of Chicago in 1894 where he became an honor student and graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors. He also earned a total of 13 varsity letters in track, football and baseball. He played for Amos Alonzo Stagg's football teams from 1894 to 1898 and was one of the first of the great football stars developed by Stagg. He was captain of the 1898 Chicago team. Although he weighed only 158 pounds, Herschberger played fullback and was the kicker for Stagg's Maroons. He was known for making key plays in big games. In 1896, Herschberger picked up a fumbled ball in a game against the Michigan Wolverines and ran it back for a touchdown to secure Chicago's victory by a score of 7 to 6. In 1898, the Chicago football team played the Penn Quakers and lost 23 to 11, bringing national attention to Herschberger and Stagg's football team. Bob Sensenderfer of the Philadelphia Bulletin writes "I saw Herschberger play in that game. He sure could kick but it didn't do much good, for his ends couldn't get down to cover them and Penn's Johnny Gardiner got 'em back pretty well every time." Famed football man Walter Camp saw the game and wrote, "Against Penn this year, Herschberger exhibited the best all-around kicking of the season; punting, place-kicking and drop-kicking with accuracy and facility." After the 1898 season, Camp chose Herschberger as the first-team fullback for his 1898 College Football All-America Team—the first player from a western school to be so honored.
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