Harold Ballin
 |
|
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born |
October 16, 1893 New York, New York |
| Died | December 25, 1979 (aged 86) Clearwater, Florida |
| Alma mater | Princeton |
| Playing career | |
| 1912–1914 | Princeton |
| Position(s) | Tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1915 | Lafayette (assistant) |
| 1916 | Princeton (assistant) |
| 1922–1923 | Duquesne |
|
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1973 (profile) |
|
Harold Roy "Hal" Ballin (October 16, 1893 – December 25, 1979) was an American football player and coach. He played at the tackle position for Princeton University from 1912 to 1914 and was a consensus first-team All-American in both 1913 and 1914. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973.
A native of New York City, Ballin attended the Lawrenceville School before enrolling at Princeton University. He made the Second Testimonial honor roll at Lawrenceville in April 1909.
Ballin later recalled that he was "young and underdeveloped" when he enrolled at Princeton. He had been unable to make the varsity football team at Lawrenceville and qualified for the fourth and final unit of Princeton's freshman football team in 1911.
In 1912, Ballin played as a substitute tackle on Princeton's varsity football team. It was as a junior in 1913 that Ballin became a star. Playing at the right tackle position, Ballin was selected as a consensus first-team All-American in 1913. He was selected as a first-team All-American by, among others, Walter Camp in Collier's Weekly, University of Michigan Coach Fielding H. Yost, football historian Parke H. Davis, sports writer Tom Thorp, and the Trenton Evening-Times. In announcing his All-American team, Tom Thorp described Ballin's contributions as follows:
"Ballin of Princeton as a playing mate would leave the defensive strength of the eleven unquestionable. Ballin is a Hercules in size, who has a wonderfully quick charge and carries his efforts through at all times. The remarkable defense shown by the Tigers under the shadow of their own goal posts was due to a great extent to the almost superhuman efforts of Ballin. In speed and aggressiveness, he would prove a leader of any organization in the country today. Time and time again when his end would be spilled by the opposing backs going down under kicks, he broke through and sped down the field and made the tackle almost as soon as the ball had been caught. In opening holes for his backs he was without an equal."
...
Wikipedia