Bill Corbus: The Stanford Vow Boys Legend & Hall of Famer

Bill Corbus anchored Stanford’s legendary “Vow Boys” and dominated the gridiron with fierce determination, proving that relentless technique easily overpowers raw size in college football.

Football Bio

October 5, 1911 – Bill Corbus, a guard at Stanford University, was born. 

Above all, the website footballfoundation.org recounts that the 1933 Stanford Cardinal lineup consisted of nine sophomores known as the “Vow Boys,” who took an oath not to lose to USC during their playing days at Stanford. They kept their word as the Cardinal ripped off wins against their rival, the Trojans, for three straight years. The 1933 victory in the Vow series can be directly attributed to Bill Corbus’s accolades, as he booted two second-half field goals to lift the Cardinal to a 13-7 win over Southern Cal. Bill was described by many as having cherub-like facial features and a 5-11, 195-pound frame. Still, he had the ferocity of a wolf in a chicken coop when placed on the gridiron.

Bill’s low center of gravity allowed him to get under opponents and knock them off balance, giving him a significant advantage against larger opposition. Corbus was voted in as an All-American in his final two seasons of collegiate football, and in the classroom, he excelled with honors.

Corbus was the student body president, and he graduated magna cum laude from Stanford. The A&P grocery chain hired Bill after graduation, and he advanced up the organizational ladder to vice chairman before his career with the chain ended. 

The Stanford Athletic Board honored Bill with its Distinguished Achievement Medal in 1978. His high school in Vallejo, California, named a stadium for him. The National Football Foundation voted Bill Corbus into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1957.

Corbus cemented his legacy not just as a dominant force for the Stanford Cardinal, but as a brilliant leader who translated his gridiron discipline into lifelong executive success.

Verified Accolades and Football Accomplishments

• Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1957.
• Two-time Consensus First-Team All-American (1932, 1933).
• Key member of the legendary Stanford “Vow Boys” who defeated USC three consecutive years.
• Kicked the two game-winning field goals in the famous 1933 victory over USC.
• Honored with the Stanford Athletic Board Distinguished Achievement Medal in 1978.
• Namesake of Corbus Field at Vallejo High School in California.
• Stanford Student Body President and magna cum laude graduate.

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