Clarence Bert Herschberger shattered early-college football traditions by becoming the first Western player to earn consensus All-American honors and by pioneering some of the game’s most famous offensive strategies.
Football Bio
July 24, 1876 – Clarence Herschberger was born. “Herschie” was the University of Chicago fullback from 1895 to 1898 under coach Amos Alonzo Stagg, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970.
Per the NFF’s bio, Bert was the first Western player to become an All-American in 1898. Coach Stagg credits Clarence Herschberger as being the first to use the notorious Statue of Liberty play.
Still, it was Bert’s kicking expertise that made him one of the first players outside of the Ivy League to make Walter Camp’s All-America team. Clarence put on a kicking show that impressed even the father of football in Chicago’s 18-11 loss to powerful Penn in an 1898 matchup of the schools.
Walter Camp witnessed the game and placed Herschberger on his All-American unit. Eastern fans wanted to know why Camp had broken tradition and gone out of the East to select a Midwesterner, to which the venerable pollster replied, against Penn this year, Hirschberger exhibited the best all-around kicking of the season, punting, place kicking, and drop kicking with accuracy and facility.
Clarence later became the head coach of the Lake Forest College (11:56) football program.
Clarence Herschberger leaves a lasting legacy as a true pioneer of the gridiron who fundamentally changed how experts evaluated collegiate talent. By breaking the East Coast bias and executing highly innovative offensive strategies, he proved that exceptional talent transcends regional boundaries. Today, his enshrinement in the College Football Hall of Fame permanently secures his status as a trailblazer of the sport.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1970.
- Consensus First-Team All-American: 1898 (Recognized as the first Western player to earn this prestigious honor).
- Offensive Innovator: Credited by legendary coach Amos Alonzo Stagg as the first player to ever execute the famous “Statue of Liberty” play.
- Kicking Pioneer: Believed to be the first player to utilize the spiral punt and the first to successfully execute an onside kick.
- Team Captain: Elected captain of the 1897 University of Chicago Maroons football team.
- Collegiate Dominance: Starred as a fullback and kicker, helping Chicago compile a stellar 35-8 overall record during his playing years.
- Head Coaching Career: Served as the head football coach for Lake Forest College from 1902 to 1904, compiling a 13-10-2 overall record.
