Ernie Vick

A legend of early twentieth-century baseball and football Ernie Vick and his amazing sports accolades are our feature story.

Michigan four year letterman playing the position of center from 1918 to 1921, Ernie Vick claimed his date of birth on July 2, 1900 in Toledo, Ohio. He played some gridiron in high school at Scott High in Toledo before moving up to the collegiate level with the Wolverines of the University of Michigan. Ernie was a stand-out on the Wolverine football team from 1918 to 1921. Vick was named an All-American for Fielding Yost’s 1921 squad and became one of U-M’s greatest centers despite his comparatively small stature.The National Football Foundation says that Ernie was an outstanding blocker and tackler so much so that it brought him national attention. His coach, Fielding Yost, is quoted as saying, “He is the most accurate passer from center that has ever put a ball into play. Under pressure he was dependable at all times.” That says a lot when a big time successful coach like Yost talks up one of his players. And talk about big time names in early football that had good things to say about Vick, well how about the guys that had much to do about sending the game down the course it is on today, Walter Camp. Camp placed Vick on his 1921 All-America team at center. The Father of Football said, “He is the only man who has throughout the season added great power and aggressiveness to steadiness and consistency.”

It wasn't just football that Vick was talented at. He was captain of the Michigan baseball squad headed by Coach Ray L. Fisher in 1921. He also made it in the MLB after graduation. Vick was 21 years old when he broke into the big leagues on June 29, 1922, with the St. Louis Cardinals. He played 4 years in the big leagues from 1922 throut 1926 all with St. Louis as a catcher. His legendary sports status climbs even higher when we learn that he was the catcher for the St. Louis Cardinal’s baseball squad that won the 1926 World Series.

In 1925 he decided to use his athletic skill to play football professionally too. That season he signed on as a center with the Detroit Panthers and then he spennt about a season and a half with the Chicago Bears before playing the latter half of the 1928 season back in Detroit.

Ernie Vick received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.  Vick later worked as a football official for the Big Ten Conference. He spent 22 years working games for the conference before retiring in 1953. He even worked in that capacity in a couple of Rose Bowl Games.

The banner photo is of Ernie Vick, captain of the University of Michigan baseball team circa 1923. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

A Very Special thanks to information obtained from the following brilliant internet sites: On This Day Sports, the Sports Reference's family of website databases & Stathead.com