By Darin Hayes September 22, 1905 – Larry Bettencourt was a center from St. Mary’s College of California.
Bettencourt and his head coach, Ed Madigan, were instrumental in taking the tiny school in Moraga, California, into the national college spotlight in the mid-1920s. During Bettencourt’s four seasons as a Galloping Gael of St. Mary’s, the team registered 19 shutouts. Larry himself scored 12 touchdowns, primarily by blocking kicks and returning them for touchdowns in the end zone.
In 1927, he registered a blocked kick in six straight games! His blocking was equally up to the challenge as he created significant gaps for his runners with his aggressive blocking. He was picked as an All-American after the 1927 season.
In 1973, he received the honor of being selected into the College Football Hall of Fame.