Larry Bettencourt: St. Mary’s Hall of Fame Football Center

Larry Bettencourt dominated the gridiron for St. Mary’s College, terrorizing opponents with his uncanny kick-blocking abilities and leading the small California school to national football prominence.

Football Bio

September 22, 1905 – Larry Bettencourt was a center from St. Mary’s College of California.

Bettencourt and his head coach, Ed Madigan, helped take 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 was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. [National Football Foundation]

Larry Bettencourt cemented his legacy as one of the most disruptive two-way forces of the 1920s, proving that legendary gridiron talent can emerge from even the smallest of collegiate programs.

Accolades and Football Accomplishments

• Achieved the rare feat of playing both professional football for the Green Bay Packers (1933) and Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Browns (1928–1932).
• Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973.
• Recognized as a Consensus All-American in 1927 and Third-team All-American in 1926.
• Earned First-team All-Pacific Coast Conference honors three consecutive years (1925, 1926, 1927).
• Scored 12 collegiate touchdowns, primarily by blocking kicks, including punts, in six consecutive games in 1927.
• Anchored a dominant St. Mary’s team that posted a 33-5-2 record and 19 shutouts over his four seasons.

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