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| No. 12, 26, 41, 16, 45, 38, 19, 20 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | (1910-04-02)April 2, 1910 Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died: | October 14, 1969(1969-10-14) (aged 59) Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 203 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Green Bay West (WI) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Wisconsin (1928) Regis (1929) | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Arnold Charles "Flash"Herber (April 2, 1910 – October 14, 1969) was an American professionalfootball player who was aquarterback in theNational Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with theGreen Bay Packers. During his Packers tenure from 1930 to 1940, he led the league in passing yards and touchdowns three times (becoming the first player to lead each category three times in NFL history) and won fourNFL Championship Games. Herber retired after 11 seasons in Green Bay, but returned in 1944 withNew York Giants, where he played his final two seasons. He was inducted to thePro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.
Born inGreen Bay, Wisconsin, Herber was a Packers fan from a young age, all while starring at localGreen Bay West High School in football andbasketball.[1][2] He played two years ofcollege football, on the freshman team atUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison and spent his sophomore season atRegis College inDenver,[1] which dropped football after the 1929 season.[2] Herber went back to Green Bay and worked in the club house as a handyman. CoachCurly Lambeau gave Herber a try-out and Herber at age 20 joined a team that was currently dominating the NFL.[3]
Green Bay had posted an undefeated 12–0–1 record and won the NFL title in1929, the year before Herber was on the roster. In his first year,1930, the Packers continued their success and won another title with Herber playingtailback in the famousNotre Dame Box formation. In1931, with Herber throwing more than usual for that era to early greats likeJohn "Blood" McNally, the Packers reeled off nine straight wins to start the season and won a third straight title. No other team in NFL history, besides the Packers themselves in the 1960s, has won three consecutive titles.
The NFL did not start keeping statistics until1932—when they did that year, Herber finished as the top passer in the league with 639 yards and nine touchdowns. He won the passing title again in1934 with 799 yards and eight touchdowns.[4] But Herber reached his peak as a pro starting in1935 with the arrival ofDon Hutson, the league's first truewide receiver, who changed the game with his graceful moves, precise patterns, and superb hands. Herber loved to throw the ball long and was a perfect fit for Hutson's talent. Hutson's first NFL reception was an 83-yard touchdown pass from Herber on the first play of the game when the Packers beat theChicago Bears, 7–0. In1936, Herber and Hutson rewrote the NFL passing-receiving record book. Herber tossed a record 177 passes for a record 1,239 yards, and 11 touchdowns. Hutson set new records with 34 catches, 526 yards receiving, and eight touchdowns, all marks he would soon improve. Green Bay finished 10-1-1 and went to theNFL title game, which they won 21–6 over theBoston Redskins at the Polo Grounds in New York. In that game, Green Bay passed for 153 yards and Herber threw two touchdowns, one to Hutson.
Sharing time with another great passer,Cecil Isbell, Herber led the Packers to the title game again in1938 and1939. In the1938 championship game, Green Bay lost to theNew York Giants 23–17 at thePolo Grounds despite another touchdown pass from Herber. In1939, Green Bay avenged that loss with a 27–0 drubbing of theGiants inMilwaukee.[5][6] Herber threw for another touchdown in the 1939 title game.[7] In1940, Isbell began to get more playing time and Herber was waived at the end of training camp in1941,[8] and retired after 11 seasons with Green Bay.
At age 34, Herber came back to the war-depleted NFL in1944, answering a call to play for theNew York Giants.[9] Herber threw sparingly but efficiently, for 651 yards and six touchdowns. As usual for Herber-led teams, the Giants won their conference and went to theNFL title game. Herber's old squad, thePackers, still featuring Don Hutson, beat the Giants 14–7. Herber played one more season with the Giants in1945 and then retired for good.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 1930 | GB | 10 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 1931 | GB | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1932 | GB | 14 | 8 | 37 | 101 | 36.6 | 639 | 6.3 | 9 | 9 | 51.5 | 64 | 149 | 2.3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 1933 | GB | 11 | 6 | 50 | 124 | 40.3 | 656 | 5.3 | 3 | 12 | 26.2 | 62 | 77 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1934 | GB | 11 | 7 | 42 | 115 | 36.5 | 799 | 6.9 | 8 | 12 | 45.1 | 37 | 33 | 0.9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1935 | GB | 11 | 8 | 48 | 109 | 36.7 | 729 | 6.7 | 8 | 14 | 45.4 | 19 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1936 | GB | 12 | 5 | 77 | 173 | 44.5 | 1,239 | 7.2 | 11 | 13 | 58.9 | 20 | -32 | -1.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937 | GB | 9 | 0 | 47 | 104 | 45.2 | 684 | 6.6 | 7 | 10 | 50.0 | 5 | 9 | 1.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938 | GB | 8 | 4 | 22 | 55 | 40.0 | 336 | 6.1 | 3 | 4 | 48.8 | 6 | -1 | -0.2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1939 | GB | 10 | 7 | 57 | 139 | 41.0 | 1,107 | 7.9 | 8 | 9 | 61.6 | 18 | -11 | -0.6 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1940 | GB | 10 | 4 | 38 | 89 | 42.7 | 560 | 6.3 | 6 | 7 | 53.6 | 6 | -23 | -3.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944 | NYG | 10 | 3 | 36 | 86 | 41.9 | 651 | 7.6 | 6 | 8 | 53.0 | 7 | -58 | -8.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945 | NYG | 10 | 0 | 35 | 80 | 43.8 | 641 | 8.0 | 9 | 8 | 69.8 | 6 | -27 | -4.5 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 129 | 56 | 481 | 1,175 | 40.9 | 8,041 | 6.84 | 81 | 106 | 50.1 | 250 | 116 | 0.5 | 2 | 12 | 7 | |
| Source:[1] | |||||||||||||||||
Overall, Herber passed for 8,041 yards, 81 touchdowns, and 106 interceptions. He led his teams to four NFL championships. At the time Herber retired for the first time in 1940, he had equaledBenny Friedman for the all-time lead in touchdown passes with 66. He added to his total later when he came out of retirement for a two-year stint with the New York Giants.
Herber was the first great long thrower in the NFL and his success paved the way for truly "modern" quarterbacksSammy Baugh andSid Luckman. Herber was said to throw the ball with all five fingers on the laces, a peculiarity shared by no one else. It was his performance with Don Hutson, however, that made him a legend and assured his place in thePro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.[10] He was elected to theWisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1968.[11]
During the NFL's 50th season celebration in1969, Herber was selected to the All-1930s team in August.[12] Two months later, he died of cancer at age 59 in Green Bay,[13] and is buried at its Fort Howard Memorial Park. He was inducted into theGreen Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1972.[14]
