Arnie Herber

Arnie Herber

Pro Football Hall of Fame induction
No. 38
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1910-04-02)April 2, 1910
Place of birth:	Green Bay, Wisconsin
Date of death:
Career information
College:	Regis University, Wisconsin
Career history
Green Bay Packers (1930-1940) New York Giants (1944-1945)
Career highlights and awards
UPI First-Team All-Pro (1932) First-Team All-NFL (1932) 2× Second-Team All-NFL (1935, 1936) Pro Bowl (1939) 4× NFL champion (1930, 1931, 1936, 1939) NFL 1930s All-Decade Team Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee (1966)
Career NFL statistics
TD-INT: 81-106 Passing Yards: 8,041 Completion %: 40.9 Passer Rating: 50.1 Player stats at NFL.com
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Arnold "Arnie" Charles Herber (April 2, 1910 – October 14, 1969) was a professional quarterback in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison for one year before transferring to Regis College. He died of cancer in Green Bay on October 14, 1969.

Before the NFL

Herber was born in Green Bay, Wis. and was a Packers fan from a young age, all while starring at local Green Bay West High School in football and basketball. After attending college for a few years to no notoriety, Herber came back to Green Bay and worked in the club house as a handyman. Coach Curly Lambeau gave Herber a try-out and Herber joined a team that was currently dominating the NFL.

Green Bay Packers career

Green Bay had posted an undefeated 12-0-1 record and won the NFL title the year before Herber was on the roster. In his first year, 1930, the Packers continued their success and won another title with Herber playing tailback in the famous Notre Dame Box formation. In 1931, with Herber throwing more than usual for that era to early greats like John "Blood" McNally, the Packers reeled off nine straight wins to start the season and held on to win a third straight title. No other team in NFL history, besides the Packers themselves in the 1960s, has won three consecutive titles.

The NFL didn't start keeping statistics until 1932—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 in 1933 with 799 yards and eight touchdowns. But Herber reached his peak as a pro starting in 1935 with the arrival of Don Hutson. Hutson, the league's first true wide receiver, changed the game with his graceful moves, precise patterns, and superb hands. Herber, who loved to throw the ball long, 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 the Chicago Bears, 7-0. In 1936, Herber and Hutson rewrote (temporarily) the NFL passing-receiving record book. Herber tossed a record 177 passes for a record 1239 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 the NFL title game, which they won 21-6 over the Boston Redskins. 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 in 1938 and 1939. In the 1938 championship, Green Bay lost to the New York Giants 23-17 despite another touchdown pass from Herber. In 1939, Green Bay avenged that loss with a 27-0 drubbing of the Giants. Herber threw for another touchdown in the 1939 title game. In 1940, Isbell began to get more playing time than Arnie, so Herber retired after 11 seasons with Green Bay.

New York Giants career

Herber came back to the draft-depleted NFL in 1944, answering a call to play for the New York Giants. 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 the title game. Herber's old squad, the Packers, still featuring Don Hutson, beat the Giants 14-7. Herber played one more forgettable season with the Giants and then retired for good.

Professional statistics

				Passing								Rushing				Fumbles
Year	Team	G	S	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	YPA	Td	Int	Rate	Att	Yds	Avg	Td	Fum	Lost
1930	GNB	10	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
1931	GNB	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1
1932	GNB	14	-	37	101	36.6	639	6.33	9	9	51.5	64	149	2.3	1	0	2
1933	GNB	11	-	50	124	40.3	656	5.29	3	12	26.2	62	77	1.2	0	0	0
1934	GNB	11	-	42	115	36.5	799	6.95	8	12	45.1	37	33	0.9	0	0	0
1935	GNB	11	-	48	109	36.7	729	6.69	8	14	45.4	19	0	0.0	0	0	0
1936	GNB	12	-	77	173	44.5	1,239	7.16	11	13	58.9	20	-32	-1.6	0	0	0
1937	GNB	9	-	47	104	45.2	684	6.58	7	10	50.0	5	9	1.8	0	0	0
1938	GNB	8	-	22	55	40.0	336	6.11	3	4	48.8	6	-1	-0.2	0	0	2
1939	GNB	10	-	57	139	41.0	1,107	7.96	8	9	61.6	18	-11	-0.6	0	0	1
1940	GNB	10	-	38	89	42.7	560	6.29	6	7	53.6	6	-23	-3.8	0	0	0
1944	NYG	10	-	36	86	41.9	651	7.57	6	8	53.0	7	-58	-8.3	0	0	0
1945	NYG	10	-	35	80	43.8	641	8.01	9	8	69.8	6	-27	-4.5	0	3	0
Totals		129	-	481	1175	40.9	8,041	6.84	81	106	50.1	250	116	.5	2	3	7
Source: [1]

Legacy

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 equaled Benny 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.

He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1967.

Herber was the first great long thrower in the NFL and his success paved the way for truly "modern" quarterbacks Sammy Baugh and Sid 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 the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
• Pro Football Hall of Fame: Member biography