Editor's
Note:
The Bootleg is proud to present this article by former Stanford Sports Publicity
Director Don E. Liebendorfer. The late Mr. Liebendorfer [LSJU
'24] once served as editor of the Daily
Palo Alto – now the Stanford Daily, as sports editor of the
Quad, and authored 1972's definitive Stanford sports book, The Color
of Life is Red. The following is his fine article as it originally appeared
in Editor Peter Grothe's outstanding, but long out-of-print 1952
compilation of essays, “Great Moments in Stanford Sports”. The Bootleg is
profoundly grateful to our longtime friend Mr. Grothe for having given us
specific permission to re-publish these wonderful, long-forgotten articles and
open them up to a new generation of Cardinal fans.
Stanford's
Greatest Back… Ernie Nevers
Ernie
Nevers' "number 1"
jersey
was the only one ever to be retired at Stanford [Ed. Jim Plunkett’s #16 has been
retired since]. He has been selected on many All-time All-American teams. Don
Liebendorfer, who saw Nevers in all his games, describes some of the big
fullback's feats.
Ernie
Nevers did not become the best known name in Stanford history by chance. The
handsome, blonde giant who owns that name might well be the pattern from which
all great Indian athletes are cut.
"Big
Dog," as he was called affectionately by his teammates and friends was truly a
dream athlete. Off the field, Ernie reminded one of a big, friendly, and docile
Newfoundland. But put Nevers in anyone of the numerous athletic uniforms he
wore, turn him loose on the field and you had a driving, relentless, ferocious
animal who swept aside all that stood in his way.
A
rigid trainer, the great fullback was always in top condition and prepared to go
all out for the duration of any contest in which he engaged. No punishment was
too great for Nevers to inflict on himself in behalf of his team. He was totally
unselfish, completely self-confident, yet extremely modest. He dealt out and
absorbed some of.
the
most terrific blows imaginable but was never guilty of the slightest breach of
the codes of fair play and sportsmanship. And nature had crammed into this
splendid 205
pound,
six-feet one-inch body her rarest gifts. Power, speed, agility, lightning
reactions, and instinct were combined in perfect balance. Here was (and is) A
MAN. Today, as he nears the half century mark, Ernie weighs within five pounds
of what he did nearly thirty years ago, and looks like he could step onto a
gridiron and hold his own.
Although
his feats on the football field are best known, Nevers was an all-round athlete
of great ability. He was an outstanding pitcher and long distance hitter for the
baseball team; he was a star forward for the basketball quintet; and if he had
not been occupied with baseball, he
could have been a top-flight weightman for the track and field
team.
In
his freshman year, the track and baseball squads were meeting the California
frosh, on the Stanford campus, on the same Saturday morning. Attired in his
baseball uniform, the big youngster went over to the old track (now Angell
Field) and tossed the discus far enough to place third and then retired to the
diamond, where he pitched against the Blue and Gold yearlings.
Ernie's
start in football at Stanford was far from auspicious. He was used at end and
halfback and his frosh eleven was drubbed 54-0 by
the
Cal frosh. The following year, he moved into the fullback spot and there became
one of the all-time greats. He was a terrific line-plunger, who was
traveling
at maximum
speed in about two strides. He
was a ferocious and punishing line backer - remember in those days (1922-25)
a man had to go sixty minutes, which Nevers did on numerous
occasions.
He
was
an expert blocker,
an
accurate passer,
and a
fine punter. He performed all these duties in every game and oftener than
not,
excelled
all others in each department.
One
of Ernie's greatest games was against Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl, January I, 1925.
Fighting
a losing cause (Notre Dame won, 27-10) and playing
on two ankles which were taped so tightly that he had no feeling from the knees
down,
the
great fullback emerged as the outstanding
player on
the field.
He
had broken one ankle in a pre-season
scrimmage.
Sidelined
until the Montana
contest,
one
week before the Big Game, Nevers was pronounced fit for action, to prepare
himself for California.
However,
in
the game against the Grizzlies,
he
broke the other ankle and did not see action against
the Bears.
As a matter of fact,
he
was
just able to get back onto the practice field in time to
receive
the
medicos' “okay” for the Pasadena classic.
As
Maxwell
Stiles put it so well in his great book, The Rose Bowl - "The
point
I am trying
to make is that nobody
ever saw anybody
exhibit greater
individual prowess than is displayed
by
Ernie
Nevers against Notre Dame on
this New
Year's
Day
of
1925. Not only
does
the great fullback stand out magnificently
as a
line-smasher,
nay
a
line-pulverizer,
and
as a passer
whose
spirals
usually
are straight, and fast, and true. He
also seems to be
making
about
four out of five tackles made by Stanford. Also,
his
pass defense
is
good
and he intercepts one to start Stanford .on
its way to a third period touchdown ... " ... Throughout
the rest of this game Nevers is a crashing wild man in a large red sweater. He
is a battering ram, a steam engine, a sledge
hammer, pile-driving his way to glory and to 114
yards net in 34 cyclonic rushes at the Notre
Dame line. That is a Rose Bowl record for ‘times carried ball’ under modern
rules."
It
is interesting to note Stanford carried the ball a total of forty-five times
that afternoon, including Ernie's thirty-four; and that the entire team had net
yardage of 174,
from scrimmage, including the big boy's
114. Notre Dame carried the ball
thirty-eight times for 127 net yards.
What would Nevers have done with two good legs -
or
even one?
Nevers
went on to win nearly unanimous acclaim as an All-Time All-American. He is
All-Time All-Pacific Coast and is chosen on many All-Time All-American teams.
Adoring Stanford students retired his “number one” jersey upon Ernie's
graduation and "1" will never again appear on an Indian football shirt. After
leaving the Farm Nevers had a distinguished career both as a coach and player in
professional football and pitched in the Big Leagues and the Pacific Coast
League.
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