Clarence Herschberger

A native of Peoria, Illinois, Herschberger enrolled at the University of Chicago in 1894 where he became an honor student and graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors. Famed football man Walter Camp saw the game and wrote, "Against Penn this year, Herschberger exhibited the best all-around kicking of the season; punting, place-kicking and drop-kicking with accuracy and facility." After the 1898 season, Camp chose Herschberger as the first-team fullback for his 1898 College Football All-America Team—the first player from a western school to be so honored. In the years when Herschberger played, Stagg emphasized the kicking game. Stagg's goal was to move the ball inside the opponents' 40-yard line. Stagg then turned to Herschberger who established a record for field goals, which were then worth five points—the same as a touchdown. Herschberger was also considered an excellent punter, making him a key asset in Stagg's strategy of maximizing field position. The Maroons had a record of 35–8 during Herschberger's time with the team. Herschberger has also been credited with a number of innovations in the sport. He was believed to be the first player to kick spiral punts, He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970. ==Later years==

After graduating from the University of Chicago, Herschberger worked as a football coach at Chicago, Lake Forest Academy, and Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois. Herschberger had attached a rubber hose to a laundry gas burner and had inhaled illuminating gas. His death at age 60 was a suicide arising from his despondency over ill health. His widow attributed the act to a nervous breakdown. Herschberger was survived by his wife, Grace Herschberger, two daughters (Ruth and Harriet) and two sons (Clarence Jr., and John). ==Head coaching record==