Ernie Nevers

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Ernie Nevers
Date of birth	June 11, 1902
Place of birth	Willow River, Minnesota
Date of death	May 3, 1976
Position(s)	Fullback Head Coach
College	Stanford
Awards	1925 Rose Bowl MVP
Honors	NFL 1920s All-Decade Team
Career Record	12-26-2
Playing Stats	DatabaseFootball
Coaching Stats	DatabaseFootball
Team(s) as a player
1926-1927 1929-1931	Duluth Eskimos Chicago Cardinals
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1927 1930-1931 1939	Duluth Eskimos Chicago Cardinals Chicago Cardinals
College Hall-of-Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1963

Ernest Alonzo Nevers (born June 11, 1902 in Willow River, Minnesota; died May 3, 1976) was an American football fullback who played for the Duluth Eskimos and the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League.

Nevers attended Santa Rosa High School, in Santa Rosa, California, where he excelled in football. In 1920, as a senior, he led the team to the NCS Championships. In 1925 the football field at Santa Rosa High School was renamed Nevers Field in his honor. In 2004, just in time for the homecoming game, a $2 million dollar refurbishment of Nevers Field was completed. The improvements included an artificial turf, an all-weather 8-lane track, new bleachers, a snack bar and ticket booth, restrooms, and lights for night games.

Nevers went on to attend Stanford University, where he was an All-American, and played in the 1925 Rose Bowl. Former coach Pop Warner called Nevers "the football player without a fault", and he was often compared to Jim Thorpe. Although Nevers excelled in several sports, including basketball and baseball (he gave up two home runs to Babe Ruth in his 60-homer season of 1927), he signed a contract with the Eskimos. The Eskimos were a unique team, as they had no actual home, and played all their games on the road. After two seasons for Duluth during which he played almost every minute on offense and defense, he did not play in the 1928 season. However, he returned to the NFL to play fullback and coach the Chicago Cardinals from 1929 to 1931. During one game in 1929, Nevers set a record that is unlikely to be broken anytime soon. Not only did Nevers score every touchdown (6), but he kicked four extra points, giving the Cardinals 40 points over the cross-town rival Chicago Bears. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Nevers' son, Gordie Nevers, played minor league baseball for the Kansas City A's organization and his grandson, Tom Nevers, was a first round draft pick by the Houston Astros baseball team in the 1990 draft. Austin Nevers is also a distant family member of Ernie Nevers.

[edit] External links

• Nevers' entry in the HOF
• Ernie Nevers Profile at Rosebowl Legends

Preceded by: Dewey Scanlon	Duluth Eskimos Head Coaches 1927	Succeeded by: Defunct
Preceded by: Dewey Scanlon	Chicago Cardinals Head Coaches 1929–1930	Succeeded by: LeRoy Andrews
Preceded by: Milan Creighton	Chicago Cardinals Head Coaches 1939	Succeeded by: Jimmy Conzelman

Chicago/St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals Head Coaches
Driscoll • Horween • Barry • Chamberlin • Gillies • Scanlon • Nevers • Andrews • Chevigny • Schissler • Creighton • Nevers • Conzelman • Handler • Conzelman • Lambeau • Handler • Kuharich • Stydahar • Richards • Ivy • Lemm • Winner • Hollway • Coryell • Wilkinson • Wilson • Hanifan • Stallings • Kuhlmann • Bugel • Ryan • Tobin • McGinnis • Green