Herman Kerchoff

Herman Kerchoff
Height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight	235 pounds (107 kg)
Position(s)	Tackle, Guard
College	Purdue University
Teams
1897-1899 1900-1901 1902 1903 1904-1905 1906	Denver Athletic Club Chicago Athletic Club Pittsburgh Stars Franklin Athletic Club Massillon Tigers Canton Bulldogs

Herman Kerchoffe (sometimes spell as Herman Kirkoff) was professional American football player for the Pittsburgh Stars of the first National Football League in 1902, the Massillon Tigers in 1904 and the Canton Athletic Club (renamed the Canton Bulldogs in 1906). He was regarded as one of the best offensive linemen from his era.

Kerchoff began his professional career with the Denver Athletic Club and the Chicago Athletic Association Football team. In 1902, he helped the Pittsburgh Stars win the first, and only, NFL championship over the Philadelphia Athletics and the Philadelphia Phillies. He then became a member of the Franklin Athletic Club, which won the 1903 "Pennsylvnia championship" and the 1903 World Series of Football.

In 1904, Kerchoff helped Massillon with a key 44-0 win over the Pittsburgh Lyceum, a 28-0 victory over the Shelby Blues and a 63-0 victory over the Sharon Buhl Club, the self-proclaimed champions of the western Pennsylvania football circuit. In 1906, Canton's coach, Blondy Wallace, signed Kerchoff a several other Massillon players to his team. To replace Kerchoff, Massillon signed Tiny Maxwell. He played for Canton during a two game home and home series against Massillon, which would determine the 1906 "Ohio League" champions. While Canton won the first game, the second game and the championship was won by Massillon. The events that followed the series resulted in accusations of a betting scandal.

Prior to his professional career, Herman played in one season while at Purdue University.

References

Carroll, Bob (1980). "Dave Berry and the Philadelphia Story". Coffin Corner (Professional Football Researchers Association) 2 (Annual): 1–9. http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/02-An-053.pdf.
Smith, William R. (1980). "Franklin's World Champion Football team". Coffin Corner (Professional Football Researchers Association) 2 (Annual): 1–9. http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/03-An-079.pdf.
Riffenburgh, Beau and Bob Carroll (1989). "The Birth of Pro Football". Coffin Corner (Professional Football Researchers Association) 11 (Annual): 1–30. http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/11-An-388.pdf.
"Blondy Wallace and the Biggest Football Scandal Ever". PFRA Annual (Professional Football Researchers Association) 5: 1–16. 1984. http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/06-An-209.pdf.
Peterson, Robert W. (1997). Pigskin: The Early Years of Pro Football. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-511913-4. http://books.google.com/?id=rCnbhSRZpgIC.