Herb Covington

Herb Covington

"Flash" Covington c. 1921
Centre Praying Colonels No. 15
Position Quarterback / Running back
Class Graduate
Career history
College Centre (1921–1924)
Bowl games
Personal information
Date of birth c. 1902
Place of birth Mayfield, Kentucky
Career highlights and awards

Herbert H. "Flash" Covington (born c. 1902), also called "The Mayfield Flash", was an American football, basketball, and baseball player for the Centre Praying Colonels of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky.

Centre College

Football

Covington was chosen as a running back on Centre's all-time football team chosen in 1935.[1]

1921

Herb played at halfback during the 6–0 victory over Harvard.[1] Bo McMillin threw a touchdown to Covington in the 1922 Dixie Classic which Centre lost to Texas A&M.

1922

Taking over for Bo McMillin at quarterback the following season,[2] Covington did not miss a minute of play over the next three years.[3] He was selected All-Southern in 1922. That year Covington kicked a then record six straight drop-kicked field goals in the victory over Louisville.[4][5] Covington was selected All-American in 1922 by Billy Evans and was on Norman E. Brown's second team.[6] In 1924 he was selected as a third-team All-American by Davis J. Walsh of the International News Service.[7] Athletic trainer Alfred Doneghy said Covington was the best runner Centre ever had.[8]

An account of his six field goal record follows:[9]

"Herb Covington, who has shattered records galore this season through his ground gaining ability, established a world record today for field goals by drop kicks in a single game. Six times he booted the oval over the crossbar, three of them from the 30 yard mark and one from the 41 yard line. The others were from between the 30 and 40 yard marks. The record previously was held by B. W. Tafford, Harvard, and W. H. Eckersall, University of Chicago, jointly with five in a single game. Robertson of Purdue made seven goals in a game with Rose Poly in 1900, but they were all from placement."

1924

Centre defeated Georgia 14 to 7 and Wallace Wade's Alabama and claims a Southern championship.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 George Trevor (November 25, 1935). "1921 Team Produces Most Stars For Centre's All-Time Eleven". Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved March 24, 2015 – via Google news.
  2. ↑ "Centre's Prospects Good For Another Great Team". The Evening Independent. September 11, 1922.
  3. ↑ "CentreCyclopedia".
  4. ↑ "Covington Sets New Drop Kick Record". The Evening Independent. November 9, 1922. Retrieved March 16, 2015 – via Google news.
  5. ↑ "Record Booter". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 4. Retrieved April 21, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Norman E. Brown (1922-12-08). "Below Wins Place on 'All-American' Eleven Selected by Prominent Sports Writer: Harry Kipke Named as Year's Best All-Round Man". Capital Times (Madison, WI).
  7. ↑ "Davis Walsh Designates His All-American Teams". The Coshocton Tribune. 1924-12-15.
  8. ↑ "Retired Centre Athletic Trainer Dies". Park City Daily News. November 29, 1962.
  9. ↑ "Weaver, Centre Star, Set Extra Point Mark". The Milwaukee Journal. December 11, 1944.