A Portrait of the Legendary Hall of Fame Fullback from his playing days with the Duluth Eskimos.
A summary of his rookie year in 1926 with the Eskimos:
In September 1926, Nevers left the *Browns to play professional football for the Duluth Eskimos of the National Football League (NFL). Nevers' childhood friend Ole Haugsrud owned the Eskimos. The 1926 Eskimos, with a 16-man roster, played a 29-game schedule and compiled a 19–7–3 record. Nevers reportedly played 1,714 minutes out of a possible 1,740 minutes that year. Highlights of Nevers' 1926 season included the following:
-On September 19, 1926, in Nevers' first game for Duluth, the Eskimos played their only home game, defeating the Kansas City Cowboys, 7–0. Nevers scored the game's only touchdown, kicked the extra point, and was reportedly "here, there and everywhere performing in a triple threat role."
-On October 10, 1926, Nevers led the Eskimos to a 26–0 victory over the Hammond Pros. Nevers threw a touchdown pass to Joe Rooney and also scored a rushing touchdown.
-On October 17, 1926, Nevers threw a touchdown pass, scored a rushing touchdown, and kicked three extra points in a 21–0 victory over the Racine Tornadoes.
-On October 31, 1926, the Eskimos defeated the Milwaukee Badgers, 7–6. The Los Angeles Times described Nevers as "the whole show", noting that he threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Rooney in the final five minutes and then kicked the extra point to give the Eskimos the victory.
-On November 11, 1926, Nevers scored all 13 Duluth points (two rushing touchdowns and an extra point) in a 14–13 loss to the New York Giants. Nevers' second touchdown was scored in the fourth quarter, but his kick for extra point to tie the game was blocked by Tillie Voss.
-On November 21, 1926, Nevers scored every point for the Eskimos in a 10–2 over the Canton Bulldogs. Nevers rushed for a touchdown and kicked a field goal and an extra point.
-On November 27, 1926, Nevers scored every point in a 16–0 victory over the Hartford Blues. He kicked three field goals, including one from placement at the 45-yard line, scored a touchdown, and kicked an extra point. After the game, The Hartford Daily Courant wrote: "The men of Nevers type must be depended upon to build professional football if it is to survive."
-Out of the 29 games played by the Eskimos in 1926, 14 are considered official by the NFL; in those games, Nevers scored 71 points on eight touchdowns, 11 extra points, and four field goals.
At the end of his rookie season, Nevers was a consensus pick for the fullback position on the 1926 All-Pro Team, receiving first-team honors from Collyer's Eye magazine, the Chicago Tribune, and the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
*- the St. Louis Browns professional baseball team.
(from Wikipedia ...... Ernie Nevers)
Ernie Nevers Portrait
