Arnie Herber: Still in the game?

Continued from last week

In November 1946, the Green Bay Press-Gazette ran a public poll to name the Green Bay Packers “all-time team.”

Almost 2,500 fans responded from 15 states.

Among those listed was former quarterback, Arnie Herber.

During the Nov. 24 Packers-Cardinal game, the all-time team was presented at City Stadium.

“Needless to say, the all-times, some of them now graying around the temples and maybe a little thick around the middle, revived nostalgic memories of the happy days that produced six national championships and a division title for the ‘little town that leads them,’ not to mention the hundreds of individual thrills they gave the countless thousands who saw them in action,” wrote Green Bay sportswriter Lee Remmel.

Herber took the field “after Dr. Kelly tabbed him ‘the bottling merchant from De Pere, the man who proved that he didn’t need a college degree to throw a football 75 yards.’”

In mid-December of that year, the Chicago Bears were facing the New York Giants.

The Packers were hoping for a Bears loss to keep Green Bay in the running for the championship.

Herber was planning to go to New York to watch the contest, but he also had something else on his mind.

Bears defeated the Giants 24-14, but Herber brought home his prize.

On Dec. 19, the Press-Gazette announced that Herber, now 36, would marry Naomi Hobbs Cagle of New York. (Arnie and Lois had divorced shortly before this time.)

The couple was married at the Riverside Church in New York City on Dec. 20
After their marriage, Herber returned to De Pere with his new bride and his position as sales manager at the Pepsi-Cola company in De Pere.

Herber remained active in the community and sports — participating in East-West alumni events, local baseball and bowling and other local recreation — but it wasn’t long before football tried to pull him back in.

In 1948, he was approached by the Sheboygan Redskins of the National Basketball League.

“He had been first approached by some Chair City friends, who recommended him to Magnus Brinkman, Redskins president,” Remmel wrote.

Herber was then scheduled to go before the Sheboygan board of directors for consideration as a replacement for Doxie Moore, who was named NBL commissioner.

“For those of you who are not acquainted with Herber’s basketball background, it might be mentioned that the ex-Green Bay West athlete was almost as famous for his cage ability as for his football finesse while in high school,” Remmel added.

Ken Suesens ultimately succeeded Moore as Redskins head coach.

To be continued