Card #19 in the Chicle set is Ralph Kercheval. Ralph grew up in Kentucky and was a lifelong participant in the Thoroughbred racing industry. He played football, basketball, and track at the University of Kentucky and was UK's first All-SEC player. While a strong QB and DB at Kentucky, he was best known for his kicking. His first punt as a sophomore went for 75 yards, making his coach comment at halftime: "At this point we are just going to have Kercheval punt on first downs and we'll see what happens". At the time of his death in 2010, he still held four SEC punting records. What is more impressive is that during the '30s, punt yardage only included the yards the ball was *in the air* and didn't include bounces and rolls. His degree at Kentucky was in Animal Husbandry.
Kercheval played seven season in the NFL for the Brooklyn Dodgers, playing RB, DB, Punter, and Kicker. As in college, he was best known for his kicking abilities. Against the Giants, Kercheval scored the only touchdown, made the extra point, and kicked a field goal in a 10-0 Dodger victory. The headline in the paper the next day said: "Kercheval 10, Giants 0". Kercheval was All-Pro in 1935 and 1936 and finished in the top five in field goals made six of the seven years he was in the league. His longest punt in the pros was 86 yards against the Bears in 1935.
After retiring from the NFL in 1940, Kercheval became a calvary officer in WWII and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After four years of service, he spent the rest of his life managing thoroughbred horse farms in Kentucky. When he died in 2010, he was the oldest living person who had played in the NFL.
Ralph Kercheval is in the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame.
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Kercheval punting style. Prototype form for any of today's punters.
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jeff