Harry Duplein Robb (May 11, 1897 – December 15, 1971) was an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

player and coach during the 1920s.

Biography

College and military

Robb was born in Pitcairn, Pennsylvania and attended Peabody High School in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

. Upon his high school graduation, he attended college at both Penn State University and

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. Playing the positions of halfback, fullback and

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

, Robb was a standout in football at the college level. In 1916, he scored 36 points for the Nittany Lions against Gettysburg College, establishing the record for most points scored in a game by a Penn State player. He was elected captain of the Penn State football team in 1917, however he enlisted in the US Army instead, serving as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He was again elected to captain the 1918 Penn State team, however after receiving his commission as a lieutenant his college career moved him to Columbia University, where he played end. During the war, he was stationed with the 79th Infantry Division in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. However, he still played football for the 79th Division and was selected for the All- AEF team. He rejoined Penn State in 1919.

Professional career

Robb made his professional debut in 1921, in the American Professional Football League (which was renamed the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

in 1922) with the Canton Bulldogs, playing alongside football legend

Jim Thorpe James Francis Thorpe (; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and played professional American football, football, baseball, and basketball. A citizen of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was ...

. At Canton, he helped the Bulldogs win back-to-back NFL Championships in 1922 and 1923. In 1924, the Pottsville Maroons of Pennsylvania's Anthracite League signed Robb for their season which resulted in the Maroons winning the Anthracite League Championship. He then returned to Canton and coached the Bulldogs for two seasons beginning in 1925. He then returned to the field as a player, signing with the Pottsville Maroons, who were now members of the National Football League, playing alongside football greats Johnny "Blood" McNally and Pete Henry. Robb remained with Pottsville until the team relocated to Boston in 1929. Robb's whereabouts after 1928 are only speculative, but it is possible that he took up coaching outside of professional football. He was an official (umpire) in the 1947 NFL championship game between the Cardinals and Eagles. In 1962, he donated a wool Canton Bulldogs warm-up sideline jacket from the early 1920s to the

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...

. In 1963, Robb represented his former teammate, Wilbur Henry, as Henry was inducted into the

Death

Robb died on December 15, 1971, at his home in Greenville, Pennsylvania, where he had moved recently from Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. The cause of death was a shotgun wound to the chest, which was ruled a suicide.

Head coaching record

College

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Robb, Harry 1897 births 1971 suicides 1971 deaths American football fullbacks American football halfbacks American football quarterbacks United States Army personnel of World War I Canton Bulldogs coaches Canton Bulldogs players Catholic University Cardinals football coaches Columbia Lions football players NFL officials Penn State Nittany Lions football players Pottsville Maroons (Anthracite League) players Pottsville Maroons players Union Quakers of Philadelphia players People from Pitcairn, Pennsylvania Players of American football from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Suicides by firearm in Pennsylvania United States Army officers Military personnel from Pennsylvania