Hal Herring facts for kids

Harold "Hal" Moreland Herring (born February 24, 1924 – died February 9, 2014) was a famous American football player and coach. He played college football at Auburn University. Later, he played professionally for the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns. Hal Herring was a center and linebacker during his playing days.

After his playing career, he became a successful defensive coach. He coached at Auburn and for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and San Diego Chargers. Herring helped the Cleveland Browns win an NFL title in 1950. He was also known for leading some of the best defenses in college football history at Auburn.

Early Life and College Football

Hal Herring grew up in Lanett, Alabama. He went to Lanett High School and later West Point High School. After high school, he joined Auburn University in 1942. He played on the football team as a freshman.

In 1942, Herring was named an All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) player. The SEC is a major college sports league. After that year, he left Auburn to serve in the U.S. military during World War II. He was stationed in France and Germany.

Herring returned to Auburn after the war in 1946. He played as a center for three more seasons until 1948. Even though Auburn had tough seasons, Herring was a star. In 1948, his senior year, he was named an All-SEC player again. He was also chosen as Auburn's Most Valuable Player.

Besides playing center, he also played quarterback, fullback, and linebacker. He was the team captain in his final year. Hal Herring also competed in track and field at Auburn. He earned a degree in education in 1949.

Playing in the Pros

In 1949, the Chicago Cardinals picked Herring in the NFL draft. But he decided to join the Buffalo Bills instead. The Bills were part of a different league called the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). He played one season as a linebacker for the Bills.

The AAFC league closed down in late 1949. Some of its teams, like the Cleveland Browns, joined the NFL. Players from teams that closed, like the Bills, were put into a special draft. The Cleveland Browns picked Hal Herring in this draft.

In Cleveland, Herring joined a very strong team. The Browns had won all four AAFC championships. In 1950, their first year in the NFL, the Browns won the NFL championship. Herring played as a linebacker and helped the team win. He played for the Browns for three seasons. They reached the NFL championship game in 1951 and 1952 but lost both times. He was also a captain for the Browns' defense.

Coaching Career Highlights

Hal Herring stopped playing football in 1953. He became an assistant coach at Auburn University. He was one of the first coaches to focus only on defense. This was new because players used to play both offense and defense.

Auburn's football team did very well with Herring as defensive coach. In 1957, his defense was amazing. They allowed only 28 points all season! Auburn won the college football national championship that year. For 13 years, his defenses at Auburn were often ranked among the best in the nation. Six times, his defenses allowed the fewest points in the country.

However, there was a problem in 1955. Auburn faced penalties from the SEC and NCAA. This happened because Herring broke some rules while trying to recruit new players. The school was fined and put on probation. This meant they couldn't play in bowl games for a while.

In 1966, the Atlanta Falcons hired Herring. They were a new NFL team. He was their first defensive coordinator. He coached for the Falcons for three seasons. In 1970, he coached linebackers for the San Diego Chargers for one year.

Later Life and Legacy

After coaching in the NFL, Herring became a sports director. He worked at DeKalb Junior College near Atlanta, Georgia. He oversaw sports and coached tennis and golf teams.

Hal Herring was also a very smart person. He went to graduate school and wrote a special paper about football defense. He also wrote about sports for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper.

He received a lifetime achievement award for assistant coaches. In 2002, he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Hal Herring passed away on February 9, 2014, at the age of 89.