Marshall Football Greats HERB JACKIE ROYER HUNT BACK, 1935-37 RB, 1938-1941 Herb Royer came to Marshall in 1934 and We will never know just how really good returned again and again in the years following Huntington native John Seva “Jackie” Hunt his playing days and graduation in 1938. was as a running back for Marshall. What we Royer was a standout player for Marshall, do know, from yellowed newspaper clippings, playing on the fi rst team led by legendary fading memories and nearly nonexistent coach Cam Henderson. He was a running statistics, is that he was the greatest back in back, student body president, team captain, Marshall’s fi rst half-century and one of the an honorable mention All-American, assistant coach, head football coach, assistant professor, fi nest backs to ever play college football. Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame member and Hunt was a two-time West Virginia All-State fan of the Thundering Herd in a relationship back at Huntington High School, and when that continued until his death in the winter he shunned many national off ers and signed of 2003. with fourth-year Marshall head coach, Cam Royer came to Marshall after leading Dunbar Henderson in 1938 it shocked many. High School to an undefeated season as a In 1939, Marshall went 9-2 and was judged senior in 1933. He was All-State in football as as the best team in the state for the second well as a letterman in basketball and track. consecutive season. Wins for the “Big Green” Royer played on the junior varsity in 1934, included a resounding 20-0 shutout of Virginia and he began playing for Henderson in 1935. He was named captain of the Herd by Tech, and a win over Miami of Ohio (21-0). Hunt Henderson for the 1936 season. He rewarded played, but was overshadowed by Elkins, who his coach by leading the team to a 6-3-1 season, the fi rst winning season for Marshall since fi nished fi fth in the nation in scoring. Hunt did score seven touchdowns and earned third- 1932. Royer was a triple-threat for the Herd, running, passing and catching. In addition, he team all-conference honors. 1940 would be Hunt’s time. He scored six touchdowns in the was the junior class president in 1936-37. fi rst fi ve games, scoring once verses Morehead State in the opener (13-6), driving 49 yards Highlights for that year included Royer passing for a 50-yard score to Dick Hunter in a 41-6 in four runs to score on Virginia Tech (13-7, second consecutive victory over the Hokies), and win over Cumberland College. Royer again passed to Hunter for a 50-yard score against twice versus Dayton in a 25-12 win. A loss at Toledo (7-6) and at Wake Forest (31-19, Hunt Ohio Wesleyan. Royer was fi rst-team All-Buckeye Conference that season, as well as being one touchdown in each game) sent Marshall home to take on the Tommies of Scranton. named to the All-West Virginia State Collegiate team. However, greatness eventually came calling. Hunt would score four touchdowns on the Royer’s senior year was incredible. Marshall won its only Buckeye Conference championship and the Herd posted its fi rst undefeated season since 1919, going 9-0-1. Only a tie with Ohio Tommies and Marshall would win 50-6. Morris Harvey was next, the Herd’s biggest rival since University, 13-13 at Fairfi eld Stadium, prevented the perfect season. Marshall ran roughshod the turn of the century, and, in a 33-6 win, Hunt adds four more scores for 14 on the season. over the competition in most games, including a 90-0 drubbing of Georgetown College of Hunt then scored fi ve times, one short of the record of six touchdowns set by Wilbur Fisher Kentucky. In fact, the only team to score on Marshall besides Ohio was Ohio Wesleyan. in 1916, as Marshall trounced Detroit Tech, 67-0. Royer was a fi rst-team All-Buckeye selection for the second consecutive year, but more Hunt had 19 touchdowns entering the Xavier game and Marshall posted a 41-0 win with honors came his way. Royer, as a back, was named to the AP “Little” All-American Honorable Hunt scoring two touchdowns in the fi rst quarter and another in the third quarter to give Mention team. He was the Marshall Student Body President for 1937-38 and named to the him 22 touchdowns, tying the recognized national record. He would set the new record “Who’s Who in American University and Colleges,” for his success on the fi eld and in the with a fourth quarter score for 23 on the year. classroom. Hunt was named to the Grantland Rice Collier’s Magazine All-American team as one of In the summer of 1938, Bill Smith was invited to Philadelphia to play in a college All-Star game against the NFL’s Eagles. When one of the backs picked for the team did not show, the “Top Ten” backs in America. Rice, of “Four Horseman” fame, wrote of Hunt, “For all around Smith suggested Royer to the promoters. ability, I doubt that there is a better back in the nation than Jackie Hunt, who with a better The promoters decided his late arrival could be used to their advantage to promote the schedule might be a (Tom) Harmon or (Jack) Kimbrough. Hunt could do more things better game, which was getting little attention with the Eagles, Phillies and Athletics holding the than any other back, ball carrying, passing, kicking, blocking and tackling.” attention of the local sporting set. Royer was snuck into town and was given a mask to Hunt’s 162 points helped Marshall to the national scoring title with 33.4 points per game. wear at all times in public and at practices. “The Masked Marvel,” as Royer was billed, kept However, the Herd played what was considered “Small-college football” and the school was his identity secret until game time. not a member of the NCAA at the time. Royer remembered in an early 1970’s interview with Lowell Cade of The Herald-Dispatch, Hunt was fi rst team all-WV Athletic Conference and his All-American awards included: First “The promoters really played it up. The press in Philadelphia had me from nearly every -Team AP “Little” All-American; First team Collier’s Magazine Eye on “Little All-Americans”; school in the Big Ten and all around the nation. They got me on the radio for the pregame First team All-American on Collier’s Magazine National Team, picked by Grantland Rice; First interviews. We had a lot of fun with it.” Following the game, Royer was signed to a professional contract with the Detroit Lions, -team All-American on the National team picked by The New York Sun newspaper; Second but was soon called back to Marshall by his old mentor, Henderson. team All-American on Paul Williamson’s National team; and Honorable Mention on the Royer coached at Marshall in 1938 and returned again in 1948. Between stints at Marshall, United Press International national team. and three years as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, he had great success as an assistant Hunt could never be expected to repeat the record-setting season of the previous year coach at Virginia Tech. He was also head coach at Logan High School. in 1941. However, he did respond with nine scores and 773 yards in only eight games as In his fi rst season as head coach at West Virginia Tech, Royer guided the Golden Bears to an teams keyed on him all season. 8-0-1 season and their fi rst West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title. Royer was Hunt played in the Blue-Gray All-Star game after the season, and then graduated from named WVIAC Coach of the Year. He guided Tech for three more seasons, recording a 28-7-2 Marshall. That summer he was drafted by the Chicago Bears, played in two College All-Star mark. Once again his alma mater called for Royer in 1953 and he became the head football games against National Football League teams (the Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles) and coach at Marshall just as the Herd stepped up to play in the Mid-American Conference. The fi rst season produced a 2-5-2 result. Royer switched the Herd back to the single-wing then was inducted into the US Army to fi ght in World War II. off ense he learned under Henderson, who was still coaching basketball and advising his In 1946, he played one season for the Bears, but soon returned to the Huntington area. former player. Marshall did upset the MAC champions, Ohio, 9-6 in the fi nal game of 1953 He lived with his wife in Proctorville, Ohio (just over the Ohio River from Huntington) and on a Bob “Gunnar” Miller fi eld goal. The next year was better as Marshall went 4-5. was a lifelong Marshall supporter. Marshall went 3-6 in 1955 and again in 1956, but in 1957 Marshall went 6-3, fi nishing He is a member of both the West Virginia Sportswriters Hall of Fame and the Marshall second in MAC. It was the fi rst winning season for Marshall since 1951 and only the third Athletic Hall of Fame, the fi rst person choosen for that honor in the inaugural class of 1984 in 10 seasons.