1. Robert Calvin Hubbard was an American professional football player and Major League Baseball umpire.
28 Facts About Cal Hubbard
1. 2.
Cal Hubbard is credited as being one of the inventors of the football position of linebacker.
3.
Cal Hubbard was an umpire in the American League from 1936 to 1951, then worked as an umpire supervisor until 1969.
4.
Cal Hubbard is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
5.
Cal Hubbard was born in Keytesville, Missouri to parents Robert P and Sarah "Sallie" Hubbard.
6.
Cal Hubbard grew up in modest means as the son of a small family farmer.
7.
Cal Hubbard graduated from Keytesville High School, but because the school had no football team he attended one year at Glasgow High School in nearby Glasgow, which did offer football.
8.
Already tall and weighing 200 pounds as a 14-year-old, Cal Hubbard displayed natural athletic gifts.
9.
Cal Hubbard aspired to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York; however a physical discovered he had flat feet, eliminating him from eligibility.
10.
Cal Hubbard umpired pickup baseball games at the age of 18.
11.
Cal Hubbard chose to attend a college or university that offered football, selecting Chillicothe Business College in Chillicothe, Missouri while continuing to work around his family farm.
12.
When McMillin moved on to suburban Pittsburgh's Geneva College, Cal Hubbard followed him and played there in 1926.
13.
Cal Hubbard starred as a tackle and end, playing off the 7-man line in a style similar to that of a modern linebacker.
14.
Cal Hubbard completed his college education in 1927, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Geneva College.
15.
Cal Hubbard moved on to the National Football League in 1927, signing with the New York Giants for a salary of US$150 per game.
16.
The NFL named its first official All-League team in 1931 with Cal Hubbard being one of that inaugural list.
17.
Cal Hubbard was chosen for the honor again in 1932 and 1933.
18.
Cal Hubbard tore through the line, slammed into Nagurski and bounced off.
19.
Cal Hubbard returned to football coaching briefly, serving as head coach of his alma mater Geneva College in 1941 and 1942.
20.
Cal Hubbard was among the initial class of inductees to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.
21.
Never a fan of big cities, Cal Hubbard had moved to Milan, Missouri, in 1944.
22.
Cal Hubbard left in 1945 but moved back in 1948 for good.
23.
Cal Hubbard stayed involved in community affairs, especially children's sports, as much as his schedule would allow.
24.
Cal Hubbard developed emphysema in the last few years of his life, so doctors suggested that he move away from the cold weather in Missouri.
25.
In recognition of his contributions to the game as an umpire and supervisor, Cal Hubbard was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976, only the fifth umpire to be so honored up to that time.
26.
Cal Hubbard died due to cancer October 17,1977, in St Petersburg.
27.
Cal Hubbard is buried in the Oakwood Cemetery, Milan, Missouri.
28.
Cal Hubbard was survived by wife Mildred and two sons, Dr Robert Hubbard, and William "Bill" Hubbard.