Arnold Henry "Itch" Oehlrich (November 24, 1905 – June 27, 1965) was an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
player. He played college football as a fullback for
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
from 1925 to 1927. He also played professional football in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
Frankford Yellow Jackets
The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, although its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won ...
in 1928 and 1929.
Early years
Oehlrich was born in
Clarks, Nebraska
Clarks is a village in Merrick County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 344 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Grand Island, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Clarks was platted in 1866 when the Union Pacific Rail ...
Columbus, Nebraska
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Platte County, in the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. The population was 22,111 at the 2010 census. It is the 10th largest city in Nebraska, with 24,028 people as of the 2020 censu ...
, where he "attained state-wide fame for his prowess in consistently lugging the pigskin for substantial gains." He also played basketball and track in high school, winning a total of 11 athletic letters in the three sports.
Nebraska
Oehlrich played college football as a fullback for
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
from 1925 to 1927. At Nebraska, he earned a reputation as "a fine defensive back, an excellent blocker homade substantial gains every time he carried the ball", but "didn't score the touchdowns."
Frankford Yellow Jackets
In June 1928, Oehlrich signed a contract to play 20 games of professional football in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) with the
Frankford Yellow Jackets
The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, although its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won ...
of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
. The contract called for him to be paid $100 per game; he was recruited to Frankford by fellow Nebraska alumnus and Frankford star
Ed Weir
Samuel Edwin Weir (March 14, 1903 – May 15, 1991) was an American collegiate and professional football player. He was the first Nebraska Cornhuskers football player elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and is known as one of Nebraska ...
. Oehlrich appeared in 16 games as a halfback for Frankford during the 1928 season, 15 as a starter, and scored two touchdowns.
After spending the off-season in Nebraska, Oehlrich returned to Frankford in September 1929 for a second season of professional football. He appeared in 17 games for Frankford in 1929, 14 as a starter, playing at halfback, fullback, and quarterback.
In all, Oehlrich appeared in 33 NFL games, 29 as a starter, and scored three touchdowns. Oehlrich later recalled the high level of play in the NFL during his playing days:
When you organize a team composed of star players from all sections of the country, you are bound to have the finest brand of football possible. And when you are in there playing, with the knowledge that you'll be benched for another gridder if you don't deliver the goods, you're sure to give your best every moment.
Coaching and later years
In August 1930, Oehlrich was hired as an assistant football coach at Kearney State Teachers College—now known as
University of Nebraska at Kearney
The University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) is a campus of the public University of Nebraska system and located in Kearney, Nebraska. It was founded in 1905 as the Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney.
History
In March 1903 the Nebraska Sta ...
—under head coach Ted James.
Oehlrich operated a dairy farm near Richland, Nebraska, from approximately 1945 until his death in 1965.