Herbert H. Lusk (February 19, 1953 – September 19, 2022) was an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player who was a running back for three seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976 to 1978, having played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

for the Long Beach State 49ers.

Early life

Lusk was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 19, 1953. He attended Seaside High School in Seaside, California. He initially studied at Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) from 1972 to 1973, before transferring to

California State University, Long Beach California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a public research university in Long Beach, California. The 322-acre campus is the second largest of the 23-school California State University system (CSU) and one of the largest universities i ...

(CSULB). He played for the 49ers from 1974 to 1975. He started his custom of praying after scoring a touchdown during his

senior year Senior Year may refer to: * Senior (education), the final year in high school or college * ''Senior Year'' (2010 film), the 2010 film by Filipino director Jerrold Tarog * ''Senior Year'' (2022 film), a film starring Rebel Wilson * The Lockheed U-2 ...

, in which he led the Pacific Coast Athletic Association in touchdowns (16), points (96), rushing attempts (310), rushing yards (1596), rushing touchdowns (13), yards from scrimmage (1658), and touchdowns from scrimmage (16). Lusk was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the tenth round (273rd overall) of the

1976 NFL Draft The 1976 National Football League draft was an annual player selection meeting held April 8–9, 1976, at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, New York. The draft lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks m ...

Professional career

Lusk made his NFL debut with the Eagles on September 12, 1976, at the age of 23, in a 27–7 loss against the Dallas Cowboys. In the third game of his career on September 27, 1976, he

fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...

d the ball with 12 seconds remaining in the first half after he opted to run instead of running out the clock. This led to the Eagles relinquishing their 10–3 lead over the Washington Redskins, with Philadelphia ultimately losing the game in

sudden-death overtime In a sport or game, sudden death (also sudden-death, sudden-death overtime, or a sudden-death round) is a form of competition where play ends as soon as one competitor is ahead of the others, with that competitor becoming the winner. Sudden deat ...

. He played in 14 games (1 start) during his rookie season and recorded 254 rushing yards, 13 receptions, and 119 receiving yards. He made the seventh-longest rushing attempt in the league (70 yards) the following year, and became the first NFL player to kneel in the endzone after a touchdown and pray on October 9, 1977. This custom gained him the nickname "The Praying Tailback". He scored two other touchdowns that season, to go along with 229 rushing yards, 5 receptions, and 102 receiving yards in 11 games. He played just 3 games during his final year in the NFL, and attended one day of training camp in July 1979, before retiring from football at the age of 26 to become a

minister Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

Personal life

Lusk was married to Vickey until his death. Together, they had three children: Danuelle, Laiah, and Herbert III. Lusk was inducted into the CSULB Hall of Fame in October 2005, and was also enshrined in MPC's Lobo Hall of Fame. After retiring from professional football, Lusk returned to college at

Gwynedd Mercy University Gwynedd Mercy University (GMercyU) is a private Roman Catholic university in Lower Gwynedd Township, Pennsylvania. It occupies a campus in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Gwynedd Mercy University was founded in 1948, as Gwynedd-Mercy College ...

and Reformed Episcopal Seminary to finish his degree in theology. He then became the pastor of the Greater Exodus Baptist Church in Philadelphia, starting in 1982. He oversaw an increase in the number of congregants from 27 members to over 1,500 by 2006. He also served as team chaplain to the Eagles. A supporter of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

, Lusk delivered the invocation at the party's national convention in 2000. His church was later given $1 million in federal funds to run a program assisting low-income Philadelphians. He also addressed the World Meeting of Families 2015 held in Philadelphia. Lusk died on September 19, 2022, at his home in Philadelphia. He was 69, and had cancer prior to his death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lusk, Herb 1953 births 2022 deaths 20th-century African-American sportspeople African-American players of American football Players of American football from Memphis, Tennessee American football running backs California State University, Long Beach alumni Deaths from cancer in Pennsylvania Long Beach State 49ers football players Philadelphia Eagles players Gwynedd Mercy University alumni Clergy from Philadelphia Pennsylvania Republicans