Ralph Godfrey Kercheval (December 1, 1911 – October 6, 2010) was an American football running back and punter. He played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...

. He was a prominent football player in college at Kentucky, chosen as the placekicker for an ''Associated Press'' Southeast Area All-Time football team 1920–1969 era.

Thoroughbred horse racing

Kercheval grew up in the heartland of American Thoroughbred

horse breeding Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in ...

. He graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in

animal husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...

and before playing pro football went to work for renowned racing stable owner, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney. When his football career ended, Kercheval returned to the Thoroughbred horse racing industry. During World War II, Kercheval served with the

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

in the United States Army. He worked for a number of years as a trainer and was manager of Alfred G. Vanderbilt II's Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, Maryland from 1948 to 1958 and from 1969 to 1979 with Walter J. Salmon Jr.'s Mereworth Farm in his native Lexington. During 1971–1972, Kercheval also served as the President of the Thoroughbred Club of America. He was a distant cousin of '' Dallas'' star Ken Kercheval.

References

1911 births 2010 deaths American football drop kickers American football punters American football running backs American horse trainers Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) players Kentucky Wildcats football players United States Army personnel of World War II Players of American football from Lexington, Kentucky {{runningback-1910s-stub