Vern Den Herder

Vern Wayne Den Herder (born November 28, 1948) is a former American football player who played 12 seasons for the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. He played in three Super Bowls for the Dolphins. In 1996, he was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

High school career

Den Herder attended high school in Sioux Center, Iowa. There was no football team his first two years but he was a star in his junior and senior seasons. He was a star in basketball and added football his last two years.

College career

Den Herder chose Central College in Pella, Iowa, because of its reputation for education in sciences and its affiliation with the Reformed Church in America. He was graduated cum laude with a major in chemistry. At in height, he was the starting center on Central's basketball team for four years and set the school scoring record. He played defensive end in football. CBS anchorman Harry Smith was a teammate.

Den Herder made All-Iowa Conference in 1968, 1969, and 1970. In 1970, his senior season, he was team captain, Iowa Conference MVP, and was named All-America, college division, by the NAIA, the Football Coaches Association, and the Associated Press. Furthermore, he was coached by the late Ron Schipper, himself a College Football Hall of Famer, at Central Iowa.

Professional career

As the NFL did not officially maintain sack records until 1982, he unofficially led the Dolphins in sacks in 1972 with 10; Den Herder also unofficially led the team in 1975 with a career high 11 sacks. He was named All-AFC in 1972. In October 1973, he unofficially tied Bill Stanfill for most sacks in a single game with 5, as Stanfill had recently surpassed the previous total just two weeks earlier. Also, he unofficially led the Dolphins in sacks during the 1978 and 1979 seasons with 9. His unofficial total of 64 sacks ranks fourth on the Dolphins sack list. In addition to his five-sack game in 1973, Den Herder recorded two four-sack games (September 22, 1974, at Buffalo Bills) and (November 11, 1979, vs. Baltimore Colts). He was voted by the NEA as the Dolphins MVP in 1979.

Coach Don Shula called him "one of the most dependable players I've ever coached."

Retirement and post-football career

Seeing that the game had evolved toward more passing-oriented strategies that weren't attuned to his run-stopping ability, Den Herder originally decided to retire in 1981, returning to his hometown to work in a cattle feeding operation. However, Coach Shula asked him to return to the game for one more season after the Dolphins roster had thinned due to injuries. He ended his career after playing in Super Bowl XVII.

After retiring from football for the second time, Den Herder returned to Sioux Center, Iowa and became a farmer, now specializing in corn and soybeans.Greg Cote
Greg Cote: White House invite a last stamp of approval for '72 Miami Dolphins
''Miami Herald'', August 19, 2013, accessed August 19, 2013. He is married and the father of two children. Due to a harvest, he was unable to join the rest of the 1972 Perfect Season Dolphins at a ceremony in their honor, hosted by President Barack Obama at the White House.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Den Herder, Vern
1948 births
American football defensive linemen
College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Living people
Miami Dolphins players
Reformed Church in America members
People from Le Mars, Iowa
Central Dutch football players
Central Dutch men's basketball players
People from Sioux Center, Iowa
American men's basketball players
Centers (basketball)