William Herbert "Pa" Corbin (July 20, 1864 – April 14, 1945) was an American college football player for the

Yale Bulldogs football The Yale Bulldogs football program represents Yale University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). Yale's football program is one of the oldest in the world, having begun competi ...

team for

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

from 1886 to 1888, during which time the team posted a 31–0–1 record. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1969.

Early years

Corbin was born in

Union, Connecticut Union is a town located in the northeastern part of Tolland County, Connecticut, United States and is part of the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor. The population was 785 at the 2020 census, making it the least ...

, the son of William Melvin Corbin, a manufacturer and merchant who served in the Connecticut General Assembly, for one session as a representative and then as a state senator, and his wife, née Josephine Walker. He attended Hartford Public High School.

Yale

Corbin matriculated at Yale College, where he was on the freshman, sophomore, and university crews, and was captain of the freshman football team, and was on the university football team three years, and in his senior year as captain. Other activities included college hour, and financial manager of the '' Yale Daily News''. He was a member of Psi Upsilon and

Skull and Bones Skull and Bones, also known as The Order, Order 322 or The Brotherhood of Death, is an undergraduate senior secret student society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The oldest senior class society at the university, Skull and Bone ...

The 1888 Yale Football team, of which he was captain, was undefeated, winning thirteen games and tallying 698 points while holding their opponents scoreless. His interest in Yale football continued after graduation at practice session and games at the

Yale Bowl The Yale Bowl Stadium is a college football stadium in the northeast United States, located in New Haven, Connecticut, on the border of West Haven, about 1½ miles (2½ km) west of the main campus of Yale University. The home of the American foo ...

; he became known to undergraduates as "Pa" Corbin. Former teammate

Pudge Heffelfinger William Walter "Pudge" Heffelfinger (December 20, 1867 – April 2, 1954), also spelled Hafelfinger, was an American football player and coach. He is considered the first athlete to play American football professionally, having been paid to pl ...

explained "Pa Corbin's long face and handlebar mustache gave him a majestic air, and made him look much older than his 24 years." Corbin described how a center used to snap the ball with his foot: "By standing the ball on end and exercising a certain pressure on the same, it was possible to have it bound into the quarterback's hands."

Teaching career

He taught at

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

Dobbs Ferry Dobbs Ferry is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 10,875 according to the 2010 United States Census. In 2019, its population rose to an estimated 11,027. The village of Dobbs Ferry is located in, and is a p ...

for three years following graduation, and then became headmaster of the Pingry School from 1892 to 1897.

Tax commissioner

He served as Connecticut State Tax Commissioner from 1907 until his retirement in 1920.

Death

Corbin died in 1945 a month after he was struck by an automobile in Hartford, Connecticut.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corbin, William Herbert 1864 births 1945 deaths 19th-century players of American football American football centers Yale Bulldogs football players College Football Hall of Fame inductees People from Tolland County, Connecticut Players of American football from Hartford, Connecticut