Herb Rich, one of the best Vanderbilt football players ever, came to Nashville as a freshman and never looked back. A Miami Beach native with all-state honors in football and basketball, Rich enrolled at Vanderbilt in 1946 and became one of only two people ever to earn three letters as a freshman (in football, basketball, and baseball). But it was on the football field where Rich truly shined. A two-time All-SEC selection and an All-Southern player Rich was chosen in 1949 as Best Offensive Back in the SEC. His senior year he also ranked fourth nationally for season rushing attempts. Following his stellar college career, Rich joined the Baltimore Colts in 1950, before moving on to play defensive back for the Los Angeles Rams in 1951-1953, where he received All-Pro honors and was a starter on the 1951 world championship team. Moving on to the New York Giants in 1954, Rich was the defensive captain of the 1956 championship team, before retiring from professional football. An active member of the Nashville community, Rich, who has practiced law since 1954, has served on the board of directors for the Nashville Boys Club and in 1989 received the city’s Bronze Key Award for thirty years of service. A past president of both the Nashville Quarterback Club and the Nashville Jewish Community Center, Rich was also honored in 1996 by the Middle Tennessee Chapter of The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame for his contribution to amateur football.
