Herb Treat - Football Player

Football Player

A native of Somerville, Massachusetts, Treat began his college football career at Somerville High School and then at Phillips Exeter Academy. In 1920, he gained acclaim as a star football player for Boston College. When Treat decided to transfer to Princeton in August 1921, The New York Times reported: "Boston College football prospects for the approaching gridiron season received quite a jolt today when it became known that Herbert Treat, the star varsity tackle of last season, had decided to quit Newton Heights and cast his fortunes with Princeton University. ... Treat will enter Princeton as a sophomore and after his year's residence, required by the 'Big Three' regulations, he will be eligible for the Princeton eleven."

In 1922, Treat and Pink Baker led Princeton to an undefeated season and national championship as part of a team that became known as the "Team of Destiny." Princeton defeated western power, the University of Chicago, by a final score of 21-18, after rallying from an 18-7 deficit in the fourth quarter and holding Chicago four times near the goal line in the final seconds. The 1922 Princeton-Chicago match was the first football game broadcast on WOR radio.

After graduating from Princeton in 1923, Treat became an assistant football coach at Providence College in Rhode Island. In 1926, Treat became the player-coach of Boston's first professional football team—the Boston Bulldogs in the first American Football League. The team lasted only six games, playing one home game in Braves Field and one in Fenway Park.