Chuck Bernard - College Career

College Career

Bernard attended Benton Harbor High School before enrolling at Michigan. Bernard was a 60-minute player who was said to be equally brilliant on offense and defense. In 1928 and 1929, Bernard was named the Michigan outstanding prep athlete. Bernard was an All-American center on the Wolverines back-to-back undefeated national championship teams in 1932 and 1933. The 1932 team went 8–0 (including six shutouts) and outscored opponents 123 to 13, an average of 1.6 points per game by U-M's opponents. The 1933 team went 7–0–1, outscored its opponents, 131 to 18, and its only blemish was a scoreless tie against the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Little Brown Jug game.

In an article in Collier's magazine, famed sports writer Grantland Rice said of Bernard: "His height, weight and physical power combined with a keen football intelligence, made him an ideal man backing up the line. He was quick at diagnosing plays and went to the right spot. He was one of football's best defenders against the forward pass and adept at intercepting passes."

Bernard was a consensus first-team All-American, being selected by Walter Camp and Associated Press, among others. In a January 1934 article announcing the All-American selections, Time magazine noted: "Michigan's Bernard, a 215-lb. cyclone... picked by practically every All-American selector of standing." Associated Press sports editor Alan Gould wrote: "Without Bernard, the Wolverines could hardly have topped the toughest league in the country." Along with Whitey Wistert, Bernard was one of chief reasons why 1933 Wolverine lines were said to be "impregnable."