Ernie Nevers Sets Still Unbroken Scoring Record Compiled from old newspaper clippings and magazines by staff@footballhistorian.com Football History A heavy wet snow fell in Chicago on November 28, 1929, but it sure made no difference to Ernie Nevers and the Chicago Cardinals. Nevers scored a record six-touchdowns and four extra points to lead the Chicago Cardinals to a stunning 40-6 stomping of arch-rival - the Chicago Bears. Almost 8,000 fans braved their way to Comiskey Park on Chicago's south side to witness Never's electrifying performance. Cardinals' head coach Dewey Scanlon realizing he had to forego his team's regular double-wing offense due to the inclement weather which made the field slippery, simply told Nevers 'to blast away at the Bears middle linemen.' Nevers responded by scoring on a 20-yard touchdown run through the Bears interior early in the first quarter.
Nevers missed the extra point kick but he quickly scored another touchdown and this time was successful on his extra point try, putting the Cardinals up 13-0. The battle of the interior line was won by the outstanding play of Cards' linemen Duke Slater, Herb Blumer and the bruising blocking of Walt Kiesling, who appeared to push aside any attempt of Bears defensive players to stop the quick-running Nevers. Kiesling, a 243-pound guard, was a wall-of-strength and stood his ground also on defensive as well. Nevers followed his backfield blocking cohorts, Gene Rose, Mickey McDonnell and Cobb Rooney, as they blasted away would-be tacklers throughout the game.
Setting up Nevers first half touchdowns were big-yardage runs by Rooney, Rose and McDonnell. Nevers followed the blocking of Rose to register his third TD of the game, a 6-yard-run, giving the Cardinals a 20-0 halftime bulge. A review of the first half shows the Cardinals were dominating the Bears on both sides of the line and on offense and defense. The Chicago Tribune Newspaper stated a quote from retired Cardinal player Wilfrid Smith who said: The Cardinal line was the foundation on which these ball carriers Built their success. There was no question of its superiority. And it played no favorites.
The Second Half: If the Cardinals were to hold on and win, they had to stop the Bears offensive backfield of Red Grange, Paddy Dirscoll and Joey Sternman. Bears fans were cheering early in the third quarter when the Bears cut the Cardinals lead to 20-6 when quarterback Walt Holmer teamed up with Garland Grange - the brother of Red - on a long 60-yard scoring pass. Sensing a Bear comeback, the Cardinals marched down the field on first-down runs by McDonnell, Rose and Rooney. And, Nevers capped the drive on a 1-yard plunge straight up the middle. His extra point was good and the Cards led 27-6 after the third period ended. By eliminating tacklers with hard-nosed blocking, the Cardinals trio of Kiesling, Slater and Blumer allowed the team's runners to motor on in the final quarter of play and Cardinal fans started smelling victory. And, this the three-some were stopping cold the Bears offense with their brilliant line-work.
In the fourth quarter, Nevers ran for two more touchdowns, scoring from 1-yard run thru the middle of the Bears line, and on a 10-yard burst past fallen defensive linemen. Nevers had scored all of the Cardinals 40 points, chalking up six touchdowns and four extra points. Summing up Nevers' day's work, the Smith said in the Chicago Trinbune: Then Ernie left the game and how the south siders cheered. And well they might. Forty points plus nineteen points against Dayton (NFL) last Sunday gave him fifty-nine in a row which is some kind of a record. Nevers' six rushing touchdowns is a still-unbroken NFL record as is his 40 points.
Cards owner William Bidwill recalled years later: People said that as the game went on, Nevers actually would point directly at the spot in the line where he would be running, and even then, he couldn't be stopped. When asked about his record-setting performance throughout the years, Nevers would often state: But what about the horses up front? They made it all possible... footballhistorian.com - Pro Football History
A splendid lineman during his long 13-year NFL career, Walt Kiesling rates as one of pro football all-time best guards during the era of one-platoon football. He used his muscular, 240-pound body on both offense and defense to simply overpower and push aside opposing linemen. A member of the Football Hall of Fame, Kiesling joined the pro ranks in 1926 and is best remembered for his five outstanding seasons with the Chicago Cardinals - 1929-1933.
The well-liked Kiesling spent 34 years in pro football. After his playing career with six different teams, he was the head coach of the Steelers, for Philadelphia and the Cardinals (1939-1944) an assistant coach for Packers and took over again as Steelers head coach from 1954-1956.
