Obst, Henry : Jews In Sports @ Virtual Museum

Obst, Henry

Henry D. Obst

Obst was an offensive lineman at Syracuse University in the late 1920s, and played professionally in the NFL and AFL (American Football League) in the 1930s.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. December 23, 1906 - d. August 27, 1975

Career Highlights:
Obst played guard at Syracuse for three seasons from 1928-1930. In 1928, the Orangemen had a record of 4-4-1 and finished the following season with a record of 6-3. In 1930, Obst was named AP All-East honorable mention and Syracuse had a record of 5-2-2.

After graduating in 1931, Obst played sparingly in two seasons in the NFL. In 1931, he appeared in two games for the Staten Island Stapletons (4-6-1). He played one game for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1933, the team's inaugural season.

After spending a few years away from professional football, Obst played in 1936 for the New York Yankees of the American Football League. The AFL was started by Dr. Harry March, a former Giants official, as a "player's league." Despite some big names and press coverage, though, the league folded after only two seasons because of lack of attendance and finances.

During the initial season, Obst and the Yankees finished second in the league with a record of 5-3-2. Also on the Yankees that season were former All-NFL lineman Maury Bodenger and former NYU star Charles Siegal.

Origin:
New York

Career Dates:
Obst played guard at Syracuse University from 1928-1930. He played guard in the NFL with the Staten Island Stapletons in 1931, and with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1933. He then played in the AFL with the New York Yankees in 1936.

Physical description:
5'11", 192 pounds



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References:
The Encyclopedia of Football, by Roger Treat (New York: A.S. Barnes and Co., 1976 -- 14th Edition)
Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League, edited by Bob Carroll, Michael Gershman, David Neft, and John Thorn (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1999)
encyclopedia of JEWS in sports, by Bernard Postal, Jesse Silver, and Roy Silver (New York: Bloch Publishing Co., 1965)