Earlham College

In the mid-1950s, Herbert Sawyer was an integral part of the Earlham football team and track team. Playing a plethora of positions as a four-year letterman, he lined up at fullback or halfback on offense, at linebacker or in the secondary on defense, and performed the place-kicking, too. In each of his final three seasons at Earlham, he was chosen as the team’s captain and most valuable player as well as to the All-Hoosier College Conference first-team as the team’s top scorer and rusher. Sawyer ranked as one of the state’s top five scorers as a sophomore and a junior and finished seventh as a senior. In NAIA rushing, he ranked twelfth as a sophomore and twenty-fifth as a junior. Highlighting his gridiron career were two special games. At the 1955 Homecoming, he rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns in Earlham’s first victory over Hanover in 24 years. In a 1956 contest versus Indiana Central, Sawyer returned two kickoffs for touchdowns to tie a national mark, then was tackled at the 15-yard line on a third return. A three-year letterman in track, Sawyer specialized as a sprinter. He earned 1955 All-Hoosier College Conference honors by winning the 100-yard dash and placing second in the 220-yard dash at the conference meet. He also was a member of Earlham’s winning 880-yard relay team as the Rose Relays in 1954, 1955 and 1956.