October 5, 1911 – Bill Corbus was a guard from Stanford University.
The website footballfoundation.org recounts the story that the 1933 Stanford Cardinal lineup consisted of nine sophomores who were referred to as the “Vow Boys,” as they took an oath not to lose to USC during their playing days at Stanford. They were true to their word as the Cardinal ripped off wins against their rival, the Trojans, for those three straight years. The 1933 victory of the Vow series can be directly attributed to the accolades of Bill Corbus as he booted two second-half field goals to lift the Cardinal to a 13-7 win over Southern Cal. Bill was described by many as having cherub-like facial features and his 5-11, 195-pound frame. Still, he had the ferocity of a wolf in a chicken coop when placed on the gridiron.
Bill’s low center of gravity allowed him to get under opponents and knock them off balance, giving him a significant advantage against larger opposition. Corbus was voted in as an All-American in his final two seasons of collegiate football, and in the classroom, he excelled with honors.
Corbus was the student body president, and he graduated magna cum laude from Stanford. The A&P grocery chain hired Bill after graduation, and he advanced up the organizational ladder to the rank of vice chairman before his career with the chain came to an end. Bill was honored by the Stanford Athletic Board with their Distinguished Achievement Medal in 1978. His high school in Vallejo, California, named a stadium for him. The National Football Foundation voted Bill Corbus into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1957.
