View source for Guy Chamberlin

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1894–1967)}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name         = Guy Chamberlin
| image        = Guy Chamberlin.jpg
| alt          =
| caption      = 
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1894|1|16}}
| birth_place  = [[Blue Springs, Nebraska]], U.S.
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|1967|4|4|1894|1|16}}
| death_place  = [[Lincoln, Nebraska]], U.S.
| number       = 12, 2, 13
| position     = [[End (gridiron football)|End]]
| height_ft    = 6
| height_in    = 2
| weight_lbs   = 196
| high_school  = [[Blue Springs, Nebraska#Education|Blue Springs (NE)]]
| college      = [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska]]
| pastteams    =
* [[Canton Bulldogs]] ([[1919 Canton Bulldogs season|1919]])
* [[Chicago Bears|Decatur / Chicago Staleys]] ({{NFL Year|1920}}–{{NFL Year|1921}})
* Canton Bulldogs ({{NFL Year|1922}}–{{NFL Year|1923}})
* [[Cleveland Bulldogs]] ({{NFL Year|1924}})
* [[Frankford Yellow Jackets]] ({{NFL Year|1925}}–{{NFL Year|1926}})
* [[Chicago Cardinals (NFL, 1920–59)|Chicago Cardinals]] ({{NFL Year|1927}})
| pastcoaching =
* Canton Bulldogs ({{NFL Year|1922}}–{{NFL Year|1923}})
* Cleveland Bulldogs ({{NFL Year|1924}})
* Frankford Yellow Jackets ({{NFL Year|1925}}–{{NFL Year|1926}})
* Chicago Cardinals ({{NFL Year|1927}})
| highlights   =
* [[Ohio League#Championships|Ohio League champion]] ([[1919 Canton Bulldogs season|1919]])
* 5× [[List of NFL champions|NFL champion]] ([[1921 Chicago Staleys season|1921]]–[[1924 Cleveland Bulldogs season|1924]], [[1926 Frankford Yellow Jackets season|1926]])
* 4× First-team [[All-Pro]] ([[1920 All-Pro Team|1920]], [[1922 All-Pro Team|1922]]–[[1924 All-Pro Team|1924]])
* [[National Football League 1920s All-Decade Team|NFL 1920s All-Decade Team]]
* Consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1915 College Football All-America Team|1915]])
* First-team [[List of All-Big Ten Conference football teams|All-Western]] ([[1915 All-Western college football team|1915]])

{{Infobox military person|embed=yes
|allegiance           = {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States of America|United States]]
|branch               = [[File:United States Department of the Army Seal.svg|20px|United States Army seal]] [[United States Army|U.S. Army]]
|serviceyears         = 1918–1919
|rank                 =
|unit                 =
|battles              = 
|awards               =
}}
| pfr          = ChamGu20
| pfrcoach     = ChamGu0
| CollegeHOF   = 1292
| HOF          = guy-chamberlin 
}}
'''Berlin Guy''' "'''Champ'''" '''Chamberlin''' (January 16, 1894 – April 4, 1967), sometimes misspelled '''Guy Chamberlain''', was an American professional [[American football|football]] player and coach. He was inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 1962 and the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1965. He was also named in 1969 to the [[National Football League 1920s All-Decade Team|NFL 1920s All-Decade Team]].

A native of [[Blue Springs, Nebraska]], Chamberlin played [[college football]] as a [[Halfback (gridiron football)|halfback]] at [[Nebraska Wesleyan University]] in 1911 and 1912.  He transferred to the [[University of Nebraska–Lincoln|University of Nebraska]] in 1913 and played at the halfback and [[End (gridiron football)|end]] positions for the undefeated [[1914 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|1914]] and [[1915 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team]]s that won consecutive [[Missouri Valley Conference]] championships. He was a consensus first-team All-American in 1915, and he was selected in 1936 as the greatest player in Nebraska football history.

He played professional football for nine years with the [[Canton Bulldogs]] ([[1919 Canton Bulldogs season|1919]]), [[Chicago Bears|Decatur / Chicago Staleys]] ([[1920 Decatur Staleys season|1920]]–[[1921 Chicago Staleys season|1921]]), Canton Bulldogs ([[1922 Canton Bulldogs season|1922]]–[[1923 Canton Bulldogs season|1923]]), [[Cleveland Bulldogs]] ([[1924 Cleveland Bulldogs season|1924]]), [[Frankford Yellow Jackets]] ([[1925 Frankford Yellow Jackets season|1925]]–[[1926 Frankford Yellow Jackets season|1926]]), and [[Chicago Cardinals (NFL, 1920–59)|Chicago Cardinals]] ([[1927 Chicago Cardinals season|1927]]). He won professional football championships in six of his nine seasons in professional football: as a player in 1919 with the undefeated Bulldogs and in 1921 with the Staleys, and as a player/coach in 1922, 1923, and 1924 with the Bulldogs and in 1926 with the Yellow Jackets. He compiled a 58-16-7 record in six years as a head coach in the [[National Football League]] (NFL), the best win percentage ({{Winning percentage|58|16|7}}) of any coach in NFL history with a minimum 50 wins. He is also the only coach to win NFL championships with three different clubs.

==Early years==
Chamberlin was born in [[Blue Springs, Nebraska]], in 1894.<ref name=PFR>{{cite web|title=Guy Chamberlin Record|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 7, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/ChamGu0.htm}}</ref> He was raised with five siblings on a family farm in Blue Springs. He graduated from Blue Springs High School in 1911.<ref name=BS>{{cite web|title=Berlin Guy Chamberlin Monument|publisher=City of Blue Springs, Nebraska|access-date=May 7, 2017|url=http://www.bluespringsne.com/chamberlin.html}}</ref>

==College football==
===Nebraska Wesleyan===
In the fall of 1911, Chamberlin enrolled at [[Nebraska Wesleyan University]] in [[Lincoln, Nebraska]]. Chamberlin was selected by the ''Omaha World-Herald'' as an all-state halfback while playing for the undefeated 1911 Nebraska Wesleyan football team that won the [[Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association|NIAA]] championship. Chamberlin also competed for Nebraska Wesleyan in baseball as a pitcher and outfielder and in track as a sprinter and weight man.<ref name=BS/>

He returned to the Nebraska Wesleyan football team in the fall of 1912 and was again selected as an all-state player.  In announcing its selection of Chamberlin to the all-state team, the ''Omaha World-Herald'' wrote: "Chamberlin is almost in a class by himself. He is a fierce and aggressive runner and adopts the system of bowling over the opposing tacklers in much the same style as the famous Coy of Yale. Chamberlin rarely used a stiff arm, and yet many times it was next to impossible to stop him."<ref name=BS/>

===Nebraska===
[[File:Guy Chamberlin, ca. 1916.png|thumb|150px|Chamberlin at Nebraska.]]
In the fall of 1913, Chamberlin transferred to the [[University of Nebraska–Lincoln|University of Nebraska]] in Lincoln. There he became a member of [[Beta Theta Pi]] fraternity.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1915|title=The Beta Theta Pi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dw_QAAAAMAAJ&dq=guy+chamberlin+beta+theta+pi&pg=PA66|website=Google.com/books}}</ref> He played halfback for [[Jumbo Stiehm]]'s undefeated [[1914 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team]] that won the [[Missouri Valley Conference]] championship and became known as the "Stiehm Rollers". At the end of the 1914 season, Chamberlin was named to ''[[Outing (magazine)|Outing]]'' magazine's "Football Roll of Honor: The Men Whom the Best Coaches of the Country Have Named as the Stars of the Gridiron in 1914".<ref>{{cite news|title=Football Roll of Honor: The Men Whom the Best Coaches of the Country Have Named as the Stars of the Gridiron in 1914|work=Outing|year=1915|page=498|url=http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/Outing/Volume_65/outLXV04/outLXV04s.pdf}}</ref>

In 1915, Chamberlin moved to the [[End (gridiron football)|end]] position for the undefeated [[1915 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team]] that again won the Missouri Valley championship. He led the team with 15 touchdowns.<ref name=BS/> After leading the Cornhuskers to a 20–19 victory over Notre Dame, The ''Omaha World-Herald'' wrote of Chamberlin: "His defensive stunts bordered upon the miraculous, while his open field running, in which he displayed that famous 'side walk trot' to the best advantage, brought victory to the colors of the Cornhuskers."<ref name=BS/>  In his final game for Nebraska, Chamberlin scored four touchdowns, including a 60-yard touchdown run, in a 52–7 victory over Iowa.<ref>{{cite news|title=Huskers Triumph In Final Combat|newspaper=The Lincoln Star|date=November 21, 1915|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10881287/huskers_triumph_in_final_contest/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> At the end of the season, he was a consensus All-American on the [[1915 College Football All-America Team]] with first-team honors from [[Frank G. Menke]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Covers Wide Scope In Choosing His All-American Gridironers|work=The Lincoln Star|date=December 5, 1915|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3508520/1915_allamerica_chamberlin_and/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> [[Walter Eckersall]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Nebraska Player on 'All-America': Chamberlain, Huskers' Wizard, is Given Recognition by New York Writer|work=Chicago Tribune|author=Walter Eckersall|author-link=Walter Eckersall|date=December 5, 1915|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10852881/eckie_names_four_of_west_for_allstars/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> and [[Parke H. Davis]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Buck Mayer and Vandegraaaff Are Chosen for All-American|newspaper=The Charlotte News|date=December 5, 1915|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10111599/buck_mayer_and_vandegraaaff_are_chosen/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He graduated from Nebraska in 1916.<ref name=BS/>

==1916–1919==
===Farmer and coach at Doane College===
After graduating from Nebraska, Chamberlin returned to the family farm.<ref name=BS/> In August 1916, he was hired as the athletic director and football coach at [[Doane College]] in [[Crete, Nebraska]].<ref name=BS/><ref>{{cite news|title=untitled|newspaper=The Emporia (KS) Gazette|date=August 10, 1916|page=5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10858458/untitled_chamberlin_at_doane_college/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> In 1917, he returned to work on his father's farm in [[Blue Springs, Nebraska]].<ref>Draft registration card dated June 1917 for Berlin Guy Chamberlin, born January 16, 1894, working as a farmer in the employ of Elmer Chamberlin. Registration State: Nebraska; Registration County: Gage; Roll: 1711529. Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line].</ref>

===United States Army===
Chamberlin served in the [[United States Army]] from May 1918 to October 1919. He served in a field artillery unit with the rank of second lieutenant and was stationed at [[Camp Zachary Taylor]] in [[Louisville, Kentucky]], [[Fort Sill]] in Oklahoma, and [[Camp Kearny]] in [[San Diego County, California]].<ref name=BS/>

==Professional football==
===Canton Bulldogs===
Chamberlin began playing professional football in 1919 as an end for [[Jim Thorpe]]'s undefeated [[1919 Canton Bulldogs season|1919 Canton Bulldogs]], winners of that year's unofficial professional football championship with a 9–0–1 record.<ref name=BS/><ref name=Staleys/>

===Decatur/Chicago Staleys===
In August 1920, the [[American Professional Football Association]] (APFA, later renamed the [[National Football League]]) was organized. Chamberlin signed with [[George Halas]]' [[1920 Decatur Staleys season|1920 Decatur Staleys team]] that compiled a 10–1–2 record and finished second in the APFA.<ref name=Staleys>{{cite news|title=Staleys Sign All American Grid Star|newspaper=The Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL)|date=October 7, 1920|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10865369/staleys_sign_all_american_grid_star/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> At the end of the 1920 season, Chamberlin was selected as a first-team end on the first [[1920 All-Pro Team|All-Pro Team]].<ref>{{Cite journal | last=Hogrogian | first=John | year=1984 | url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/06-01-173.pdf | title=1920 All-Pros | journal=[[The Coffin Corner]] | publisher=[[Professional Football Researchers Association]] | volume=6 | issue=1 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808122855/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/06-01-173.pdf | archive-date=August 8, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1920_APFA/allpro.htm|title=1920 APFA All-Pros|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref>

In 1921, Chamberlin played as a center fielder for the Staleys baseball team during the summer,<ref>{{cite news|title=Staleys Easily Defeat Madison Club of Dakota League|newspaper=Decatur Herald|date=May 13, 1921|page=4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10868054/the_decatur_herald/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> and he remained with the organization as the [[1921 Chicago Staleys season|Staleys football team]] moved to [[Chicago]] and won the APFA championship with a 9–1–1 record. On December 3, 1921, before a crowd of 13,000 in [[Chicago]], the Staleys defeated the first-place [[1921 Buffalo All-Americans season|Buffalo All-Americans]] in what was touted as the championship game. In the victory over Buffalo, Chamberlain intercepted a pass and returned it 90 yards for the game-winning touchdown.<ref>{{cite news|title=Staleys Annex 1921 Professional Title by Win Over Buffalo|newspaper=The Decatur Review|date=December 5, 1921|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10868129/staleys_annex_1921_professional_title/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Staleys Win National Pro Grid Title: Beat Buffalo, 10-7; Starchworkers Win 10-7; Chamberlain Makes 90 Yard Run|newspaper=Decatur Herald|date=December 5, 1921|page=4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10868150/staleys_win_national_pro_grid_title/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

[[George Halas]], who coached Chamberlin with the Staleys, wrote in 1957: "Chamberlin was the best 2-way end I've ever seen. He was a tremendous tackler on defense and a triple-threat performer on offense."<ref name=BS/>

===Canton/Cleveland Bulldogs===
In 1922, Chamberlin joined the [[Canton Bulldogs]] in multiple roles as a player, head coach, team captain, and part owner.<ref name=t22/><ref>{{cite news|title=Chamberlain To Quit Canton Bulldogs|newspaper=The Akron Beacon Journal|date=December 15, 1922|page=30|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10868526/chamberlain_to_quit_canton_bulldogs/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}(part owner)</ref> He strengthened the team in the off-season by signing guard [[Tarzan Taylor]], with whom he had played on the Staleys, and tackle [[Link Lyman]], an All-American who played at Chamberlin's alma mater, Nebraska.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lyman To Play At Canton: Former Husker Star Will Join Guy Chamberlain's Professional Team In Ohio|newspaper=The Nebraska State Journal|date=September 25, 1922|page=3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10180354/lyman_to_play_at_canton/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>  Chamberlin led the [[1922 Canton Bulldogs season|1922 Bulldogs]] to an NFL championship with an undefeated 10–0–2 record. The team shut out nine of twelve opponents and allowed only 15 points in 12 games.<ref name=t22>{{cite web|title=1922 Canton Bulldogs Statistics & Players|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 8, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cbd/1922.htm}}</ref> Three players from the 1922 Bulldogs (Chamberlin, Lyman, and [[Pete Henry]]) were later inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]. Chamberlin led the team in scoring with seven touchdowns, two of them on interception returns.<ref name=t22/> He played at the halfback position in the first game of the season and at end for the remaining 12 games; he reportedly "played every minute of the thirteen games."<ref>{{cite news|title=Guy Chamberlain Places Canton Back on the Grid Map|newspaper=The Decatur Review|date=December 24, 1922|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10868307/guy_chamberlain_places_canton_back_on/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

Chamberlin returned to the Bulldogs as player/coach the following year.<ref>{{cite news|title=Guy Chamberlain To Coach Canton Bulldogs Grid Team|newspaper=The Akron Beacon Journal|date=August 2, 1923|page=16|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10868608/guy_chamberlain_to_coach_canton/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> The [[1923 Canton Bulldogs season|1923 team]] had another undefeated season (11–0–1), shut out eight of twelve opponents, outscored all opponents by a combined total of 246 to 19, and won its second consecutive NFL championship.<ref name=t23>{{cite web|title=1923 Canton Bulldogs Schedule & Game Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=April 9, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cbd/1923_games.htm}}</ref> After the season, Chamberlin was selected as a first-team All-Pro player by ''Collyer's Eye'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web|title=1923 NFL All-Pros|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=April 9, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1923/allpro.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Collyer's All-Star Pro Elevens|newspaper=The Davenport Democrat and Leader|date=December 21, 1923|page=25|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10180981/collyers_allstar_pro_elevens/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

In August 1924, Cleveland jeweler [[Samuel Deutsch]] bought the Canton Bulldogs and moved the team to Cleveland where they became the [[1924 Cleveland Bulldogs season|Cleveland Bulldogs]] during the [[1924 NFL season]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Champion Bulldogs Sold To Cleveland|newspaper=Akron Beacon-Journal|date=August 4, 1924|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10181517/champion_bulldogs_sold_to_cleveland/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> With Chamberlin still serving as player/coach, the Bulldogs compiled a 7–1–1 record, outscored opponents by a total of 229 to 60, and won their third consecutive NFL championship.<ref name=t24>{{cite web|title=1924 Cleveland Bulldogs Schedule & Game Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=April 9, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cib/1924_games.htm}}</ref> After the 1924 season, Chamberlin was again selected as a first-team All-Pro by ''Collyer's Eye'' and a third-team All-Pro by the ''Green Bay Press-Gazette''.<ref>{{cite web|title=1924 NFL All-Pros|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=April 9, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1924/allpro.htm}}</ref>

In three seasons with the Bulldogs, Chamberlin led the franchise to three NFL championships and a record of 28–1–4, having outscored opponents by a combined total of 659 to 94.<ref name=t22/><ref name=t23/><ref name=t24/> [[Dave Noble]], who played for the 1924 Bulldogs, explained Chamberlin's coaching success as follows: "Guy Chamberlain knows as much or more football than any other coach in the country. Moreover, he has a faculty for getting the most out of players, not because he is a driver, for he isn't that sort, but because they like him and will do their utmost to please him by playing hard."<ref>{{cite news|title=Noble Keen For Ex-Husker Star|newspaper=The Lincoln Star|date=December 30, 1924|page=6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10868688/noble_keen_for_exhusker_star/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

===Frankford Yellow Jackets===
In 1925, Chamberlin joined the [[Frankford Yellow Jackets]] in [[Philadelphia]] as player and coach. He led the [[1925 Frankford Yellow Jackets season|1925 Frankford team]] to a 15–7 overall record, 13–7 against NFL opponents.<ref name=t25>{{cite web|title=1925 Frankford Yellow Jackets Statistics & Players|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 8, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/fyj/1925.htm}}</ref> The team had compiled a 9–1 record in its first 10 games, but Chamberlin suffered a broken shoulder in a game against Akron,<ref>{{cite news|title=Guy Chamberlain Is Out of Game; Right Shoulder Fractured|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|date=November 14, 1925|page=14|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10868924/guy_chamberlain_is_out_of_game_right/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> and the Yellow Jackets lost six of the next eight games.<ref name=t25/> Chamberlin returned to the lineup in mid-December and led the team to victories in its final two games.

In 1926, Chamberlin returned to Philadelphia and appeared in all 17 games as a player, despite being the oldest player on the team at age 32.  He led the [[1926 Frankford Yellow Jackets season|1926 Yellow Jackets]] to an NFL championship with a 14–1–2 record, shutting out 10 NFL opponents and outscoring all NFL opponents, 236 to 49.<ref name=t26>{{cite web|title=1926 Frankford Yellow Jackets Statistics & Players|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 8, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/fyj/1926.htm}}</ref> On December 4, 1926, the Yellow Jackets defeated the previously unbeaten [[1926 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears]], 7–6, to secure the championship.  In a 1968 book titled "Pro Football's All-time Greats", the author wrote that Chamberlin blocked both an extra point and a field goal in the victory over the Bears,<ref name=BS/> though contemporary accounts do not corroborate the claim.<ref>{{cite news|title=Frankford Tops Bears in Thrilling Fray: Stockton Passes 45 Yards to Homan, Scores Touchdown|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=December 5, 1926|page=Sports 1, 3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10878283/frankford_tops_bears_in_thrilling_fray/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

Chamberlin left the team after the 1926 season for unclear reasons; sports historian [[Bob Carroll (author)|Bob Carroll]] notes that "one [theory] is that Chamberlin and the players he wanted were too costly. Another theory is that he was fired as a result of a power battle within the Frankford organization."<ref name="fitz">{{cite news |last1=Fitzpatrick |first1=Frank |title=Why did winning coach leave Philly? |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/sports/20070215_Why_did_winning_coach_leave_Philly_.html |publisher=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=February 15, 2007}}</ref> In two years at Frankford, Chamberlin led the Yellow Jackets to Philadelphia's first NFL championship and compiled a 27-8-2 record against NFL opponents.<ref name=t25/><ref name=t26/>

===Chicago Cardinals===
In August 1927, Chamberlin signed as player/coach for the [[Chicago Cardinals]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Chamberlain To Coach Cards' Pro Gridiron Squad|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=August 9, 1927|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10879742/chamberlain_to_coach_cards_pro/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> With the exception of [[Ben Jones (halfback)|Ben Jones]], the 1927 Cardinals lacked star players, and Chamberlin at age 33 started only one game.  The team compiled a 3–7–1 and finished ninth in the NFL.<ref>{{cite web|title=1927 Chicago Cardinals Statistics & Players|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 9, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/crd/1927.htm}}</ref>

==Legacy and honors==
With a 58-16-7 record in six years as an NFL head coach,<ref name=PFR/> Chamberlin has the best win percentage ({{Winning percentage|58|16|7}}) of any coach in NFL history with a minimum of 50 wins. See [[List of National Football League head coaches with 50 wins]]. His accomplishment of winning a championship with three separate franchises in a [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|major North American sports league]] would not be matched until 1997, when [[Scotty Bowman]] won the [[1997 Stanley Cup Finals]].<ref name="fitz"/> Author Chris Willis ranks Chamberlin as the fifth-greatest NFL player in the period from 1920 to 1945, writing that Chamberlin "performed the dual role of player-coach better than anybody in the first decade of the NFL."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Willis |first1=Chris |title=The NFL's 60-Minute Men: All-Time Greats of the Two-Way Player Era, 1920-1945 |date=2024 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9781476691329 |pages=68–72}}</ref>

Chamberlin received numerous honors for his accomplishments as a football player and coach. His honors include the following:

*In 1936, Chamberlin was named the greatest player in Nebraska football history in a poll of former Nebraska football players.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chamberlin, End, Is Husker 'All' Player|newspaper=The Minneapolis Star|date=November 14, 1936|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10843016/chamberlin_end_is_husker_all_player/}}</ref>
*In 1951, he became the fifth person inducted into the Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite news|title=Guy Chamberlin Named To State Hall of Fame|newspaper=Lincoln Evening Journal|date=August 21, 1951|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10842934/guy_chamberlin_named_to_state_hall_of/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
*In 1962, he was inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Nebraska's Guy Chamberlin to Football Hall of Fame|newspaper=Lincoln Evening Journal|date=April 4, 1962|page=32|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/725503/1962/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> On learning of his selection, Chamberlin said he accepted the honor to share it with all members of the 1914 and 1915 Nebraska football teams and paid particular tribute to [[Dick Rutherford]] who was the blocking star during those years.<ref>{{cite news|title=Guy Thankful To Former Mates: Exceptional NU, Pro Grid Star Accepts Honor for 'Whole Team'|newspaper=Lincoln Evening Journal|date=April 4, 1962|page=32|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/725503/1962/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
*Also in 1962, a new baseball diamond was dedicated at the Nebraska State Reformatory, where Chamberlin had been a guard for seven-and-a-half year was named Guy Chamberlin Field. The name was chosen by popular vote among the inmates. At the dedication ceremony, Governor [[Frank B. Morrison]] praised Chamberlin for his devotion to the inmates.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chamberlin Field Officially Dedicated|newspaper=Lincoln Evening Journal|date=July 16, 1962|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10880271/chamberlin_field_officially_dedicated/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
*In 1965, he was also inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1965 as part of the third class of inductees.<ref>{{cite news|title=Guy Chamberlin To Hall of Fame|newspaper=The Lincoln Star|date=September 12, 1965|page=28|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10880364/guy_chamberlin_to_hall_of_fame/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> His Pro Football Hall of Fame bust and certificate are displayed in the gallery cabinet at the [[Beta Theta Pi]] fraternity house at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.<ref name=BS/>
*In 1967, the University of Nebraska began awarding the Guy Chamberlin Trophy.<ref name=BS/> It is awarded each year to the player "who has the qualities and dedication of the Husker Tradition."<ref>{{cite web|title=Nebraska announces 2016 Football Award winners|publisher=NebraskaOnline.com|date=December 18, 2016|access-date=May 9, 2017|url=https://nebraska.rivals.com/news/nebraska-announces-2016-football-award-winners}}</ref> Past winners include [[Jordan Westerkamp]] (2016), [[Dean Steinkuhler]] (1984), [[Maury Damkroger]] (1974), [[Rich Glover]] (1973), and [[Jeff Kinney (American football)|Jeff Kinney]] (1972).
*In 1969, as part of the NFL's 50th anniversary, the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] selected all-decade teams for each of the league's first five decades.  Chamberlin was selected as an end on the [[National Football League 1920s All-Decade Team|NFL 1920s All-Decade Team]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Halas, Grange on NFL All-Star Team of '20s|newspaper=Decatur Herald|date=August 24, 1969|page=20|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10869434/halas_grange_on_nfl_allstar_team_of/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
*In 1971, he was one of eight persons (along with [[Bob Devaney]], [[Ed Weir]], [[George Sauer]], [[Dana X. Bible]], [[Biff Jones]], [[Fielding H. Yost]], and [[Eddie N. Robinson]]) in the first class to be inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hall of Famers|newspaper=The Lincoln Star|date=May 16, 1971|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10882959/hall_of_famers/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
*In 2014, a monument to Chamberlin was dedicated on the grounds of Southern Elementary School in [[Blue Springs, Nebraska]].<ref name=BS/>
*In 2017, his jersey was retired by the University of Nebraska and his name was added to the north facade of [[Memorial Stadium (Lincoln)|Memorial Stadium]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Nebraska adds eight former football players to its list of Huskers with retired jerseys|date=August 23, 2017|access-date=January 16, 2019|url=https://www.omaha.com/huskers/blogs/nebraska-adds-eight-former-football-players-to-its-list-of/article_a855697c-8846-11e7-8635-0b7bb1dc8fc2.html}}</ref>

==Family and later years==
Chamberlin was married twice. He married Lucile B. Lees in 1919.<ref name=BS/> They had a daughter, Patricia, born in 1923.<ref>{{cite news|title=untitled|newspaper=The Nebraska State Journal|date=February 12, 1923|page=6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10849928/untitled_guy_chamberlin_daughter/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>1920 U.S. Census entry for Berlin Guy Chamberlin and wife Lucile. Census Place: Canton Ward 3, Stark, Ohio; Roll: T625_1434; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 38; Image: 449. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line].</ref><ref>1930 U.S. Census entry for Guy Chamberlin, age 36, wife Lucile, and daughter Patricia. Census Place: East Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio; Roll: 1785; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0595; Image: 11.0; FHL microfilm: 2341519. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line].</ref> Chamberlin and his first wife were divorced.<ref name=BS/> In 1941, he was married to Bernyce Gertrude Weekes.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bernyce G. Weekes United In Marriage with Guy Chamberlin|newspaper=The Lincoln Star|date=June 13, 1941|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10850227/bernyce_g_weekes_united_in_marriage/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

After retiring from football, was a salesman in [[Cleveland]] for several years. He returned to Blue Springs in 1932, where he managed his father's farm. In 1948, he moved to [[Nebraska City, Nebraska]], where he owned and operated a Ford-Ferguson agricultural equipment dealership. In 1954 or 1955, he sold the Ford-Ferguson business and moved to [[Lincoln, Nebraska]], where he was employed as a guard at the Nebraska State Reformatory. He retired in 1962.<ref name=BS/>

Chamberlin died in 1967 at age 73 in [[Lincoln, Nebraska]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Guy Chamberlin Dies at 73|newspaper=Lincoln Evening Journal|date=April 4, 1967|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/9829117/1967_guy_chamberlin_death/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Per Chamberlin's request, his body was cremated, and his ashes were either spread in his hometown, [[Blue Springs, Nebraska]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Husker Football Stars Go To Chamberlin Rites|newspaper=The Lincoln Star|date=April 8, 1967|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10886163/husker_football_stars_go_to_chamberlin/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> or placed near the Schiller [[linden tree]] north of Architectural Hall on the [[University of Nebraska–Lincoln]] campus.<ref name=BS/>

==Head coaching record==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="5"|Regular season !! colspan="4"|Post season
|-
!Won!!Lost!!Ties!!Win %!!Finish!! Won !! Lost !! Win % !! Result
|- ! style="background:#FDE910;"
![[1922 Canton Bulldogs season|CAN]]||[[1922 NFL season|1922]]
|| 10 || 0 || 2 || 1.000 || '''1st in NFL''' || – || – || – || <small>'''NFL Champions'''</small>
|- ! style="background:#FDE910;"
![[1923 Canton Bulldogs season|CAN]]||[[1923 NFL season|1923]]
|| 11 || 0 || 1 || 1.000 || '''1st in NFL''' || – || – || – || <small>'''NFL Champions'''</small>
|-
! colspan="2"|CTN Total||21||0||3||1.000||| – ||| – || – || – ||
|- ! style="background:#FDE910;"
![[1924 Cleveland Bulldogs season|CLE]]||[[1924 NFL season|1924]]
|| 7 || 1 || 1 || .875 || '''1st in NFL''' || – || – || – || <small>'''NFL Champions on tiebreaker over [[1924 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears]]'''</small> 
|-
! colspan="2"|CLE Total||7||1||1||.875||| – ||| – || – || – ||
|-
![[1925 Frankford Yellow Jackets season|FYJ]]||[[1925 NFL season|1925]]
|| 13 || 7 || 0 || .650 || 6th in NFL || – || – || – || – 
|- ! style="background:#FDE910;"
![[1926 Frankford Yellow Jackets season|FYJ]]||[[1926 NFL season|1926]]
|| 14 || 1 || 2 || .933 || '''1st in NFL''' || – || – || – || <small>'''NFL Champions'''</small>
|-
! colspan="2"|FYJ Total||27||8||2||.771||| – ||| – || – || – ||
|-
![[1927 Chicago Cardinals season|CHI]]||[[1927 NFL season|1927]]
|| 3 || 7 || 1 || .300 || 9th in NFL || – || – || – || – 
|-
! colspan="2"|CHI Total||3||7||1||.300||| – ||| – || – || – ||
|-
! colspan="2"|Total||58||16||7||.759|||| – || – || – || – 
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [https://staleymuseum.com/staleys-bears-20-21/guy-chamberlin/ Guy Chamberlin bio (Staley Museum)]
* {{cfbhof|id=1292|name=Guy Chamberlin}}
* {{Profootballhof|id=44|name=Guy Chamberlin}}

{{Canton Bulldogs coach navbox}}
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{{Navboxes
| title = Guy Chamberlin—championships, awards and honors
| list1 =
{{1920 Decatur Staleys}}
{{1921 Chicago Staleys}}
{{1922 Canton Bulldogs}}
{{1923 Canton Bulldogs}}
{{1924 Cleveland Bulldogs}}
{{1926 Frankford Yellow Jackets}}
{{1915 College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{NFL1920s}}
{{1965 Football HOF}}
{{Pro Football Hall of Fame members}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chamberlin, Guy}}
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