Fans called him the "Flying Dutchman" for his spectacular tackles during his 1928-30 career despite weighing just 164 pounds. Teammate Bill Bowerman called him "one of the most elegant halfbacks in the history of football." He played both offensive and defensive back and was the team’s kicker, earning all-Pacific Coast honors twice.

A member of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, he spent one year with the New York Giants in professional football before returning to Oregon to coach four years as an assistant. During his career, Oregon won 23 of 30 games, but lost the last two of the 1929 season after he suffered a broken leg.a broken leg.