Back to the Maryland Terrapins Newsfeed

Jack Scarbath, Maryland football great and Poly graduate remembered for being ‘nicer than life,’ dies

Quarterback Jack Scarbath, a 1949 Poly graduate who earned a scholarship to play football at Maryland in the early 1950s and became an All-American, helped build what is now known as Maryland Stadium. He did so not just with his play, but with his own hands.

The summer going into his freshman year, he took a job as a construction worker, pouring cement and, at the same time, adding muscle to prepare for what turned into a Hall of Fame college career.

In a 35-21 win over Navy on Sept. 30, 1950, Scarbath ran an option play around the left side that went for 21 yards and the first touchdown at the school’s new stadium.