Jack Hennemier John M . " Jack " Hennemier ( c . 1913 – 1993 ) was an American football coach and scout . He served as the head coach for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League ( CFL ) for one and a half seasons , and also held assistant coaching positions at several colleges , most notably , the University of Maryland , College Park where he helped Jim Tatum coach the Terrapins to the 1953 national championship . After his brief stint in the CFL , Hennemier worked as a professional football scout . He attended Duke University , where he played college football as a center and was named the team ' s most valuable player . Biography . He was born circa 1913 in Savannah , Georgia and attended Savannah High School . In 1931 , Hennemier enrolled at Duke University where he studied business administration and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity . He played college football for the Blue Devils under head coach Wallace Wade . Hennemier played as a center and guard , and he was a member of the varsity team from 1933 to 1935 . As a senior in 1935 , he was named the team ' s most valuable player . In 1935 , he was named to the All - Southern Conference third team . At his heaviest , Hennemier weighed between 150 and 155 pounds , but because of his aggressiveness despite his small size , he was nicknamed " Scrappy Jack " . He graduated with the Class of 1936 . In 1948 , he joined the coaching staff of Jim Tatum at Maryland , and Hennemier remained there as the " chief defensive coach " through the 1954 season . He served as an assistant coach responsible for the defensive line , and during this time , Maryland won the 1953 national championship . During Hennemier ' s first tenure at Maryland , the Terrapins compiled a record of 56 – 12 – 2 , and outscored their opponents by a margin of 1 , 924 points to 599 . Maryland also recorded 21 defensive shutout s . In 1955 , Hennemier left Maryland to take the head coaching job with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League ( CFL ) . That season , the team posted a 4 - 12 record to finish last in the Western Division . Hennemier nearly signed Forrest Gregg , a tackle in the National Football League ( NFL ) who Vince Lombardi called " the finest player [ he ] ever coached . " Hennemier flew to Dallas to meet with Gregg , and over dinner offered him a $ 7 , 500 contract with a $ 500 signing bonus ( $ and $ , respectively , in inflation - adjusted terms ) . When the Green Bay Packers , who had also shown him interest , matched the contract and offered to match half of the signing bonus , Gregg agreed to sign with the Packers . In February 1955 , the Washington Redskins of the NFL sued Hennemier for $ 50 , 000 in damages ( $ adjusted for inflation ) for an alleged attempt to lure away two of its tackles . The clubs agreed to a truce and eschewed " raiding " each others rosters . Hennemier was fired during the 1956 season , and the Stampeders again finished last in their division . In 1957 , he returned to Maryland to coach the line and handle recruiting duties . He held that position through the 1958 season during the tenure of head coach Tommy Mont . His second stint at Maryland was less successful than his earlier one , and the Terrapins compiled a record of 9 – 11 during those two seasons . Hennemier also held coaching positions at Duke , North Carolina , Washington & Lee , and Savannah High School . and later worked as a professional football scout . He was inducted into the Greater Savannah Athletic Hall of Fame in 1970 . Hennemier died on November 6 , 1993 in Charlotte , North Carolina .