Harpster, Howard
Football
b. 1907
Harpster starred at Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh when that school was an Eastern football power. A quarterback, he led Carnegie to upset victories over Notre Dame in 1926 and in 1928, when he was named an All-American.
A dangerous runner, excellent kicker, and accurate passer, Harpster was also a signal-caller who liked to surprise the defense. He often threw a long pass on second down with less than a yard to go. In the 1928 victory over Notre Dame, he ran 35 yards on a quarterback sneak when it was third down and 15.
In 1933, Harpster became head coach at his alma mater, but material had grown much thinner by then. He won only 12, lost 20, and tied 3 in four seasons of playing some of the best teams in the country