Iowa History Daily: On November 28, 1948, Vern Den Herder was born in Le Mars. A standout basketball and football player at Sioux Center High School and Central College, Den Herder spent 12 seasons in the NFL.
An exceptional athlete from a young age, Den Herder excelled at basketball during his freshman and sophomore years, not appearing on the gridiron due Sioux Center lacking a team. However, during his junior year the school added football and Den Herder shined.
Vern Den Herder headed to Pella to attend Central College he went on to graduate cum laude while majoring in chemistry. The 6’6” Dunking Dutchman started at center on Central's basketball team for four years and set the school scoring record. He also dominated while playing defensive end for the Dutchmen.
Drafted with the 230th overall pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 9th round, Vern Den Herder proved a fierce run stopper and menace to opposing quarterbacks. During his time with the Dolphins, Den Herder unofficially racked up 64.5 sacks good for 4th all-time in franchise history while helping the team to three Super Bowl appearances and two championships. Following retirement, Den Herder returned to northwestern Iowa to settle into a life of farming. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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