# Chuck Heberling

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{{Short description|American football official (1925–2019)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Charles Heberling
| image              = <!-- just the name, without the File: or Image: prefix or enclosing [brackets](/source/brackets) -->
| image_size         = 
| alt                = 
| caption            = 
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1925|04|28}}
| birth_place        = [Pittsburgh](/source/Pittsburgh), [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania), U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2019|12|09|1925|04|28}}
| death_place        = [McCandless, Pennsylvania](/source/McCandless%2C_Pennsylvania), U.S.
| alma_mater         = [Washington & Jefferson College](/source/Washington_%26_Jefferson_College)
| occupation         = Football official<br>Scholastic sports administrator
| spouse             = Jane (deceased)<ref name="WPIAL" />
| children           = 4 (1 deceased)
| parents            = 
| relatives          = 
| awards             = WPIAL Hall of Fame <small>(2007)</small><ref name="wpialhof" /><br>[W&J Hall of Fame](/source/Washington_%26_Jefferson_Presidents) <small>(2007)</small><ref name="washjeffhof" />
}}
'''Charles Heberling''' (April 28, 1925 – December 9, 2019) was an American [football](/source/American_football) [official](/source/Official_(American_football)) in the [National Football League](/source/National_Football_League) (NFL) and [Western Pennsylvania](/source/Western_Pennsylvania) sports administrator. He was the referee for both the [Hail Mary Game](/source/List_of_Hail_Mary_passes_in_American_football) and [The Drive](/source/The_Drive_(American_football)). He was an alternate for the officiating crew for [Super Bowl XXI](/source/Super_Bowl_XXI).  Heberling wore the number 46 for the major part of his NFL career.<ref name="WPIAL" />

Upon his inauguration into the [Washington & Jefferson College](/source/Washington_%26_Jefferson_College) Hall of Fame, his alma mater described him as "the man who has had the greatest impact on high school athletics in western Pennsylvania in the 100-year history."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Charles "Ace" Heberling |url=https://gopresidents.com/hof.aspx?hof=72 |access-date=December 4, 2019 |website=gopresidents.com |publisher=Washington and Jefferson College Athletics}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
A native of [Pittsburgh](/source/Pittsburgh), Heberling attended [Perry High School](/source/Pittsburgh_Public_Schools) in the [North Side](/source/North_Side_(Pittsburgh)) neighborhood.<ref name="WPIAL">{{Cite web |title=Charles Heberling - 2002 - Football |url=http://www.wash-greenesportshall.org/2002/Heberling.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429222350/http://www.wash-greenesportshall.org/2002/Heberling.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2016 |access-date=February 19, 2012 |publisher=[Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame](/source/Pennsylvania_Sports_Hall_of_Fame)}}</ref>  He attended [Washington & Jefferson College](/source/Washington_%26_Jefferson_College), graduating in 1949.<ref name="washjeffhof">{{Cite web |title=Athletic Hall of Fame - Class of 2007 |url=http://www.washjeff.edu/athletics/athletic-hall-fame/class-2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303065340/http://www.washjeff.edu/athletics/athletic-hall-fame/class-2007 |archive-date=March 3, 2012 |access-date=February 19, 2012 |publisher=[Washington & Jefferson College](/source/Washington_%26_Jefferson_College)}}</ref>  There, he was a multi-sport athlete, letting three times in football, where he was a played running back alongside [Melvin Bassi](/source/Melvin_Bassi), Walter Cooper and ["Deacon" Dan Towler](/source/Deacon_Dan), and three times in baseball, where he was a top starting pitcher.<ref name="washjeffhof" />  During [World War II](/source/World_War_II), he served as a [fighter pilot](/source/fighter_pilot) in the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy); it was there that he earned the nickname "[Ace](/source/Flying_ace)."<ref name="WPIAL" />  Later, he worked as a teacher and coach of the football and basketball at [East Washington High School](/source/East_Washington%2C_Pennsylvania).<ref name="WPIAL" /><ref name="deal">{{Cite news |last=Bechtel |first=Sam |date=June 29, 1976 |title=WPIAL Deals Itself an Ace |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Zx0vAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cNsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3301%2C6111748 |access-date=February 19, 2012 |work=[Beaver County Times](/source/Beaver_County_Times)}}</ref>  He also worked as a salesman for [General Electric](/source/General_Electric) in [Pittsburgh](/source/Pittsburgh).<ref name="white">{{Cite news |last=White |first=Mike |date=August 27, 2006 |title=From humble beginnings, the WPIAL moves into its 100th year |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06239/716739-49.stm |access-date=February 19, 2012 |work=[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette](/source/Pittsburgh_Post-Gazette)}}</ref>

During the 1970s, Heberling was a school board member for the [North Allegheny School District](/source/North_Allegheny_School_District).<ref name="deal" />

==Career==
===Officiating===
Heberling worked as a football official in high school and college football for 15 years and basketball for 25 years.<ref name="WPIAL" /> He spent 23 years as an official in the [National Football League](/source/National_Football_League), 15 years of which (1972-86) he spent as a crew chief. He was promoted from line judge to referee in June 1972 following the death of [Jack Vest](/source/Jack_Vest) in a motorcycle accident in [South Carolina](/source/South_Carolina), and kept Vest's crew (umpire Frank Sinkovitz, head linesman Leo Miles, line judge Bruce Alford Sr., back judge John Steffen and field judge Tony Skover) together in 1972 and '73. [Red Cashion](/source/Red_Cashion) was hired as Heberling's replacement at line judge.<ref name="WPIAL" />  He spent another 14 years as an NFL observer.<ref name="WPIAL" />  

He was the referee for two of the most famous events in professional football:  [The Hail Mary](/source/1975%E2%80%9376_NFL_playoffs) in 1975, and [The Drive](/source/The_Drive_(American_football)) in 1987. <ref name="ed">{{Cite news |last=Bouchette |first=Ed |date=January 23, 1987 |title=Greene Thumb May Get New Ring |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Wc9RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9m0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6822,5628524 |access-date=February 19, 2012 |work=[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette](/source/Pittsburgh_Post-Gazette)}}</ref>  Later, he was an alternate on the officiating crew for [Super Bowl XIII](/source/Super_Bowl_XIII) and [Super Bowl XXI](/source/Super_Bowl_XXI).<ref name="ed" />  He was the replay official for [Super Bowl XXIII](/source/Super_Bowl_XXIII).<ref name="tuma">{{Cite news |last=Tuma |first=Gary |date=February 2, 1989 |title=Super Bowl Calls Put Heberling and Bergman of the Spot |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Hq5RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=220DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3303%2C664941 |access-date=February 19, 2010 |work=[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette](/source/Pittsburgh_Post-Gazette)}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|Several sources indicate that Heberling was an official for three Super Bowls.<ref name="WPIAL" /><ref name="wpialhof">{{Cite news |last=Lafferty |first=Tricia |date=May 2, 2007 |title=WPIAL Hall of Fame highlights league's heritage |url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/highschool/s_505639.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131084406/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/highschool/s_505639.html |archive-date=January 31, 2013 |access-date=February 20, 2012 |work=[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review](/source/Pittsburgh_Tribune-Review)}}</ref><ref name="washjeffhof" />  It is not clear whether his above-referenced work on [Super Bowl XIII](/source/Super_Bowl_XIII), [Super Bowl XXI](/source/Super_Bowl_XXI), and [Super Bowl XXIII](/source/Super_Bowl_XXIII) represent the three Super Bowls referenced in these sources.|group="nb"}}

===Leadership of WPIAL===
In 1976, Heberling took over as executive director of the [Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League](/source/Western_Pennsylvania_Interscholastic_Athletic_League) (WPIAL), which held supervisory control over scholastic sports in [Western Pennsylvania](/source/Western_Pennsylvania).<ref name="white" />  Under his leadership WPIAL grew from an organization being run from a basement into a well-respected and fiscally solvent sports organization, with a permanent headquarters, equality among the male and female sports, and a lucrative contract bringing the WPIAL high school football championship to cable television.<ref name="WPIAL" />  He was a capable and headstrong executive, leading the ''[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette](/source/Pittsburgh_Post-Gazette)'' to say that he "...took a hard stand on many WPIAL issues and ran the league with a certain boldness that infuriated some school officials, coaches and members of the media."<ref name="white" />  In 1986, he successfully secured the use of [Three Rivers Stadium](/source/Three_Rivers_Stadium), and later [Heinz Field](/source/Heinz_Field), as the site of the WPIAL championships for all classes of WPIAL football.<ref name="washjeffhof" />  He retired from the WPIAL on June 30, 1998, after 22 years.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tuscano |first=Joe |date=June 17, 1998 |title=Saying Goodbye to Ace |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=siZdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=y1oNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1734,3161175 |access-date=February 19, 2012 |work=[Observer-Reporter](/source/Observer-Reporter) |page=C1}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Heberling and his wife Jane had four children, three sons and a daughter.<ref name="WPIAL" /> He died at his home in [McCandless, Pennsylvania](/source/McCandless%2C_Pennsylvania), on December 9, 2019, at the age of 94.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 9, 2019 |title=Influential WPIAL director Charles 'Ace' Heberling dies |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/highschool/2019/12/09/charles-ace-heberling-wpial-high-school-sports-pennsylvania/stories/201912090098 |publisher=Post-Gazette}}</ref>
Heberling was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Jane, and his son Daniel. He is survived by two sons, a daughter, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group="nb"}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heberling, Chuck}}
Category:1925 births
Category:2019 deaths
Category:Basketball referees
Category:College football officials
Category:NFL officials
Category:Washington & Jefferson Presidents football players
Category:Washington & Jefferson Presidents baseball players
Category:United States Navy pilots of World War II
Category:Military personnel from Pittsburgh
Category:Schoolteachers from Pennsylvania
Category:Baseball players from Pittsburgh
Category:Players of American football from Pittsburgh
Category:School board members in Pennsylvania
Category:Businesspeople from Pittsburgh
Category:20th-century American businesspeople

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chuck Heberling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Heberling) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Heberling?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.