me, Michigan also had an All-American center, Chuck Bernard. I was the better offensive center, but Chuck was 25 pounds heavier and better on defense. And in those days a coach played one guy. So that was my great regret." The interviewer asked, "But, Mr. President, what about losing the election in '76?" Ford laughed and said, "Oh, well, that too." Ford told his biographer that it was a terrible let-down to sit on the sidelines. Ford noted: "So here I am, great prospects as a sophomore, and my competition is All-American." Ford was forced to watch and play backup as Bernard started for the 1932 and 1933 National Championship teams. "Not playing was tough", Ford said, "but I learned a lot on the bench. I learned that there was the potential always that somebody could be better than you. And Chuck was better overall." Detroit Lions In September 1934, Bernard signed a contract to play professional football for the Detroit Lions. He had accepted a job with a motor manufacturer after graduating from Michigan, rejecting prior efforts by the Lions to sign him. After playing in the Chicago College All-Star Game, in which the college all-stars played the NFL champion Chicago Bears to a scoreless tie, Bernard decided to try playing in the NFL. Bernard played 10 games for the Lions during their 1934 season. Due to a back injury suffered in the College All-Star Game, Bernard underwent two minor operations to relieve the condition and spent much of the 1934 as a backup to Clare Randolph. Later years After retiring from professional football, Bernard worked for ten years for Ford Motor Company's internal security forces, then known as the Service Department. Bernard was sued in 1941 by a labor organizer who claimed that he had been beaten, tarred and feathered in Dallas, Texas, at the instigation of Ford personnel. Bernard was also the principal witness in an NLRB proceeding in 1943 concerning efforts to organize the plant protection personnel at the Ford River Rouge Complex. He served as the head of the plant police force at the Rouge plant until being relieved of those duties in November 1945. In 1948, Bernard served as the line coach for the Michigan Tech Huskies. In July 1949, he was hired as the line coach at Auburn in Alabama. Bernard was married. He and his wife, Ruth, had two sons and two