Lusk made his NFL debut with the Eagles on September 12, 1976, at the age of 23, in a 27–7 loss against the Dallas Cowboys.[5] In the third game of his career on September 27, 1976, he fumbled the ball with 12 seconds remaining in the first half after he opted to run instead of running out the clock. This led to the Eagles relinquishing their 10–3 lead over the Washington Redskins, with Philadelphia ultimately losing the game in sudden-death overtime.[6][7] He played in 14 games (1 start) during his rookie season and recorded 254 rushing yards, 13 receptions, and 119 receiving yards.[1] He made the seventh-longest rushing attempt in the league (70 yards) the following year,[1] and became the first NFL player to kneel in the endzone after a touchdown and pray on October 9, 1977.[8][9] This custom gained him the nickname "The Praying Tailback".[8][10] He scored two other touchdowns that season, to go along with 229 rushing yards, 5 receptions, and 102 receiving yards in 11 games.[1] He played just 3 games during his final year in the NFL,[1] and attended one day of training camp in July 1979,[8] before retiring from football at the age of 26 to become a minister.[9][11][12]
Lusk was married to Vickey until his death. Together, they had three children: Danuelle, Laiah, and Herbert III.[13] Lusk was inducted into the CSULB Hall of Fame in October 2005,[14][15] and was also enshrined in MPC's Lobo Hall of Fame.[2]
After retiring from professional football, Lusk returned to college at Gwynedd Mercy University and Reformed Episcopal Seminary to finish his degree in theology.[16][8][11][17] He then became the pastor of the Greater Exodus Baptist Church in Philadelphia, starting in 1982.[8][18] He oversaw an increase in the number of congregants from 27 members to over 1,500 by 2006.[9] He also served as team chaplain to the Eagles.[13] A supporter of the Republican Party,[13] Lusk delivered the invocation at the party's national convention in 2000.[8][19] His church was later given $1 million in federal funds to run a program assisting low-income Philadelphians.[19] He also addressed the World Meeting of Families 2015 held in Philadelphia.[4][20]
Lusk died on September 19, 2022, at his home in Philadelphia. He was 69, and had cancer prior to his death.[13][20][21]
^ abcdefg"Herb Lusk Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
^ ab"Lobo Hall of Fame". MPC Foundation. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
^"Herb Lusk 1976 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
^ abWallsten, Peter; Hamburger, Tom; Riccardi, Nicholas (January 18, 2005). "Bush Rewarded by Black Pastors' Faith". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 17, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
