Bernie, a fourth generation Californian moved to Medford in 1922. He was a member of the undefeated Medford High School teams under Coach Prink Callison 1924 to 1928. He attended the University of Oregon from 1929 to 1933 where he also played football under Coach Callison and gained All­-Coast and All-American honors. As a center, Bernie was co-captain of the Oregon team his senior year and was chosen to play in the 1934 East-West

Shrine all-star game. He was heavy weight boxing champion at Oregon for three years.

From 1934 to 1936 Bernie played professional football with the Chicago Cardinals and for two years he played for the Los Angeles Bulldogs, (now the Rams), the 1937 American League Champions. He is a member of the Shrine East-West Hall of Fame.

Bernie entered the Naval service during World War II and was with the Seabees as a chief instructor at Camp Parks, California where he taught hand-to-hand combat for survival. Traveling for the U.S. Bond Drive, he put on hand-to-hand combat exhibitions.

Bill Morgan, teammate of Bernie, said: “In that era, the heaviest, bulkiest man of a team generally was the center. Bernie to the contrary at only 165 in Medford, never above 185 at Oregon, nor 200 in pro football, was one of the lightest on all his team. Yet he became one of the great centers of his era, both offensively and on defense as a ‘rover’, so-called. Callison, a fine offensive coach, always spoke of Bernie as the best ball passer I ever saw.”