Major General Vernon Edwin "Prich" Prichard (January 25, 1892 − July 10, 1949) was an American football quarterback and United States Army officer.

The younger Prichard began his education at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, where he also played football and established a reputation as a passer.

[1] In November 1910, while he was a student at Morningside, Prichard received word that he had been appointed to the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York.

[4] James Van Fleet, commander of U.S. forces in the Korean War, also played on the 1914 West Point football team with Prichard.

Although he weighed only 158 pounds, Prichard played every minute of every major game during his three years of varsity football at West Point.

Colgate led 6–0 with ten seconds left to play, when Prichard sprinted 70 yards for a touchdown to lead Army to a 7–6 victory.

His brilliant forward passing, spectacular open field running and excellent generalship have made him one of the season's leading quarterbacks.

[10] During World War II, Prichard served as the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 27th Field Artillery Regiment from 1940–41, and received a promotion to colonel in the Army of the United States (AUS) on April 26, 1941.

[11] From July 1944 until September 1945, after the end of World War II in Europe, he was the CG of the 1st "Old Ironsides" Armored Division during the Italian campaign, including the Battle of the Gothic Line, Po Valley and the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy.

Shortly after the United States entered the war, in December 1941, Eisenhower wrote a letter to Prichard in which he confided, "this is a long tough road we have to travel."

In an oft-quoted passage, Eisenhower continued his comments to Prichard, noting that, "men that can do things are going to be sought out just as surely as the sun rises in the morning," and, "fake reputations, habits of glib and clever speech, and glittering surface performances are going to be discovered.

"[13] During the Battle of the Bulge in late December 1944, Prichard wrote to Eisenhower, reminding him of what their football coach had taught them: "If things break badly or go against you -- stay with it all the harder.

"[9] Eisenhower's biographer, Matthew Holland, later wrote that Eisenhower had learned important lessons on the football playing field at West Point, and concluded: "World War II was won on the playing fields of West Point, and Ike would prove to be the quarterback of the winning team.

Philadelphia soldier, diplomat and socialite Col. Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle, Jr. dove into the Potomac in an effort to save Prichard and recovered his body.