The Indianapolis journal., 1889-12-01
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LAMAR's RUN.

An Incident In the History or intercollegiate
Football In America.
Walter Camp, in December ST. Nicholas.
One of the most magnificent dashes ever
made on an American football field was
the run made by Lamar. of Princeton, in
the game with Yale. which was played
upon the Yale field, Nov. 81, 1888. The game
had been an unusual one in many respects.
Princeton had come to New Haven after a
long wrangle about the place of playing.
and had brought team supposed by ex-
perts throughout the country to be sure
winners. The Yale team was green one,
and none of her partisans hoped for more
than o respectable showing against the
Princeton veterans. But Peters, the Yale
captain, had done wonders with his re-
opened with rush and actually forced the
fight for the entire first half. They scored
goal from the field upon the ast0nished
PrIncetonians. and, In spite of the valiant
efforts put forth against them, seemed
certain of victory. The feeling of the
easily be imagined. The sun was low
in the horizon, nearly forty minutes of the
second half were gone, and no one dared to
hope such failing fortunes could be re-
trieved in the few remaining minutes. The
ball was in Yale's hands. half way down
the field and on the northern edge. For
moment Captain Peters hesitated and con-
suited with another of his players as to
whether he should continue the running
game and thus make scoring against him
Impossible and victory certain, or send the
ball by a kick down in front of the ememy's
goal and trust to fuslble to increase his
score. Perhaps not dozen men knew what
was in his mind. A kick was surely the
more generous play in the eyes of the
crowd. He settled the ball under his foot.
gave the signal and shot it back. The quar-
ter sent it to Watkinson. who drove it
with low, swinging punt across the
further goal post. 1t was a perfect kick for
Yale purposes. difficult to catch. and abO ut
to land close to the enemy's posts. A
Princeton man attempted to catch it, but
it shot Oft his breast toward the
southern touch-line.. Lamar. who had
been slightly behind this man. was just
starting up to his assistance from that par
ticuar spot. As the ball slid off with its
force hardly diminished he made most
dtficult short-bound catch of 1T on the run,
and sped away along the southern bound
ary. The Yale forwards had all gone past
the ball, in their expectation of getting it,
as they saw the missed catch. Lamar.
therefore. went straight along toward the
kicker. had hardly stirred from his tracks
as the entire play had occupied but a few
seconds, and he was, therefore. too
near the northern side of the
field to have even chance to cut
off the runner. Lamar. with the
moment his opportunity. and ran straight
along the southern edge as if he intended
TO get by there. Bull and his comrade
(who then were inexperienced tacklers)
were the two men in his pathway. and
they both bunched over by the line as the
Princeton runner came flying down upon
them. Just as be was almost upon them,
Lamar made a swerve TO the right, and VIZ 8
by them like tightening before either could
recover. BY this time two or three of the
Yale forwards, Peters among them, had
turned and were desperately speeding up
the field after Lamar. who was but few
yards in advance, having given up several
yards of his advantage to the well executed
vancouver by which he had
cleared his field of the half-bac and
back. Then began the race for victory.
Lamar had nearly forty yards to go, and.
while he was running well, had had a
sharp "breather" already. not only in his
run thus far. but in his superb lodging of
the backs. Peters. strong. nntiring. thor
oughly trained runner. was but a few
Yards behind him, and. in addition to this,
he was the captain of team which but a
moment before bad been sure of victory.
How he ran! But Lamar-did he not toe
know full well what the beat of those foot
steps behind him meant? The white five
ward lines fairly flew under his feet; past
the white twenty -five-yard line he goes
still with three or four yards to spare
Now he throws his head back with that fa.
miliar motion of the sprinter who is almost
In the last few strides, and. almost before
one can breathe. he il over the white goal.
line and painting on the ground, with the
ball under him. a touchdown made, from
which q goal was kicked, and the day
saved for Princeton