Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-17

NAOS0 LldllOu. wei nave that leaVY
line. and we'll beat them at their W
game"
Those who know how Lou Palmer. the
new coach, won his recognition at Prince
ton as a foot ball player, understand why
he was an All-American end for the three
years that he played there, 800, 90 and 'OI.
Palmer arri1ed at Princeton from Grin
nell college, Ia, where he had been a
star back. In fact, in "a he alone won
the Grinnell-Nebraska game at Lincoln by
mis- great running, plunsing. ploughing and
lodging. The boys down at Lincoln re-
member him yet.
But Palmer only weighed 1872 pounds, and
he did not look good to the Princeton
coaches, who have a penchant for beef.
So day after day Lou went through the
preliminary work Of passing the ball and
falling on 1t and such stunts, but when
this was over and the lineups were called
Palmer was sent to the side lines to sit
with his legs kinked under him and wish
somebody would get killed. He wasn't
given the slightest chance to try out on
the scrubs.
But finally his opportunity came, and
his nerve took advantage of it. He saw
that he was sidetracked, and determined
to seize any chance, no matter how des-
perate. Big Billy Church was the left
tackle on the first team at tho time. He
weighed 1876 pounds, and was known in
the Big Four as the meanest player alive
This particular afternoon Church was
feeling especially ill-tempered and he was
causing all kinds Of trouble. The coaches
had given the ball to the scrubs, SO that
they might run 1t down the field against
the first team and give the boys practice
in defense.
But BILLY" would not let the scrubs
start a single play. He simply walked
through every time the ball was snapped
and smashed the play before it started.
His opponent in the scrub line was power
less against him. BILLY" just houndered
over the opposing tackle. The coaches put
In a new one. The same thing happened.
Several times they changed that scrub right
tackle, but Church wallowed over them all,
and meanwhile play by the scrubs was
paralyzed. Finally the head coach turned
in desperation to the bunch Of scrubs not
In action.
Cant l get someone to stop that man ?"
he said. I'VE can't play foot ball with him
coming through there all the time.'
The bigger men ducked and didn't say a
word. They wished none OF Billy" Church.
Put me In" piped up Palmer. And the
coach did so.
Church broke through the line not one
m more that day. try his worst. Nobody
could see how the little Palmer could hold
the strongest tackle playing at that time,
but he did, and won recognition. Soon
afterward he was a star end, making, in
deed, with Arthur Poe, the greatest pair
Of ends that ever played the game.
Ne~braska's training table will start on
September s, the same day practice com
mences. The men will be put on II as they
develop. Coach Booth will arrive on Sep
TENDER ~. He writes that he is confident
that this is to be Nebraska's big foot ball
year. Palmer will follow west about oc-
tober 1. as he cannot be here for the FIRST
three weeks work. Captain Westover and
orlie Thorpe start work tomorrow, spend
ing much time on Thorpe's kicking. West
over expects this to be a great feature Of
Nebraska's game this year. II will be the
first time the varsity has had a safe and
strong kicker since Thorpe played in 'ss.
Changes in the rules are Of Importance
this season. The one which says that all
goal kicking. after ~touchdoWns, must be
From the twenty-hve-yard line In a
serimmAge 10 especially a radical altera-
tion. Heretofore, after a touchdown, the
team was given a quiet try for goal. with a
man holding the ball for a kicker. Now
the bali will be brought twenty-five yards
straight out from the place IL went across
the goal line, the teams will line up, the
team that has made the touchdown will
snap the ball back for either a place or a
drop kick. and the other team will fight 70
stop It. Just as IN open play, Touehdowns
still count 5. goals following them l.
This means that every team must have a
drop kicker or q place kicker, and pref
erably both. While these taings haze
been handy heretofore, they have never
been essential. Weatover expecta ThorDe