Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-12-25
ROLLER REPLIES
TO COACH STAGE
CITES CASES WHERE SOME OF
THE BEST KNOWN WREsTLERs
AND FIGHTERS WERE FOOT.
BALL MEN IN THEIR YOUNGER
DAYS.

Seattle, Wash. Dec. 25.--Dr. b.
F. Roller. of Seattle, himself a foot
ball player OF ability, does not agree
with Coach Stage Of the Chicago
university. who said that the aver
age college team would simply run
rings around team composed Of
top-notch fighters and wrestlers,
says the Seattle Times.
DR.. Roller states his views on the
subject as follows:
Il noticed in your columns Sun
day an item conserving Stages OPP
inion Of football team composed Of
expert boxers and wrestlers, ard l
feel disposed to make suggestion
myself. This question has been 80
frequently by the press and queried
over by the public that you may find
this note to some extent interesting.
1t is generally true that opinions
through the press by supposed ex-
perts come from men who know but
one of several sides of the subject
College men, and men Who are in
terested in college affairs as a live
lihood can see, as a rule, nothing
outside the walls Of some school
and this usually the one with which
they are associated. College foot
ball coaches and the men who play
under them are in this regard usual
~ as narrow minded and conceited
as any class of people in the world.
simply because they are wrapped up
in the game and the men they ARE
teaching. l have known Camp, for
instance, to entirely ignore men
like Pat O'Dea In picking the all
American team. when all football
experts in the central states agree
that there had never been football
player in the world (and this is my
opinion stilD to compare with O'Dea
as kicker. OF course. Camp was a
Yale man, and the University at
Wisconsin was not built ia New
Haven.
bu OiuCI " bpCuN -VlSJI'3eUFty w
this question one should hay: *.
prience In college life. tea,tball.
wrestling and boxing. Having been
through IL years college work.
and having done considerable schools
ing for the boxing game. ! feel pre-
pared to discuss this question intel
ligently.
THE real question hers Is een-
orally overlooked. 1t is not whether
boxers and wrestlers ire good foot
ball players or whether college men
like Steffin are superioi 10 JeNries,
but whether the mn who have
made good In boxing and wrestling
could make good in football II they
were properly coached.
1T seems to me that they could
make good not only in foo; bail, 3r in
college work. II they set their minds
to 1t or accepted the inducements
that have been suficien. ~ make
college men instead OF boxers out OF
some Of the college football stars
of the past few years.
ITO say that Stefiin could run
through men like Jeffries and Hack
enschmidt as long as he liked Is ab-
surd. have made a very caref II
study OF some Of the university sci
ences, and football and boxing. IN
well as wrestling. and am thor
oughly convinced that there Is no.
thing about football that is any E.ore
complicated or difflcult than either
boxing or wrestling, and ! have seen
many a "bookworm" graduate with
hOnOrs In Latin and Greek, etc. who
had not brains enough combined
In all his ancestors since the Faleo-
lithic age to comprehend he simp-
lest principles of either boxing or
wrestling.
ITO get at the bottom ~ the 1ues-
| ton is to find that the qualities that
make the successful football player
are the same as those Wh IN make n
great boxer or wrestl"~ o. atnciete
Of any kind. Some OF these are cour-
age, quick perception generalship or
judgment. selfcontroi, plenty CT W II
power. grit, or what Is commonly
called gameness. a knowledge nf the
game and besides thee the physical
qualities such as agility, speed. en-
durance and strength. which any sue
cessful athlete must nave in at,v lite.
Now Of all these oua,itirS any
one who has either wa rhel or bar
ticipated in the three games Will
readily admit that the g>ni boxer
or wrestler has at ,clst an equal
share. II this be True then why
could not top notch boxers or wrest-
lers become expert foo'bai, playcrs
II they set their minis to it and have
the proper cOachiny Persnna Wy [