The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-09-18
.F00TBAL1 STARS
WERE MOSTLY ZIG ZIG
Mass Plays Called for Men of
Weight-Rules Change
That.
(By Walter b. EckersaIl0

drop on baseball, as far as the season
of 1909 is concerned, hundreds of thou
sands Of healthy rcd.blooded Ameri-
cans, lovers OF outdoor sportSr will
turn their attention to the football,
which ranks next TO baseball in tho
estimation of the people of these Unit
ed States
Football is certainly all there when
It comes TO exciting features, and
though many critics claim that the
wiping out of the mass plays and other
bruising stunts hurt the sport, yet each
year the gridiron game adds new fol-
lowers to its list,
In the old days of football. or TO
speak more correctly, up TO 10 or Il
years ago. it took a husky man to
play the game. Then 45-mInute halves
were played. and the fellows in the
line could tussel with another to their
hearts content before the ball was put
in play. This pulling and hauling in
the Iine was one Of the most tire
some features of the game. both 10
player and spectator.
Then again mass plays, such as tho
deadly flying wedge. the bruieins
turtle back formation and scores of
other crippIing features we're allowed.
so that taking It all IN all. football
was surely hard game during those
days.
The fellows who played the game
then we're monsters. Take the giant
Heffelfinger. for Instance, the famous
Yale guard, who spread out those great
arms OF his with Laurie Bliss or his
brother Pop Bliss, carrying the pig
skin. old "Heff" could plow his way
through any line.
Heffelhnger still is given the credit
OF having been the greatest guard the
game has ever produced, and his name
will live forever in football history.
He was big, but so fast that his speed
seemed marvellous Given the ball TO
carry. he would invariably make his
distance. Asd 10 interference. he was
the peer of them all, and no guard has
come. anywhere near to equaling Hef-
feInnger except IT be the noted John
Dewitt, who played a star game for
Princeton
Dewitt. a champion hammer throw
or. was great ground gamer, and
critics who ought to know have given
as their opinion that had Heffel1nger
and Dewitt played at the same period
it would have been an even thing be-
tween them But one can only judge
by actual comparison, and aS The two
played at different periods it Will al
ways remain a question as TO the Su-
periority of either Dewitt was of diff
fereut build than ''Heff' and construct
ed more on the lines OF Hikok. the
famous Yale guard OF the '90s.
No guards that ever played foot
BAH could get through the line quicker
than did the above mentioned giants.
while in defense play they were all
there in every particular. HeffeliDg-
or couple Of years ago was offered
The job of civil service commissioner
by President RooSevelt, but the big
fellow turned the offer down.
A great football player whom Pres
ident Roosevelt did appoint to gov
ernment position is Bowdith. who play
ed end on the Harvard team of 1902.
This man was simply lightning on get
ting down the field under a kick. and
experienced football men claim that
"Bowdy" WAS even quicker than the
great Frank Hinkley, the famous Yale
end. but II he WAS there he stopped.
arc Concerned, for this great Yale
man or the 'goS was the best football
end that football Yer,produced.
Hinkey was a terrible man 10 play
against, IT Twas Il usual thing for him
TO put two Or three men out OF every
game he played. He was wiry built
chap. tall and weighing but leo pounds
yet he was a yeritablo demon when in
contest He was literally a human
wildcat, and about as fierce as one
when In game.
Another gruelling player of the
Frank Hinkey type was Sport Don
nelly, once an end on the Princeton
team. He was rated as being the
best man In the college In his days
when il came to using his fists. and
sad to relate. he did not contine his
hitting powers TO boxing contests. but
used them In football games. much to
the discomfort of his opponents
Had Donnelly and HInkey ever play
ed at the same time it is a question
which of the two men would have
come out best IN rough house tactics.
Each was game to the core and had
the fighting spirit born In him. Don
nelly was built along Ideal lines. while
Hinkey was a rangy constructed youth
The Great Poe Family.
4 great Princeton player was Ed.
gar Allan Poe, a relative OF the poet
and the lightest man in the history
of big college football Peter Poe.
as he was called, was a quarterback,
and he got his chance during the sec
ond half OF a game between Prince
ton and Harvard. when "Snakey".
Amcs. another Princeton player. WAS
injured With the score is TO 10
against the Tigers, this little man
took charge and ran the score up TO
IL points for his team as against l5
for the Crimson Peter" Poe was
known then and in after years as the
greatest of all the football generals.
until Phil King came into the arena.
Johnny Poe. his brother. who only
weighed 13S pounds, was the star OF
Orange and Black teams Of 81 and 80
He was nicknamed Johnny. the
coach" and though a light fellow he
could make a running dive Of 10 feet
and land his man every time
Arthur Poe, another brother, played
with Princeton in '9S and so. and in
a gamo with Yale In 1898. by bril-.
liant running and lodging, he ran in
the open field for 9S yards and scored
the touchdown that won the game for
his college.
A great football man at the lodging
game was the famous McClung. who
played at Yale and who. though one
OF the llghtest weight players then in
the business. was one OF the greatest
In ground gaining. McClung was of