The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-07

T can't believe that said the captain. ''They must see that it is practice-prac- tice that is needed"
 But that is just what they cannot be- lieve. and even you and your coach here will be ready to abandon the plays"
 Not If you say they are good"
 Well, If my judgment of peace and the present defense is not all wrong, l am sure the plays will come out all right if you will keep at them to the end"
 Well stick to them fast enough" :" jauntily returned the captain.
 It's bargain, then," said the grad uate. "Ill lay them out and give them to you"
 The winter passed and the spring and summer. Fall practice began, and the series of play was put into effect. They were based entirely upon the theofy that the opponents had been taught to play low and to charge forward im- mediately upon the snap of the ball. The lines of attack were so disposed as to make this very charge of each man in his line place him in such a position that e; apt by tremendous eff fort he could not recover his balance so as to oppose effective resistance to the attack. The new plays necessi- tated a heavy full-back, and no oth CT being at hand, one of the tackles. Perry Hale, was taken from the line and made the regular full-back. Another green player was placed at tackle.
 By the first of November great was the criticism of the team. It was slow. painfully slow" A respectable end run was certainly out of the ques- tion. The back field, to use the ex- pression of one of the coaches, was slower than molasses in January" Finally the captain called up the grad uate one evening and said that he thought they would have to put the full back up at tackle again and get a faster. lighter man who could get up pace enough to keep up with the rest of the backs.
 But that means the abandonment of the plays" said the graduate.
 T know; but every one says they never will work, and something must be done"
 Where's McBride?" asked the gradu- ate, naming the field coach.
 "Over in his room at the hotel" said the captain.
 T going down to see him. Don't do anything till see you later.''
 All right; but things look pretty dark"
 When the three men met later in the evening, 1t was a depressing occasion. The captain reported that almost every man on the team had lost confidence. He had talked with them individually. adn all wanted the back field speeded up and Hale. the heavy fullback, put into his old position at tackle. The coach said that he was hearing nothing else from the coaches who had seen the game in New York against Columbia.
 It was indeed a serious time, but 1t was finally agreed that the present posi- tions and plays should be maintained un- til the game with the Csrlisle Indians, and if by that time and in that galse they did not show their worth. the gradu- ate was willing to see them abandoned, and Hale sent up into the line at tackle. and faster back field developed. Only one who has either explained or coached football team can appreciate the feel ings of these three men on the eve of the Indian game. Each knew that failure then meant too short time to develop the team along other lines. They had virtually burned their bridges behind them, and were now to stake their season on the work of the next afternoon.
 On that evening still further chance was determined upon. The big full back was such 8 factor in himself that t,e graduate urged an even greater hazard, but better test of the plays. He suggested that another man, Dupee. man not nearly so powerful, but one who knew the plays and would by the experience of game fit himself to take the place of the fullback in the later championship games with Harvard and Princeton should any injury incapacitate the regular man. This seemed indeed too much, but was finally accepted, and the two teams lined up.
 From the very start the Yale team,