Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-12-07
CRIDIRON HEROES.
Ones Who Never Win Places In
the Football Hall OF Fame.
AND THEY WEAR NO LETTER.

the Scrubs" Who Help TO Keep the
Varsity Team on Edge-They Play
the Game For the Games Sake.
There is no royal road to n thorough
knowledge OF American college foot
ball. The preparation OF the varsity
eleven is long and hard. The mills Of
the coaches grind slowly. and they
grind exceedingly fine. There is moth
Ing In store for much OF the good ma
terial that in the end must be rele-
wrapped In gray blankets. who line
the low fence surrounding the field
on the day OF the big game. are the
/ scrubs. or second team men
/ There is paradox in their situation
their only chance for personal glory
I lies i'm the defeat of the varsity eleven
! There comes time I'm many n big game
/ when coach. realizing that the day is
lost. that his varsity men have done
their utmost to no purpose and are be-
ing swept steadily down the field. will
throw into the game scrub after
scrub. hoping against hope that these
men will play better than they really
have n right to aud so turn the tide.
And even ten seconds in the big game
give the scrub his letter.
So IL is I'm after years that one may
point out many n wearer Of the letter
who was not nearly SO good a football
player as many scrubs IL has hap
pened. too. that n man has fought for
years in the hope OF making the eleven,
has improved slowly. II surely. has
been sent into the biz game as n for
lorn hope and has played a game the
like OF which has not been seen on the
Geld that season.
Even scrubs take their triumphs
and their disappointments differently.
There are not few who are proud to
have been on the second team In the
year that the first eleven swept all
before it. They have no varsity let
ter. but the discriminating know that
they were better players than some
OF the varsity men OF other years.
There are other scrubs who bemoan
the fact that they were not In college
when the general average Of the play
ers was low and they would have
been almost certain TO make the FIRST
team. BE 1t said. however. for the
honor OF the second team that In
stances OF the latter type are rare.
J A scrub player learns the lesson OF
self sacrifice IL is his but TO be walk
ed over daily by the varsity. while
most OF the instruction and encourage
} ment are lavished on said varsity.
AS a rule. however, there comes at
; .,e-Ar u Al.
scrubs are pampered and petted and
made much of. The varsity is In the
} throes OF a slump" is tagging, dis
pirited and sullen. Ii Is then that the
J scrub team suddenly finds that 4,
is being taught TO play the game just
as IL II were TO take the field as the
first choice against the foe. There Is
a coach for almost every man. there
, are words Of encouragement. much
valuable instruction and n new esprit
de corps. Under the new inspiration
the second team sweeps the tagging
! varsity off its feet. humiliates the first
string players TO the uttermost, while
the coaches cheer the scrub and jeer
the varsity. At least once a season II
: Is very good to be q scrub. for at
least once n season the scrub de-
feats and humiliates the team that
/ has proved perhaps a terror TO all its
! outside rivals. Nothing has such a
, salutary effect on the varsity as the
} eating Of humble pie once in awhile.
In late years the scrub is getting
} more consideration than iE the old
, days. Yet the men play principally
! for the love of the game and In order
to make the going as hard as possible
} for the varsity. Sheer loyalty and the
thrill OF battle keep them at il year
after year. They learn football from
! the ground up. They see the big
games from the side lines and, know
, ing the signals. have peculiar advan-
tage over any other spectator. With
: a knowledge of the signals one may
; criticise the handling OF the big team
In the big game-may more readily
understand the strategy OF coach and
l quarterback.
) 1t Is this opportunity 10 analyze the
, big games, coupled With the chance to
get practically as good coaching as the
varsity, that makes excellent coaches
out Of many scrub players. Some OF
} these scrubs have gone back TO college
and turned out freshman teams that
have been able TO fight the varsity to
standstill and so have astonished the
very coaches who taught them. There
have been instances OF this at near
ly every big institution in the east.
Sometimes the services Of these ex-
scrubs have been eagerly sought by the
veteran varsity coaches. and many q
, man without a field reputation has
, proved TO be no mean strategist
1t Is really these ex-scrub men who
keep up the high average of interes.
In the game. They are turned out
yearly at the rate OF five or more 10
every varsity player. The varsity man
may lose interest in the game In after
years, but the scrub practically never.
IL Is they who are the backbone of
the pilgrimages to West Point. and n
is they who talk foofbail far into the
night In the club and chop house.
i The scrubs. In word. all unhonored
and unsung as they are. are the bnck
bone OF the game In the colleges and
out Of them. They play the game and
they watch II for the games sake
New York Post.