The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-12-03
CR|D|RON HEROES,
Ones Who Never Win Places N
the Football Hall of Fame.
AND THEY WEAR NO lETTEH"
These Practically Unknown Men Are
the Scrubs" Who Help to Keep the
Varsity Team on Ed3e-They Play
the Game For the Games Sake.

Aheie lS Ho roy Ill rodO 10 Il tnOrOuS II
knowledge Of American college foo..
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
terlal that in the end must be rele-
gated to the side line These men.
wrapped i'll 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
lies in the defeat of the varsity eleven
Ihere comes time In many big game
when coach. realizing that the dav IS
lost. that his varsity men have done
their utmost 70 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 right to and SO turn the tide.
And even ten seconds in the big game
give the scrub his letter
SO it is in after years that one may
point out many a wearer of the letter
who was not nearly so good football
player as many scrubs. 1t has hap
pened. too. that q man has fought for
years in the hope of making the eleven.
has improved slowly. If surely. has
hpQn In IN hn
iorn hope and has played game the
like Of which has not been seen on the
field that season.
Even scrubs take their triumphs
and their disappointments differently.
There are not few who are proud to
nave 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 it said. however, for the
honor OF the second team that in
stances Of the latter type are rare.
A scrub player learns the lesson Of
self sacrifice. 1t 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 rule. however. there comes at
nut -
scrubs are pampered and petted and
made much Of. The varsity is In the
thrOes Of slump" is tagging, dis
pirited and sullen. 1t is then that the
scrub team suddenly finds that it
Is being taught to play the game just
as II 1t were to take the field as the
first choice against the foe. There is
a coach for almost every man. there
are words Of encourag cement. much
valuable instruction and 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 ieer
the varsity. At least once a season It
is very good to be scrub, for at
least once season the scrub de-
feats and humiliates the team that
has proved perhaps q 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 in 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 it 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 a peculiar advan-
tage over any other spectator. With
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
quarterback.
1t is this opportunity to 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 10
q standstil and 50 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 10y the
veteran varsity coaches. and many
man without field reputation has
proved TO be no mean stratcgiSt
1t is really these cX-scruD men who
keep up the high average of interest
in the game. They Hre 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.
1t is they who are the backbone of