The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-12-29
eRAaC0N HEROES.
Ones Who Never Win Places In
the Football Hall of Fame.
AMD THEY WEAR NO LETTER"

These Practically Unknown Men Are
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 Il thorough
knowledge Of American college foot.
ball. The preparation of the varsity
he 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-
gated to the side line. These men.
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 a paradox in their situation
their only chance for personal glory
Hes in the uc.eat Of the varsity eleven.
There comes a time in many big game
when a coach. realizing that the day Is
wow td' Ills uA'itS AhSll hoSC NOAS
theF Ut st to no purpose and are be-
ing SWEET ste n!ly 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 II is In after years that one may
pOlnt out many Wearer Of the letter
who was not nearly so good football
olAyer as many scrubs. 1t has hap
pened. too. that a man has fought for
PEARS in the hope Of making the eleven,
has improved slowly. if surely, has
been sent into the big game as a for
horn hope and has played a game the
ike Of which has not been seen on the
Geld that season.
Even scrubs take their trlunphs
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 1t. They have no varsity let
tsr, but the discriminating know that
they were better players than some
Of the varsity men of other years.
There are other scrubs who bemoan
lhe TACT that they were not in college
when the general average Of the play
ses was low and they would have
'boea aiupost certain to make tho flrst
team. Be it said, however, for the
Aoaor of the second team that in
stances of the latter type are rare.
A scrub player learns the lesson of
SeR aaorfdce. 1t is his but to be walk
"a svor daily by the varsity. while
0ost Of the instruction and encourage
neat arc lavished on said varsity.
Az q rule, however, there comes ut
least one week in the season when the
scrubs are pampered and petted and
made much Of. The varsity is in the
thr0es Of slump" Is tagging, dis
pfrited and sullen. 1t is then that the
scrub team suddenly finds that it
b being taught to play the game just
Is II it were to take the field as the
nrst choice against the foe. There is
q coach for almost every man. there
are words Of encouragement, much
valuable instruction and new esprit
de corps. Under the new inspiration
the second team sweeps the tagging
varsity off it's feet, humiliates the first
string players to the uttermost, while
the coaches cheer the scrub and jeer
the varsity. At least once season it
= very good to be scrub. for at
least once Il season the scrub de-
1eats aud humiliates the team that
has proved perhaps terror to all it's
outside rivals. Nothing has such a
salutary effect OH the varsity as the
eating of humble pie once in awhile.
In late years the scrub is getting
more consideration than in the old
Gays. Yet the men play principally
for the love Of the game and In order
t. make the going as hard as possible
sor he varsity. Sheer loyalty and the
~ | Of battle keep them ut 1t year
yer. They learn football from
gr, nd up. The see the big
g )m the side lines and, know
ne gnals. have peculiar advan.
o. any other spectator. With
0, dge of the signals one may
list he handling Of the big team
le ig game--may more readily
40: rsta.ld the strategy Of coach and
quarter, ,ck.
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
cut Of many scrub players. Some Of
these scrubs have gone back to college
and trrn.u out freshman teams that
have been able to fight the varsity to
q standstill and so have astonished the
very coaches who taught them There
have been instances Of this at near
b every big institution IN the east
Sometimes the services of these ex.
scrubs have been eagerly sought by the
veteran varsity coaches and many
man without a field reputation has
proved to be no mean strategist
It Is really these ex-scrub men who
keep up the high average Of interest
IN the game. They are turned out