Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-12-24
"Man Can Be Taught Football
In TwoSeasons; Baseball Takes
VastlyLonger, "Says Heisman
By "Bud'' Fisher

and ruggedness, and who NAV even
have fair amount of speed And
yet they never make the varsity
why? Because they were born with
no talent whatever for athletics:
they have no natural athletic abil-
lty' 10 the eye they may look Just
as well as Jim Thorpe or
Brlckley; but the fact remains that
they are not men of athletic mold.
and so we have to pass them up.
Natural ability includes a mans
mental and physical aptitude for
the game. There are different kinds
OF athletes. Some excel at tennis.
some at baseball, others at track
work. Each game has its peculiari-
ties, and in football some of these
are not easily mastered.
Ordinarily, a man who has a fair
amount of speed and has mastered
The elements of baseball to a rea-
sonable degree quickly learns how
to straighten out his football kinks.
But he improves more rapidly still
II he knows anything of boxing
and, particularly, of wrestling.
What "Rugsedness" Means.
BY luggedness is meant a mans
ability to stand punishment and
come back for more. 1t also meang
more or less natural immunity
from injuries. No man can be-
come a great player who is always
getting hurt, no matter whether
these regrettable accidents can be
said to be his own fault or not. To
be laid up most of the time on the
hospital list means not only that
a mans fire and pep" are bound
TO be Slapped in the end, but that he
is Of no real use to his team be
cause so seldom available. Football
''ruggedness" calls for a hardy con-
stitution, much power of endurance
and great vitality. 1t also takes
the mental poise that disregards
trifiing injuries and which can sup
port even great pain with fortitude.
Football takes a husky" and
husky is something more than a
mere big fellow" l have seen
some grand LITTLE huskies."
Grit counts for quite as much as
anything else except experience;
and ! don't know but I have given
it too low a valuation. With no
grit at all, one could get no further
in football than he could if pos
sessed Of no weight at all Most
players that we sec on yarsities DO
have grit (else they would never
have been able to make their var
sity), and so we don't have so many
opportunities to compare and con-
trast players with one another in
this regard as we have when
matching UP their speed. weight
and experience But let a fellow
get out on the field with cold feet"
and the most inexperienced girl in
the grandstand can tell what's
lacking in him almost as well and
as quickly as can the coaches
that's a sufficient indication how
necessary It IS that this ingredient
should not be lacking in the player's
composition
Weight and Speed Help.
The value of speed indeed the
utter necessity for it in football
presume every one can comprehend
for themselves. And weight. il
must not be overlooked, is a most
valuable asset. Other things being
equal, the heavier man must always
get the place in football
Much more might be said on
every one of these subjects. but the
above is sufficient to indicate to
novice what he needs to make good
in the game. II he has only grit
natural athletic ability and some
ruggedness in his makeup. he can
safely undertake the sport. for
speed, weight and experience may
all he artihcially and subsequently,
acquired Indeed. they generally
are acquired by steady participation
IN the game. And persistency In
the game is bound also to increase
and improve the other three nat