Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-10-31
BY Spick Hall.

Il I has been the rare fortune of
the writer to have witnessed
the majority of the games
played by Vanderbilt teams since
1893, and in those years to have
been personally acquainted with
more than a majority of the play
ers. Before making my selection, |
have consulted number of men
who have been following the for
tunes of Vanderbilt elevens since
the beginning.
Choosing team of this charac-
ter offers many points different
from selecting an american, all
Southern or all-secrional team In
these latter cases the men are
Judged by what they have dcne in
their big games of the year. They
play under the same rules, and for
the most part their style of play is
the same.
But in choosing an all time team
there is a great handicapping fea-
ture For instance, could a given
end of 1895 handle a forward pass
as well as the given end in 1912?
Or could the given fullback of 1912
hurdle as well as the given full
back of 1895? In other words. the
only method of selecting the team
is to judge as nearly as possible
how fit a certain player would be
under all the various rules of the
past twenty years.
From the time when Vanderbilt
and SeWanee used to play two and
three games of football each year
until the present day the Nashville
institution has been peculiarly for
tunate in having splendid material
from which to build strong elevens
There have been years, of course,
when the Commodores were weak,
but they have been so scant that in
making an average they are scarce
ly perceptible. There have been so
many star players at Vanderbilt
that before we give reasons for our
selection of a first and second team
let it be understood that space will
not permit even the mention of
many players who were far above
the average in all-around playing
ability.
Morrison Best Quarter.
The quarterback is the general of
the football team. hence let this
position be attended to first. 1t so
happens that in selecting an all
time quarterback from Vanderbilt
players the task has been lightened
to almost zero by the appearance
on the Vanderbilt teams of Ray
Morrison. Mechanically. according
to many, he has had few equals in
the game in the United States and
no superiors. He ran with the ball
with rabbit-like alacrity; his run
ming was not confined to any one
position. He ran equally well from
his regular place, from kick off.
from the punt receiving position. or
from anywhere else. His tackling
was sure and hard. He punted we'll
passed perfectly and inspired his
team with the greatest confidence.
AS a field general there is only one
man who may take his laurels
among Vanderbilt quarterbacks-
Frank Kyle. Kyle has been chosen
for the second team rather than the
first, because in the mechanical
part of the work he did not com
pare with Morrison.
On the Ends.
There is one man who played on
end at Vanderbilt who is deemed by
a great many to have been the best
aH-around football man the Com
modores ever had. This is Bob
Blake. In nearly every year Of his
career Blake was mentioned by
some writer as all-American cali
Der, and if he had been a member
of Yale team in any or all his
four years he would doubtless have