Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-11-04
~ Coach Mike Donahue.
Coach of the Auburn Football Team.


in the rules, in the strength OF OPP
,onents all cause difficulties that
night make any one balk at such
a contract.
The.old-timers will all swear that
there never We're such players or
.,,,b teams as those used to be
when they chased the pigskin.
of course. the youngsters listen
with apparent respect and belief,
INIT privately they laugh III their
sleeves and cOmpassionately set
down these boasts as the meander-
fngs Of added old age.
with such d wealth of makers of
football history as Auburn has had,
this lob of picking an all-Auburn
team for all time is especially diff
,uI+ because a football team is
conrosed of only eleven players,
and Auburn could fill many more
places than that with famous play
ers.
However. with the aid and coun-
sci Of eminent authorities and with
q due sense of my own incompe-
fence. | undertake the job.
Have Played Since 1891.
Auburn first contracted the foot
hall game in the spring of 1891.
Those first inoculated with the
germ were Hare. Atkinson and
u-s,r, Ill - u,bort moro connect
cd with the college in various ca
nacities. The germ kept up its work
of infection all during the fall of
1892. when things were put on
business basis, with Dr. Petrie and
Atkinson in charge. picture of
the first football team is still In
the presidents office in Auburn.
The absence Of padding and the
wearing of nightcaps make its APP
uearance somewhat different from
the teams of the present day. In
stead Of headgear, natural hair was
relied on as q protection to the
brain cells
Auburn's first regular game was
played against Georgia on February
%. 1892. and Auburn has had the
football fever ever since.
Then Came tho Tournament"
The following fall, under the spe-
cial management and lnstigation OF
Dr. George Petrie, now at the head
Of the department of history and
Latin in Auburn, was conducted the
famous football tournament in At
lanta. Games were to be playeC
every day for a week, and Auburn.
feeling chesty because of victory
over Georgia, was scheduled for
four games. In the first game,
against Tech. Auburn was victo-
rious by a big score, and in the
second game, against Trinity. Au-
burn again won. The team began
TO think itself invincible. The next
game was against North Carolina.
which college wiped up the ground
with Auburn. to the tune Of So to 0
in the first half Auburn did not
think a second half necessary. on
the advice of Toomer, LaftOn and
other players who We're taking a
prominent part.
The next day Auburn was SEIZED
uled to play Virginia, and as Viz
ginia was reputed stronger than
North Carolina, Auburn decided to
play team Of substitutes. The
substitute team was the North Car
olina team, and the Auburn players
contentedly watched the battle from
the sidelines.
Auburn then realized that there
were some things about football
that were not known at that insti-
tuition. so they began to employ
Eastern coaches, and the founda-
tDn was laid for the game of today.
One OF the earliest coaches was
Hall, OF Princeton, who weighed
something like two hundred and
nifty, Most of the coaching consist
ed in tearing up the Auburn var
slty, which had a wholesome re-
Spect for his prowess. An incident
that happened in practice one day
Illustrates this. The scrubs, aided
by Hall, were advancing the ball
INTO the varsity territory and were
bent on scoring. On the ten yard
line Hall plunged into the line, fun
bied the ball, which was pounced
on and picked up by a varsity end.
Down the field he sped. pursued
by the angry Hall. At the middle
OF the field Hall had gained only
little, but as the little end heard
the pounding Of the leviathan pur-
suing him, his muscles refused to
work, and on the fifteen yard line.
when the dreaded tackle was in
eVltable, he threw the ball at the
giants feet, exclaiming: If this
Is the d--n thing you want, here
1t Is"
As to Tiehenor and Dorsey.
Two of the players who made
early football history in Auburn
We're itch" Tichenor and Dutch"
Dorsey both now residing in At
lanta.
Oorsey's fame rested on his speed
ana lodging ability in the open
ned Dutch" played in 1892 1894.
ma was captain In "a.
Itch was quarterback and
with his enthusiasm and llnowl-
Tuse of the game. he was able TO