Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-23
HIDDEN BALL.
TRICK BIRTH IS.
TOLDBY TICK
Harvard Paper Prints Story of
Discovery of Famous Old
Play by Auburnites.


u corning the origin of the foot
ball trick by which the Car
isle Indian made a long and spectac-
ular run by concealing the football
under his jersey, the current issue of
the Harvard Alumni Bulletin refers
ed!torially to the subject and quotes
the letter written by w. r. Tiche-
nor. of Atlanta, Ga, which was pub
iished in the December issue of the
Auburn Alumnus. 1t will be recalled
that Tick" (Tichenorl explained
that this play was first executed by
him in q game between Auburn and
Vanderbilt in 1895. In the Harvard
Bulletin Mr. Tichenor says: This
play was first used in the Auburn
Vanderbilt game in 1895, which was
played In a sea of mud and driving
rain, and by the use of this trick l
succeeded in getting away for a CO.
yard run and a touchdown, which, by
the way was the only touchdown we
made in the game and the only
touchdown | scored during my foot
ball career.
The origin of this play was an
accident pure and simple. One night
about the middle Of the season Heis-
man. who was coaching at Auburn
a. that time; Walter Shafer who was
captain of the team, and myself were
sitting in Skaters room at the Whit
sEer discussing football in general
when Heisman said, You know, boys,
had q kid to ask me once if it was
against the rules to hide the ball, and
While | don't see anything against it
! don't see how the trick could be
worked
For a minute or two there was
silence. which was broken by Sha
fers I've got It, Heis. Why not
STICK the ball under Ticks jersey?'
WLAEDLY were the words out of
IL Skaters mouth before / was
beating it into the next room, where
] pulled on a jersey and slipping
football under the front of it, walked
proudly back into the room where
Shafer and Heisman were sitting, and
before we adjourned that night we
had worked out the trick as we af-
terWard used it.
After we found out that the ball
could be concealed easily and quick
~. the only thing remaining was to
So arrange a formation which would
cover up the trick and then to draw
the opponents off so that | could have
caance to get away. In those days
IL was not necessary for anybody
but the center to be on the line of
serimmage, so we dropped the guards
back Just little from the line of
the bail The tackles were farther
back with the ends playing behind
the tackles. The backs jumped for
Ward and received the ball from me
'l9r at that time the man who first
received the ball from the center could
hot run forward with it, while the
EHemen and backs formed a COM
pact circle about us so as to cover
ny what was taking place inside the
circle. Just as quick as the back
could slip the ball under my jersey
! would drop to the ground and the
.edn would swing out to the open
IN as compact a mass as possible,
ealing to the back who had jumped
INTO the circle to come on, while
would be left on the ground as If
Knocked out in the play. When the
way was clear I would come to life
very quickly, slip the ball from un-
GER my jersey and beat it down the
heid as fast as possible.
)t course, play of this sort after
1T became known would not
work, so we decided to change it for
tne Georgia game to slip the ball
under Harry Smiths jersey instead
OF mine and to let him go out with
tne bunch interfering for him. We
uled 1t this way and Harry was
away with, about six men interfering
.or MN and would have had sure
touchdown, but the referee blew his
whlst!e and called the play back as
uIne had been taken out before we
Put the ball in play. l shall never
forget the look on Harry Smiths face
as ne brought the ball back, nor Will
ever forget the way they piled onto
He and pinned me to the ground and
searched for the ball.
up OP WARNER, who was coach
ing Georgia that year, after
Euied this trick off in a Harvard
Edrllsle game by having the ball
Slpped under the back of one of the
1'dlans' jerseys on the kick off
by all of the Eastern papers he
was given the credit of pulling off
ssolnething new, but as matter of
ttaet the play was originated at Au-
Ipurh and used successfully against
Vanderbilt and against Warner-the
nIsl year he began to coach as above
mentioned"