The daily Alaskan., 1915-12-30
DEVELOP FEW
 CLASSY KIGKERS
Crack PIgSkIn BOOt8rS Small
 10 Humber Of Players.
PAT O'DEA TIE GREATEST.
old Wisconsin Warrior In cIaso by Hlmuolf ae Toe ArtiGt--Many Fs- rnOuu Griddsro Fall to Receive Proper Recognition ln Thls Line.

l Gllul9F AB lgl fAEhilt7--Wtliy s
 mOuu eriddsro Fall to Receive Proper
 Recognition In Thl5 Line.
 The crack kickerB of football have been few compared to the number of players. That isn't because most of | the players haven't the natural ability to become good bckers if they prac' tlced 1t, but because the kicking de- Dartment of eleYens Is usually ntrust- ed to one good man. In a word, then, thero are about ten good players to one good kicker. Nevertheless there are mora men who were first class kIckars than ever got credit for so be- ing.
 In few articles printed recently on the subject mentioned only three boot CTS of the pigskin were in the great class. These three were Pat O'Des of Wisconsin, a kicker of wonderful abu- lty in the late nineties; John Dewitt the Princeton guard, and Malcolm Me Bride, the Yale fuIlback and captain ln 1899.
 It didn't even take in Frank Butter worth, Yale's accomplished kicker of the early ninedes, or George Brooke, who in his day at Pennsylvania was kicker of exceptional prOwess. Yet both of these men were strictly first class and as proficient as any of the three others named, with the possible exception of O'Dea, who not only could drop kick, but punt farther than any body before or since. Again there was Hischberger of Chicago a fine kicker and the best the west has had except ! O'Dea.
 Good Kiokors Good Players. | It will be found In going over the list of worthy kickers that with few exceptions they have been fine players | ln other respects. Kicking was just one among other gridiron accomplish ments.
 Cases to prove this are numerous, as this list will show: Brooke, Butter worth, Brickley, Curtis, Coy, Cahnll, Burr, Haughton, Mcbride, Hudson, Douglass, Dewitt Baird, Sharpe, liar Ian, Hollenback, Walder, Hirschberger, EckersaI, Mount Pleasant Brewer, Reid, Yeder and Herman. Away back before the time of any of these play CTS, however, were klckers quite as l good as those who have played since.
 Two of them were Alexander MOffatt of Princeton and Eugene Richards Of Yale. Both of these men were star l kickers. Motfatt was a drop kicker as well as punter and had the thing re- ! duced as nearly to a science as any bOdv who has succeeded him. He could kick equally well with both legs. Rich ards could hold his own in bunting with any of the present day kickers.
 Mcbride a southhoof. Mcbride was a left footed kicker, and he and O'Dea measured LEill in a game once. That was in 1899, when the Wisconsin team, coached by Phil King, played Yale in New Haven O'Dea tried the drop kick, almost from midfeId, which fell short His punts were not so much better than Me Brides that they could keep Yale from winning but they certainly kept down the score, although they were too long for the ends to cover well
 Had O'Dea kicked a field goal in this game he would have won a greater reputation in the east, but 1t is mat ter of record that he kicked such a roaI from the siLty-two yard mari in 1898, q record only surpassed by J q Haxar'g sixty-hve yard drop kick fol Princeton against Yale Nov. 30, 1882.
 Bull a Natural Kicker.
 pr. Billy Bull of Yale WAS a natural kicker and one of the best. There have been but few since his day wh' could drop kick as well and only on' ut Yale who approached him as droD kicker. That one was Al Sharpe one of the very best in the kicking hall Of fame, who played agans Princeton. ..
 If Yale had won that game that kici of Sharpe's would be remembered mor' wildly than 1t is, for 1t would have gone hand in hand with victory, by which mems ability is often, if some times unjustly, measured. Certainly sharpe's kick was none the less meri torious simply because Poe flashed forth with a kick Just before the gam' was over and made Princeton the win ner.
 AS a specialist at kicking goals iron placement Northcroft of the Nav! stands out conspicuOusly. The mid shfpman was good at lifting them ove the bar from distances which mad the feat worthy of mention.
 Great Placement Kick0rs' The place kick from scnmmage il another deserving feat Balend an( Thorpe of the Indians and McCaa O Lafayette distinguished themselves Il +b{. 1,oD,a- Al bOth place kiCkini