The Washington herald., 1916-12-11
HESTON PERFORMED
GREATEST GRID FEAT
Wolverine Gained 237 Yards Out Of
260 Against Minnesota.

New York. Dec. I0-Time cannot dim
the glory that is Willie Heston's; the
onrushing years cannot efface the MEM
ories of the greatest half back that
America ever has produced.
A decade and more has passed since
the great Wolverine half back hung up
his uniform for the last time. Yet his
deeds are as fresh in the minds of foot
ball lovers as they were in the era when
ne was tearing lines to ribbons with his
powerful, bull-like rushes. And the tales
of Heston's triumphs will thunder down
through the wales of history to echo and
re-echo for the next generation-and the
next-and the next. 49,
Heston was the irresistible force-the
human judgment. He hurled his COM
pact. marvellous body into the most pow
erful human walls that ever were pro-
duced-and split them asunder. Every
team that played Michigan during the
regime of Heston had orders to Get
Heston! And none succeeded. -Four
men. six men, eight men oftentimes
threw themselves into the pathway of
the charging Wolverine And he crashed
lnto-and through-those derenses as
bowling ball zips through the ten pins.
Only one man-Walter Eckersall, of
Chicago-ever was able to stop Heston
temporarily. He accomplished it with
a trick, but Heston quickly tbwarted it.
'Ecky," like the other Michigan foes
first tried to halt the Heston rushes by
tackling him as he came at him. And,
Of course. he failed.
Don't try that any more" was Coach
AIonzo Stages orders to Eckersall.
Hereafter. tackle Heston from behind
Let him get past you. If necessary. Then,
because you are faster you can catch up
to him And throw yourself at the back
of his legs"
Heston was dumped" by Eckersall
several times by that method. Fielding
Yost and Heston quickly got together and
mapped out plan whereby the feetest
Of the Michigan players was to do moth
Ing else but box" Eckersall every time
a Michigan play was made. And from
then on. when Eckersall tried to tackle
aeston from behind he found himself
blocked
Heston, during his four years as a
Michigander. scored 90 touchdowns for a
total of 465 points. It is a record that has
withstood the onslaught OF all gridiron
stars since then-an achievement that
may rank foremost for all time
II all of Heston's gains were added to-
gether and divided by 10 yards-the
touchdown distance in his day-they
would show that Heston gained enough
ground alone to score 800 touchdowns-
and more. An instance of his ground
gaining power is shown in the recital Of
his work against Chicago in 1903. The
entire Wolverine squad gained 9sO yards
by rushing-and of this Heston alone
gained 2S7 yards.
The Wolverine star never placed his
own interests above those Of his team
He ever was willing to sacrifice indi-
vidual glory for that of his mates-and
his team. Often during his amazing ca
reer, when he had earned the right to
carry over the ball for a touchdown. he
surrendered it to one Of his mates
The best illustration of this came in
the famous Sc game that Minnesota and
Michigan played. 1t was the only game
Michigan failed to win during the four
years that Heston battled under the wol-
VERNE standard. Michigan got the be II
on its own 45-yard line. In twelve
crashes into the tremendous Minnecota
line the ball was carried over for a
touchdown. And Heston alone carried
the bah on eleven of hose charges
To serve on Minnesota in that game
to batter through that supposedly I'M
pregnable line-was the greatest amh-
ton of Heston's life. Football experts
had declared that Heston couldn't do
1t. With his eleven charges he carried
the ball 81 yards and rested it then upon
Minnesota's 3-yard line.
One more ruSh-and the ball would be
over, One more chance to carry It and
Heston's ambition would be realized.
Just another crash into that line and Hes
ton could have accomplished what many
had called impossible. And Heston-did
he ask to carry that ball? Did he insist
upon finishing the charge he had started
and carried on with such demoniacal
fury?
No. Heston submerged his own desires.
He remembered that Joe Maddox had
nursed a desire to score against Mime
sofa. When the signals were rated of
and Heston's number was given to carry
the ball over he Immediately called
halt and whispering in the quarter backs
ear. again took his place in the back
field and to the amazement of the VOL
VERNE team, Maddox was to be the hon
ored one.
The ball snapped and as the two
elevens made a desperate lunge, one to
hold, the other to gain. Joe Maddox. In
twinkling had realized the ambition of
his college career. while 10000 throats
yelled themselves hoarse for the hero
Joe Maddox.
Such a man was Willie Heston.