Norwich bulletin., 1916-10-10
By SOL NIETzGER.

(Coach of the Washington and Jeff
 ferson Football Team)
 The more one coaches football teams the more he is impressed with the difficulty of producing capable backfeId players, although, for these positions-quarter full and the two halfbacks-there are more candidates than for any other places on the eleven. Boys of all sizes and abill- ties come out for the baCkfield and few are fitted to play there. This is due to the fact that in nearly all pre- paratory school football the big boys and the small ones, who are faster usually play in the backfeld. Moth ing is more natural than for them to attempt the same in college. In spite of all this there are few good backs Most of this type know only how to run with the ball and running With the ball is the last requisite of back In fact, because of the other require ments-making interference and play ing on defense-it is more difficult to play these positions properly than any other on the team.
 All players want to run with the bali. Carrying the ball is as sat isfying to the football player as is driving 250 yards to the golfer, but a back must first know how to inter- fere to be on q winning team lust as a golfer must first master putting and approaching. Consequently, making interference and playing a stiff defen- sive game is the problem of the back field player and coach. In the former the back becomes a lineman ill that he is not likely to receive much pub lie praise for good work. In the lat ter he must not only be able to tackle viciously but he must be quick at diagnosing the offense in order to break it up before it is under way. And with equal importance his value grows as he is able to catch, pass and kick the ball.
 Knowing the requirements for good backfeld play it is not strange that so fe wplayers really are great backs. a quick thinker, aggressive, strong and speedy in order to accomplish his tasks as well as to stand the rOund- ing one in this position is subjected to. Running with the ball is a sec ondary consideration of the good coach in selecting his first string of backs.
 There have been few backs pIay1nS on winning teams because of their running ability alone. In a number of years of experience in closely fol- lowing the game I know of but one He could not make interference or tackle yet he proved of benefit to this team because he made many touch downs by almost superhuman speed. His coach played him solely because he could score more points than the opposing eleven and he -'broke up" many games in the first quarter by his magnificent running-a time when scores are almost certain to discour- age any opposition. Yet this back, whose name I am not at liberty to give, was only a success because his teamates made the needed inter- ference for him. This player was a football freak, the exception who proves the rule that interference and defense must come first
 While many backs are better at running with the ball than others, be- cause of speed, driving power, abil- ity to hold their feet and to fight for ward when tackled or because of some cd knack in eluding tacklers, they often prove to be a problem for the coach if they lack other and more important essentials. At the start of