El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-29

TEw YORK, April 29.-The old
M argument Of baseball versus
Il football has bobbed up again.
Eddie Collins has come forth with a
confession that he prefers the college
game TO the one in which he now
makes living. The great second
oaseman Of the Chicago White Sox.
whom John McGraw calls the most
valuable ball player in the world, says
he would rather see one good football
game than a dozen remarkable base
Collins Is not alone in his stand
~hristy MatheWson. far and away the
most valuable pitcher the game ever
knew. is strong Tor tootball, TOO, ana
ihe same can be said Of any number
Of other ball tossers Of high grade.
Hatty used to play halfbacl1 for Buck
hell college i'm Pennsylvania. Collins
was COlumbia's quarterback Both
we're good ones in their day, but Meth
Or classed with jim Thorpe, the won
Ierful Indian athlete or Carlisle.
Thorpe was one Of the greatest foot
ball players in history. Many rate him
as tho best OF all time. In baseball
pc was not good enough to stick in
The big league, even after repeated
Trials and extensive bench schooling
Yet Thorpe says he prefers baseball
Collins played college football only
tne season. IN 1905. He had had eN-
.eusive experience In prep school, on
he irwin school eleven at Tarrytown,
n y, and MADE Columbia's team IN
bis freshman year. Eddie IS not heav-
1v built now He was much lighter
ben. a mere wisp OF a lad. OF medium
height and slender He looked as II
te could be broken I'm two by some OF
he big men his team went up against
He Was = Player.
Eddie made the Columbia team be-
lause he was lightning fast, game as
bulldog and a marvellous handler or
he ball He used 70 play back on the
defensive and catch punts. Never was
pc known 90 drop one. II he got started
back up the field he was a hard propo-
ition 20 get hold OF. In two games
pc made runs Of more than half the
'ength OF the field FOR touChdowns
after catching punts.
The best remembered game OF Col
dns was that against Yale, i'm which
he WIS stamped as a hero because OF
tne quality alone-gameness The late
Tom Shevlin, known as the hardest
iackler down the field that ever played
he game, was at one end for Yale, and
A. the other was Jack Gates. another
Big, powerful fellow also near the 200
pound mark who could do 100 yards
almost as fast as Shevlin. Both were
close TO ten-second men, with broad
IhOufders that they plunged into your
Columbia was Outclassed IN that
game. played here I'm New York Shev- I
lin and Gates we're the Yale stars. The
Columbia ends were unable to delay
hem at all in getting a start down the
Held under kicks and they were always
here waiting for Collins to catch the
ball Then both would pile into him,
9ne shove the waist and one below.
lt seemed that they must tear him
iDart But Eddie held onto the ball
svory time.
IL Was n Real Run.
Once n punt was low and fast and /
se got II before they We're too near.
He sidestepped sheviin's lunge, stiff
irmed Gates, and set sail down the
Held. Past this tackler and that he
lew until a big guard coming across
the field nailed him on the fen-yard
line. He had Travelled so yards and got
The ball nearer TO Yale's goal than co.
lumbia came at any other time during
the game. Eddie's pluck that day IS
-eckoned now as almost a tradition at
Columbia. Those who saw him stand
he pile driving tbrusts Of Shevlin and
Gates, saw him never vince when the
ball settled in his arms and then saw
him come back at them with his sterl- |
ng run, will never forget the heroic |
spectacle the young freshman pre- |
Iented
Matty was the star OF his BuoIrnelI /
hlevens but he won't tell about Il him 1
lelf It IS so hard TO find anybody !
ThG recalls that Bucknell team Of 1899 !
md 1900 that Matty's gridiron feats 4
nave been left unrecorded though his ,