Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-31
InEWS UPHOLDS
FOLWELL'S RECORD
Captain of Last Years
Team Says Coach's Influ-
ence Was Not Bad
HIS SYSTEM is PRAISED
BY NEIL M. MATHEWS

Captain 1916 Penn Football Teaml
The loss OF Bob Folwell as coach Of the
University OF Pennsylvania football team
because Of the opposition of the faculty
committee Is causing great deal OF ad-
verse criticism In every quarter. Ii is felt
by all who know him personally that
great mistake has been made, II was with
= freat deal of surprise that heard the
news. Since that time 1 have been accosted
by at least dozen Penn men, among them
old football stars and one former coach.
Every one said the same thing: 1T Is a
shame that so fine a fellow as Bob should
be forced to undergo the humiliation OF such
open charges as have been made against
his character" Then they all added that
they could not knowing Bob as they did
believe in the truth Of them.
As captain OF the team which BOD
coached feel that 1t is my duty 20 express
my feeling and the teams feeling for Bob
Folwell, and also tell all ! know Of his
actions during the last season.
In the FIRST place. doubt IL there has
ever been a coach at the University OF
Pennsylvania who commanded the love and
admiration Of his men to the degree that
Foiwell did. Every man on the team Will
tell you that he is big, generous-hearted
MAN. They all trusted and believed IN MIN
and felt more like brother toward him
than as a coach. He mingled with the men
and made shimself n good fellow when Off
the field. Once the football togs were
donned however, he became the master
with but one idea--to teach football ana 10
teach IL to win.
This spirit OF camaraderie probably is
what led to tho criticism about his playing
cards with the players. l know. and every
one else who is familiar with the handling
of athletic teams knows, that no matter
where you go or how far you go you Will
not find a set Of young fellows who are In
fine physical shape who will make long
Journey and not have some diversion. such
as playing cards. Folwell besides sane
tioning card playing because he was good
fellow and enjoyed the good fellowship OF
the players Joined in the game with them.
This is what he is condemned for
1t is claimed that this injured the morals
of the players. 1 contradict that statement
most strenuously there never has been
team upon which have played where card
playing has not been allowed, and do not
believe that or any one else on the team
has slid down the moral scale.
Then again, he is criticized for his lax
ness with us after we had played game. l
think that this more than to anything else.
Is responsible for our success during the
last season. These brief respites had more
20 do with our not going stale, as Penn
teams have done for the last two years.
than to any other thing 1t was part. OF
tho Folwell system and just how well 1t
has worked out can be ascertained by
looking up Bob's record.
He brought us out of the mire and pro-
duced winning team. Why then. ques-
tion his methods as long as they are up
right and aboveboard?
True. his methods are not the old cut-and-
dried antiques which have been handed out
at Penn for years and years. but they won.
] deny that his personal influence was bad
for the moral training of the players. IL,
then, his system is not degrading, and II is
conducive of bringing victories. why should
the members of the faculty committee object
to having him?
II the football committee had decided
that 1t did not want Bob Folwell as coach
because his methods were not satisfactory
and because of them It was afraid of
failure in the future l should say moth
ing and abid by their decision quietly, but
TO sit calmly aside. and to hear n mans
character assailed whom l know to be q
man through and through-that l cannot
do. i hope have conveyed my feelings. l
feel that wrong has been done, and
know that every one on last years team
will stick to Bob Folwell and help him
prove himself to those who doubt him.