The Washington herald., 1920-11-21
DAVIES, GREAT
GRIDIRON STAR
Considered by Critics One
Of the Most Wonderful
Backs in Game.

uted to Capt. Bob Hopper of Penn
! sylvania. as be saw Thomas Jere-
miah Davies, the Panther Peril"
who single-handed subdued Penn 81
! TO 81 recently, swing past a
dumfounded Red and Blue eleven
on q 65-yard trip for the University
of Pittsburgh's last and winning
touchdown. after intercepting a long
| forward pass.
That night and the next day Old
Penn grads began singing the
praises of this same brilliant half
| back who had wrecked their hopes
of victory over the Panthers and
shown them something dazzling in
| football. Greater than Vincent
, Stevenson" they chanted. And this
! is praise indeed, for the famous
Penn quarterback of bygone Een-
Grafton Is almost Penn's national
hero and among present-day under
grads polls more votes than George
washington as father of his
country"
These generous tributes from n
beaten foe were accorded. after the
Panther miracle had treated $4,000
people to a superlative display OF
football than no back has equalled
on Franklin Field within the mem
ory of the younger set" And, con-
sidering what Davies did in this SEN
sational battle in which he matched
his own scoring power against that
of John Heisman's deceptive, per-
feet and woodworking forward
passing game with which he Is striv-
- l.
praise certainly was well earned.
Here's what Tom Did.
First. Tom Davies tossed a for
w"-d mass TO his room mate, "Googs''
Holleran, for Pitts first touchdown.
evening the score.
Then. on the very next kick off.
Davies received the ball on his own
10-yard line and in marvellous.
twisting, spinning run. assisted by
the impronptu Interference his
mates threw around him, ran 80
yards for touchdown.
In the third period Davies caught
a punt on his own 30-yard line and
returned it 40 yards to Penn's 30
yard mark before being forced out
of bounds. On the first scrimmage
he slipped through a quick opening
tackle hole and ran 26 yards to the
iyard mark. On the next play he
went through another made to order
hole and scurried across the line
! for touchdown without even being
! tackled. He had carried the ball
! 20 yards in three runs, two from
scrimmage.
| Then, in the fourth period, he tore
off that 65-yard trip that Capt
, Hopper bemoaned so mournfully.
Besides. all these things, Davies
kicked three OF four goals, made
among others, three games saving
tackles, batted down sundry for
ward passes. did all the kicking off
and puntinE, ran back all Penn's
punts. threw most of the forward
passes. and caTorted himself gener-
ally in manner highly salts
factory to the handful OF Pitt root
ers at the game and amazing to the
$4,000 others.
| Gridiron's Miracle Man.
In Davies. Pop Warner has gotten
his hands once again on one Of the
miracles of the gridiron, such a mir
acle as was Jim Thorpe. Not that
Davies is another Thorpe. Davies
a
ality all his own. Tom is only a
middleweight. He depends upon
binding speed, a wonderful change
of direction and pace, ability to
dodge like a shadow and stiff arm
hard and joltingly. an uncanny judg-
ment of distance and an unerring
sixth sense that guides him along
the line of least resistance, directs
him to the loopholes through which
he may skid. The gigantic Jim
Thorpe often by sheer strength tore
his way through opposition. Davies
outwits 1t. Davies is just as hard
to bring to earth as Thorpe, through
his spinning elusiveness. Though
built as powerfully as a Shetland
pony, Davies, weighing only l5j
pounds, relies upon speed and elu-
siveness, which is that of a we'll.
creased pig at country fair.
Quite naturally. the Panther at
tack is built around Tom. The en-
tire Warner system this year is for.
mulated upon Rule No. l. which is
Get Davies loose" And this isn't
the worst football strategy in the
world, as results prove, nor the mos
difficult of execution. as Tom is tho
perfect selfstarter.
F.! Just Get Him Started.
Warmers tactics do not defea
their own end by making Tom toe
obviously the truck horse of thu
eleven. Pop has other splendiC
gridders who are submerging theil
own individual brilliance in the gen,
eral plan of battle, which is to scor,
touchdowns the easiest and mos
profitable way, at the least cost Of
wear and tear on flesh and blood
Get Ton started-he'll tend to the
-est.
Davies is enjoying his creates
tyear, his third on the team. H,
put on a, Pitt jersey first in 1918
the s. A. T. c, year, as a freshman
which makes him eligible for foul
years of football instead of three
He has developed steadily until now
in his junior form, he seems to b,
a leading candidate for all-Americai
honors in spite of the superfuit,
of brilliant backs, East and West
If uninjured, he should be evel
better next year, his last on tn,
squad. and set a mark as a half
back that has seldom been exceeded
if ever equalled.
Tom is 81 years old, s feet ~
inches tall, weighs 155 pounds, an,
he comes from Washington, Pa
thirty miles from Pittsburgh an,
the stronghold of Pitts hereditar,
enemy. Washington and Jefferson
against which Davies scored tn
winning touchdown on November Ia
0OI nDrn uOJU cOuuoNv