The New York herald., 1921-11-22

II ever there was a student OF the
gridiron art It - Robert Zupplsc. He
IS possibly the most colorful in q re-
gion OF colorful coaches. zupple Is
blue eyed Dutchman. who might be
classed as practical dreamer. He
always is visioning new plays and for
nations and possibilities. and then get
ting out on the field and making them
como true.
Pride OF MuslxcGon.
lie is one OF the flock OF coaches
turned out by tine University of Wiscon-
sin, but while he played some football
there he was too light to win place
as a regular or the eleven. From Wis
consin he went 20 the town of Muskegon
In Michigan. While engaged in some
sort OF business, there he took to coach
ing the local high school team. Muske-
eon gained Importance faster than
newly made second lieutenant. Every
time Zuppkes eleven played team
from a rival town patriotic citizens
added to their bank rolls.
tt became apparent to all that Zupp-
ke's natural business was coaching
football team, and the Ook Park high
school brought him back TO the State Of
Illinois. Under his teaching. Oak Park
mopped up pretty much everything III
sight. Looking for new fields TO con-
duer. he brought one Of his teams East
and played Il Boston high school. n
you wish 10 pain q Bostonian, just
mention the score of that game. Later
Zuppke took team West and Inassa-
cred q couple of high schools out Port
land and Seattle way.
No oil
such players TO the colleges as Barrett
OF Cornell Macomber of Illinois, and
Russell of Chicago.
Then the University OF Illinois, which
had fallen upon lean football Gays.
offered Zuppke q wider field Of en-
deavor. Trouble lowered like q dark
cloud over the heads of the other west
ern college coaches when he took that
job. With the exception of this sea-
son, he has either won the conference
championship or been close up IN the
running ever since.
Beaten by Ohio state.
Last year, Ohio State beat him ont
of the championship by a forward pass
which was actually in the air when
time was UP. This year he got square
by wreclSing Ohio States claim to the
title in game where no dopester gave
his team an outside chance to win.
Zuppke had the hardest sort of luck
His two shining stars were injured and
of practically no use all season. Carney.
all-western end. had q bad knee.
Crangle, al-Western fullback. and one
OF the greatest defensive players in the
game. had bad shoulder.
These and other injuries made 1t
necessary for Illinois to use a lot of
green material Drayer at tackle, for in
stance, has played football for cnlyl
thrae months lie came out in the fall
and was sucn 2 likely looking prospect
that it was thought he might be used on
one of the scrub elevens. Necessity made
q place for him on the varsity. This GER
tainly required intensive training.
Zupplxe had the new experience OF be-
ing defeated In game after game. but
he kept bui ding and strengthening his
machine. He gave Michigan and Chi
cago hard battles, and finally brought
IiiE team to such a point that he beat
Ohio State. which had not previously
lost a game to q conference eleven. and
was preparing TO dispute the champion
ship with Iowa.
A Football Inventor.
In the West ZupplSe Is known as an
Inventor OF fortu. ions and IA q man
who mixes his football with psychology.
Many of the manoeuvrea he teaches his
players apparently are meaningless, but
they arc intended to break the concea-
tration OF the opposing eleven on the
play. They have tho same effect as
speaking suddenly TO golfer who is All
set for a putt or waving something In
front OF tho eyes of q narksman about
&c shoot
It probably was some such idea as
this which caused ZuppiSe TO have HIS
backs whir completely around in their
tracks before starting a play. 1t didn't
mean anything but IL got opposing play
ers to wondering IL It did mean some
thing and broke their attention on the
play 70 come. He pulls q lot of stuff
along the same line.
The Illinois attack IS val, masked and
carries q high percentar-~ 5f deception.
Zuppke uses both the direct and tile
quarterback pass and runs his plays
from several different formations. He
may use the shift, the kick or the ordin-
airy formation. On many OF his plays he
uses the unbalanced line, frequently
having his left tacltle over next 70 his
right end with his backs in o sort OF
tandem formation.
On defence rie sends his tackles In 20
break uD the play. II his ends aro
playing close they takc a step forward
and wait for the play to develop. II
they are playing wide they wait on
their original line His centre IA usu-
ally rover.