Evening star., 1921-01-21
ROOSEVELT PAVED
WAY FOR MODERN
STYLE GRID PLAY
White House Parley
Started Downfall
of Old Game.
.RESIDENT ROOSEVELT was
responsible in no small meas

ure for the open style Of foot
bali as played today. Few realized
what keen interest the late Presi-
dent had in the game. and fewer still
know that during his most arduous
days in the White House he took
time to study it and to use his in
fuence to have it changed from the
mass style to the present kind
Ths story Of tho late President 4
part in revising the game was told
by "Bur' Roper, coach Of the win
ming Princeton foot ball team. at a
reunion of the Washington Princeton
yesterday evening at Chevy Chase
Club.
1t seems that during the first few
years Of the present century foot ball
was beginning to lose favor through
out the country. It was the old game
ton. of which the public was firing.
Deaths and injuries resulted. Not an
occasional accident. as is the case
today. but each college and school
had its list of manned and crippled.
To one accident now in thoueanda
of weekly contests there were . score
Of broken-boned indfvtdnAS In the
olden days in comparatively few
games.
People were beginning to ask. '-Does
the game warrant the price,!
Roosevelt Called CsaeheA
This was the state Of affairs In 1905
And during the winter President
Roosevelt sent to Harvard. Yale and
Princeton, then the undisputed lead.
ers Of the foot ball world. ana asked
that representatives from the Athletie
bodies come to Washington to consnlt
with him.
No time was lost in accepting the
invitation. A. E. fDoc) Hillebrand
Of Princeton, an-American tackle IL
'ss and 90. all-Ameriean base ball
player for three years, . member OF
three Princeton championships In
both foot ball and base ball. and at
that time coaching the Princeton
team walter Gam Camp then then director ,.s hot ..
and now dean Of Princeton and 9TH
er coaches. and athletic advisers from
Harvard. Pennsylvania and one OF
two other universities. visited the
White House.
President Roosevelt talked to them
in this wise: Men. foot ball is too
good a game to lose. The American
suited to make sturdy men out Of our
boys. There is no game that 80
builds fine bodies and hne courage.
It teaches boys to be fearless. to fight
hard. and to play the game. But the
game Is wrong now: 1t is deveiopine
opinion is against it. II something is
not done. the game will lose out. and
it will be a great loss to the youne
manhood Of America Go back and
change the rules!"
~TfytaE Wedge 10 Barred.
Up to this time the leaders Of foot
ball had been conservative and vert
slow to incorporate new ideas into the
game. At the next meeting Of tbs
came changes. The dying wedge
then the most popular mode OF attack
and accountable for Z great portion o.
the broken bones. was the first Of tht
old-style plays to go. II was forbid
den for the whole team to line up be
to charge like Roman cohorts agains
the opposing line.
That was the beginning of the end
and from then on developed the opel
play. the wide end run, the shift for
nations and the forward pass. which
has gradually since then been givas
more latitude until now il forms th'
most persistent threat Of an aggres
sive team, And with the development
Of the forward pass has natura1I.
come a more open game with tn
necessary supplement OF speed. quicl
thinking and good generalship.
To Theodore Roosevelt. then, Will
all greatness his memory keeps clear
should be added one more laurel-hil
part in keeping foot ball for Americs
and making 1t what IL now is:
keen. interesting and thrilling spor
for spectators. and among the bes
developers of brain, muscle and nerv,
for the player, with the minimum o.
dangers and risks.
From the time that the the Presiden
made his suggestions to the foot bal
authorities with the resulting chang,
Of rules interest in the game crew II
leaps and bounds.
Iauds the N01ern Game.
Coach Roper also told the gathering
Of the advantages OF the new game
compared 1t to fencing match IL
comparison to the old style which h,
characterised a. uti3iying nothing
more than is required in a tug-of-wal
weight and music. He told Of thu
part the trained athletes OF Americs
had played in putting an army on thl
fields Of France. reviewed the pas
foot ball season and described devel'
opments of the game.
J. Stanton Keck, all-American tackle
and captain of next years Princeton
eleven, also spoke at the reunion. Hi.
address was brief but pithy. Starting
with the requirements and necessary
adjuncts of present day college foot
games of the past season and told Of
many interesting and amusing Incl
dents.