Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-04
50OPENN STUDENTS
FORMER GR|DDERS
Many Reasons Given Why They
Do Not Turn Out for Foot
ball, Says Official

"Do you know that ut least 800
students of the University Of Pcnnsyl-
vania have had previous football CX-
pcricncc?" Several former Red and
Blue stars were discussing the lack of
gridiron material at tho University as
ono of the reasons for the teams of the
last few years.
Eyes, at least that number and prob
ably more. I do not have the exact
figures to show, but they are accessible
and 1 do not think that | am more
than twenty or thirty over or under
5O0,' continued a former University
star and now connected with the ath-
lctic department of the University.
"Whcn man enters this Univers-
ity.' he continued, she signs qucs.
tionnaire on which he Is asked to state
what sports he has engaged in before
coming to college. 1t is really surprising
the experience some Of these men have
had. Most Of them have played on
high and preparatory school teams be-
fore entering college, others have seen
action with Independent teams and not
a few have played on other college
rlevcns.
1T is an eye opener to see what
large list it IS and what varied ex-
pCrionCe some of the men have had.
There is hardly department in the
University that doesn't have lis quota
OF former gridirou players, and it seems
a shame that they do not have the
spirit to come out for their own Int-
vcrSity eleven.
"lnstcud Of sixty five or seventy men
reporting for football practice when the
call is issued every fall Penn should
have three and four times that number.
why the squad that should report
would keep several doctors busy and
Il detail Of clerks engaged getting tho
data on them. From that number the
task to select the best eleven would be
II stiff one. but after a system had been
started Penn would have some mighty
fine football teams.
eff that number reported in the fall
We could do ~ the Navy does divide
the squad up into teams with letters OF
the alphabet. put them to work and rs
u man proved his worth promote him
along the line until he reached the
varsity squad. OF course that would
mean hard work for the student and
equally hard work for the coaches. but
it would solve the problem OF having
bigger squads and more capable ones.
"Imaginc what 1t would be" and the
speaker smiled, ''tO find that In the
second and third year as men were
others would be coming up
enuinncd with footbnll knowledge. the
stylr Of uIuy Penn uses and ready to
.tTr right in on the varsity. Then we
wouId hoyr the teams. II would be
surcr,siou of teams that I am sure
woIld lose mighty few games over
stretch of Years.
"Sny for Instance that a freshman
after making his team reported for the
varsity in his sophomorc wear. and al
thourG nnt Thought rupajlc enough to
nInv varsity fnutbnII would still he n
in"n ,yho rHuld improve with coaching
Allow thut man part of the season on
say tho rourth tcam. and later uronoto
lin nm ono ,uu,d When his iuuior
, ' cnr rnlIrG orn,Ind Lc would know foot
LaIl and woulJ he rarnbIC of meeting
thr hr.t Of thc veterans I'm fight for n
nnst ''
49, :. , .,,,. T. a., ..
HCn hn"" M"", !" I"' n'att'r
WIN thisi poS - !" l"c wv u"SS we
"oHlu hght 10 E'l on Ine ne'n trst
ana "onlu Irus u,"hs ~ " 'ne 'sat 10
s't uhurr thc ShTM'IH,| ! n"nc usk"u
many o. W tn',n t WHY t"'E oro u" not plnE