The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-10-16
LOCAL STAR SAYS
DETERMINATION IS
KEY TO SUCCESS
"Dick' vidmer, G. w. u.
Back, Tells How Light
Boy Won.
By "Dicl" vidm.r. rullbaeL,

George Washington University, 1920,
No matter how light a boy may
be, he can win his college letter In
football IL he is determined to do II.
The boy who makes up his mind
what he wants and then goes after
II with the proper amount of deter
mination will get IT, This has been
proved by boy who went to Yves,
Point several years ago. His name
was Woodruff. -.
Woodruff west up to West. Poin,
with the determination to win his
letter in football. although he
weighed only 12S pounds. Woodruff
was too light. He knew 1t, and hi
knew that he wouldn't have a
chance to play a game against men
weighing from $50 to goo pounds.
but that didn't lessen his ldetermin-
alton to win his Ietter. 80, Z.
Practiced ContinuaIly., 7.
Every afternoon he could be found
practicing kicking goals, while the
rest of the squad were out scrim.
maging, or tackling. The coaches
couldn't help but notice how otter
the ball went between the goal
posts. and how very, very seldom he
missed. They noticed, and kept him
on the squad, although they could
not see how they could play him in
a game. They talked 1t over among
themselves every day.
It's a shame to have a goal kick
er like that sitting on the bench,
one coach would say. y
yes, but we can't put him in a
game, II he were once tackled by a
big 700-pounder II would break
every bone in his body" would in
variably be the answer.
He Warmed the Bench.
And so game after game he sat
there on the bench with no chance
Of playing because he was too light.
And then his chance came.
Colgate College had an especially
strong team that year. They had
won every game. And they came
up to West Point. determined to
win.
In the first quarter they scored
a touchdown against the Army, and
as they failed to kick the goal, the
score stood 60
The Score In Tied.
Through the rest Of the first half
and through the third and most OF
the fourth quarters the two teams
fought up and down the field. FRS,
one team would have the ball, only
to be held and then the other. With
the end of the game near Colgate
had the ball in the middle of the
field. They decided to kick. and as
the ball flew away from the toe OF
the Colgate fullback. the whistle
blew for the end OF the game with
the score 60 in favor of Colgate.
However. under the rules II a play
is going on when the whistle blows
for the end of the game. the play
must be completed, before the game
is over. So Pritchard. the famous
Army quarterback, catching the
ball on his fve-yard line raced,
lodged and squirmed his way
through the whole Colgate team,
making a touchdown and tieing the
score, 6-6.
The rules allow the try for a goal
after touchdown to be made II the
end of the game comes after a
fore the kick has been made. So
Woodruff was sent in to kick the
goal with the score tied and every
he made II, the Army would win, IL
he missed II the score would be a
tie. He took a look at the goal,
stepped forward and sent the ball
spinning end over end squarely be-
tween the goal posts, and was car
RED OF the field, the hero Of the
day.
Like Finegan-In and Out Again.
Later in the season, against the
Army's big rival. the Navy, a field
goal was needed at q critical mo-
ment Woodruff was called upon. He
went in, reported to the referee,
kicked the goal and trotted off the
field again before another play was
made.
Woodruff, was probably the only
pinch kicker. ever on football
team. He would be sent into games
just to kick field goal. The Army
team would work their way up near
their opponents goal, Woodruff
would go in. kick the goal and come
right out again.
But He Won His Letter.
He played in enough games this
way to win his letter.
l. Which all goes to show that IL a
boy is determined enough he can
win a place on any team. Woodruff
started practicing kicking goals
when he was fourteen years old,
and by the time he went to college
he had become so perfect that he
hardly ever missed. I don't think he
missed q single try in a game while
he was at West Point