Evening star., 1922-10-02

all the credit that all average spec
atflliation. We are in the public eye
bv us. Yet none better than We ii
liant OF our society would shine wer
Last year Penn had weak line.
Well sir. it was last year that the
Penn hackield made atonemcnt 10: all
the unjustified credit and praise that
had ever been bestowed upon quaker
backfields for the past two genera
ttors. In other words. We get ours.
can you imagine the sIck'y leeilhs
that goes down your spine when you
start with the bail for a line play ana
see your forwards tumblinS this way
and that with the tacklers coming
through on YOU unobstructed. ready
TO send you to earth as though you
had been hit with a piledriver?
Success Depends on Forwards.
-Or can you grasp just how dis
h.artening it is when you are IN the
midst Of your ball shifting. and other
backfeld maneuvers designed 20 con-
zeal not only the actual ball carrier.
hut the trend of play. to nave the
tackles and ends storm risht tnto
YOUR midst and bust up everything
with ruthless hand before II mas
started? >
III so you will appreciate what
set OF strong, fast, quick-thlnHlnS
Iine-wfse players mean to PACK
field Since last year III vote 10 sNt.
GOOD forwards two varsity ietters ih-
stead of one. 80,
who will deny that Mike Whitehill
did not voice something that involves
an organic flaw in the popular ap
prectetion of foot ball? Pity II IS that
raI
go.s: the movement of the bail ana
little else is the thing that counts
Perhaps this tendency is dtTiFeu
[ronl our long years OIL dSSocldt'oit
with the base ball stands ana o!eacn-
ers In the national game. Of course,
close observation of tn" bail IN every
Instant of play Is essential Nothing
else as q matter of fact. Is necessary
even to the most fnicking analyst OF
base ball.
Bu, in foot bail. while it is the
movement of the ball that produces
The results the reasons for that prog
ress or lack of progress are Fcr!
often hidden down among the 1or-
wards, out of view, or at least oe-
Soud the knowledge Of all save
oualfied observers. The back goes
into the line, comes into the clear ana
makes a touchdown. A great back:
Sure enough, he is. But how ABOUT
the tackle and end who. working IN
conjunction. inclosed the opposing
tackle in a box and gave the back mis-
chance to get loose. And once loose,
how about the guard, who having
charged his man out of the way.
come through into the backtifld and
messed up the secondary defense:
Tackle Must BE Versatile.
Consider the tackle. \ great tackle,
indeed, is one of the most inspiring
and wonderful products of the grid
TO in n IfDFr
must know everything. His brain
must work twice as fast as chain
lightning. In modern foot ball
great majority of line plays strike
Inside or outside his position when
he is defending and when on attack
he Is the driving head OF an equal
percentage OF offensive assaults. he
opens holes. and moves ahead swiftly
lest the ball carrier run up his back.
And once the back is through the line
he must follow him and wreck as
much Of the defense as he can
When the play is on the opposite
side he must get through and work
havoc with the secondary defense.
On punts his position is III" great
aycnuE for the blocking of kicks. He
has to protect his punter against
such trassaso Obese and many other
s!ynsp asshsh "a Ytsn H. sif ls haas haas the the
he baif 3 there will YOU fnds the
great tackles.
Nor does the guard stand as in the
old days like COLOSSUS with legs
widespread. preventing gains through
his position. Not at all: today he is
the rangy man who not only blocks at
tacks upon his position, but smashes
through and messes up the play be-
fore it hits the line. On offense he is
the man who opens holes. thereby
making the reputat ton of more than
one '1ine-cracking" back.
Center Has Plenty to Do.
And the center He roves these
days. He does much on defense 20
knock down forward passes. He
plugs up the lire from tackle to
tackle and. after he has passed for
punt, he is likely to be downfield with
his ends.
At some game where your emotions
are not so deeply enlisted that you
have no mind for scientific scrutiny
forget about the halfbacks and the
ball and watch the linemen at work.
II will pay you. and, besides. give
you a deeper knowledge of foot ball
than you ever had.
In this connection hero is bit of
verse a Harvard man once wrote