The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-12-23

Locust street, within few min
lltes' ride Of Franklin Field, but
admits he has seen so little football
In the last half dozen years that
he is almost as ignorant OF the new
rules as man who never saw the
game.
Why the lack Of INTEREST,"" he
was asked.
swell, don't ksrow, he replied.
I've sort Of gotten out Of touch
with it somehow. Il did see the
Cornell game. We had a reunion
Of the old. 1904 team, you know,
and / went out.
Did you like it?'
1T was great victory. Lou
Young and NlcGraW have a fine
team out there this year. The
line is as good as any coach would
want. OF course. Clere's no COM
i paFisOn between tie 1924 line and
the one We had in 1904, because
the Tuless Of the game are so diff.
ferent and the methods OF play.
Ing have changed The Iinesn1en
lii my day had other things TO do
than the ones now"
Stevie, seated in his room re.
called i'm appearance the wiry, nerv-
nus little field general in his play
Ing days. Glasses change his feaJ
lures a bit. but he has taken on
little weight and he still gives the
Impression he could show some Of
the boys today how to dodge a
tacklers
There's one thing / don't like
about the modern game" Stevenson
continued, that's the forward pass.
don't object to it entirely, but I
think the game would be improved
IL 1t was changed bit.
For instance, take team that's
being beaten. They can always re-
sort TO the forward pass with a
chance. good chance, of solving
more points than the other fellow,
even though in straight football,
real football, they aren't so good
1T seems to me If some PEN
atty were made for an incOnl-
pIefed pass il would be better.
You can make three attempts at
forward passing without losing
any distance. That doesn't seem
right to me.
What chance does team on the
defense have even when it covers
every offensive player on a forward
pass play? The man with the ball
can be forced back fifteen yards, in
danger Of being tackled for a loss,
and deliberately ground the ball and
not lose an inch. He has almost
everything to gain and practically
nothing to lose
Il kno wthe forward pass is
necessary today. In my time there
was only five yards to gain in three
tries. h Today you must gain ten
and you get only one more chance
at, rushing. Straight football is
little use with that distance to go.
..Our guards back formation was
pretty good twenty years ago, but
the guards can't so, back of the
line Of scrimmage now unless some
one goes up in the line 10 replace
themyso the advantage of more men
in the backfield is lost.
Besides, we used to be able TO
push our ball carriers j along
through the line, and that can't lie
done now, either,
Vincent Stevenson came to
Penn in the fall of 1904. The Red
and Blue had had rather disas.
trous season in 1903, but Doctor
, Carl Williams, the coach. was
sure, another year would Justify
the new system of play the
coaches were working on.
Charlie Corson was the regular
Quarterback in 1903 and was ex.
pected to keep his job with his
years experience. But nobody
counted on the frail looking fresh
man from somewhere down in
Kentucky
In preliminary practice Stevie
began to show his skill. The Red
and Blue squad went down to
Swarthmore that year One of the
first days out Stevie started to
run back a kick A varsity tackle
set himself. and as Stevie an.
preached lunged forward in the
accepted way to make the tackle.
The tackler gagged Stevie's legs,
dived and grasped-but all he got
hold of was an armful of fresh
autumn air. Stevie. without break
ing his stride hurdled the tacller,
alighted untouched on the other
side and continued on his way.
The next time Stevie came down
the field the tacller thought he
had the trick of stopping this hui.
man bird. He stood up and wait.
ed for Stevie to jump.
This time Stevie Just slowed
M that long strideG gait he used
IN running long enough to lure
the .tackler OFF his balance. Then
ut exactly the right instant.
Stevie was off again and once
more the wauld-be tackIer
clutched the empty atmosphere.
Through two years of college foot
ball. rival teams tried vainIy to
stop Vincent Stevenson When, in
1905, Penn met Harvard for the
last time and won ITO. the Boston
critics lamented that as the Grim.
son tacklers We're not equipped
with wings. they had no chance OF
bringing down this high hurdling
runner. And they didn't.
AS field general Stevenson was
as good as he was carrying the ball.
de was always the coolest man on
NE field. Once In his hands, the
ball seemed glued there. He never
fumbled, seldom missed the best
b.