New Britain herald., 1927-11-11


 Such is the title given Howard Jones, grid coach at the University of Southern California.
 Just as the Ford system of con structing automobiles requires each man to do one specific piece of work and do it eXpertly. so Howard Jones makes his "workers" in building football offensive become specialists. No man is merely a backfleld per former or a lineman with Jones' Neither is he just a halfhack. end. , tackle, etc. A member of the back | field. must specifically be either right or a left tackle, guard or end. The Trojan right guard and left guard have vastly different duties ternate from one position 10 the other. It is the same with the tackles and the ends.
 For instance, one of Jones' guards must be powerful man. " stone wall' type who stands the brunt of both offense and defense. The other must be fast SO he can slip out to lead Interference. One guard is a crasher who can take socks and who swings into guard position at times. The other is always tricky. fast and elusive. man who can catch passes and can slip through an opponents line. One end is usu- ally big while the other is the pass receiving expert. The center plays a rowing game.
 The most pronounced spocialza- ton under Jones' unique system is found in the backfield Here only | two men carry the ball the others doing nothing except interference work.
 ! The ball carriers are the quarter | back and fullback with the major part of the work falling on the | former, who also calls signals. But even the duties of the two luggers and the two trail blazers | are different. Whenever the quar- terback takes the ball, he darts for the open field, around end or off | tackle. The fullback plugs at the | line. The latter need not be big: usually he is as light as the ouar tcrback. But the fullhack's charges are nearly always for short dis 1 tances unless he gets the benefit of a good break while the quarterback does more ground covering in his l journeys.
 The halfbacks are called "outside" and inside" halves. The former is the right half. He is at the Hong side" of the unbalanced line and ! with the guard and fullback does most of the way-paving for> the quarterback who carries the ball. The inside half is at the left or short side of the line He must be rugged for 10 him come more hard { knocks than to any other member : of the backfcld. He Is protection and he must get" the man who sceps through the line when the play forms.
 That in brief. is Jones' system which has been evolved from IS years of membership at Yale. Syra- cusc. Ohio State and Trinity college before the Trojan coach came to Southern California.
 Jones Defends System
 "Therc are many fault-fnders to my system, but there answers for all criticism" says Howard Jones.
 "Why not let the four backs carry the ball?" some ask.
 Simply because ] have found 1t more efficient to make specialists of my men. Any ball carrier who leads interference is subconsciously prone to save himself Interference leaders should not have to worry about carrying the ball.
 Many ask me why I don't have a halfback call signals instead of the quarterback. Interference leading is the most difficult task in football. The man doing this duv is forbid den by rules to use his hands or arms in taking out a huge linesman who comes toward him permitted by all rules to use his hands. IL takes a crash to dispose of the op- ponent and an interference runner has enough to think about without pondering over what play to use