New Britain herald., 1928-12-18
INJURIES MAY DO
GOOD FOR teams
Loss Of a Player Is Sometimes
Blessing in Disguise
BY BILLY EVANS


Three big bugaboos always on the
trail of college football coach are
injury. illness and ineligibility-the
three Is. as it were.
They are very apt to pop up when
least expected. raising particular
havoc with mentors well-laid
plans, and turning what started out
as a successful season into a most
dismal one.
However, there are times when
the unexpected loss of player
proves a sort OF blessing in disguise
to the coach and team. too for that
matter. For it has on various &C.
casions been the means Of uncover
ing star of the first degree.
Take the case of Stanley Hozer,
Michigan fullback. Hozer during
his high school days at Muskegon
was a topnotch player. He went
to Michigan but for some reason or
other couldn't seem to get going.
Came the Thursday before the
line plunger and the fellow whose
placekick beat Illinois the week pre-
vious, was taken to the hospital for
an appendicitis operation. Michigan.
apparently had lost its best bet.
The illness of Gembis. however.
gave Hozer his chance. And it was
due to Stanley's great work in the
third and fourth quarters that the
Maize and Blue was able to exc out
to 6 tie with the Midshipmen.
Hozer's efforts gained him a
regular job on the team. More
than that. he became ne of the
most dependable boys on the
squad-a hard line bucker. fast
afoot and a clever chap on defense.
Hozer, by the way, comes from
the same school that turned out
Bonnie Oosterbaan. Flop Flora ami
other gridiron greats during more
recent seasons.
Michigan. incidentally, has been
quite fortunate in unearthing star
requirements following the loss
of certain regulars. For instance,
there was Irwin Uteritz quarter
back during the 1928 period.
Uteritz got his chance when Banks
was injured in the Michigan Aggie
contest early in the campaign. Uter-
itz not only made good but develop
ed into one Of the greatest quarter
backs in Michigan's history. For
three seasons he starred on Wolver-
inc elevens that lost only one game,
hot - nhta af in 1901
Uteritz' first as regular.
Uteritz was one of the best safety
fnen of his period. He was "a sure
and hard tackler and certain catch
er of punts. An injury gave him a
chance to prove his worth.
Oddly enough. a broken ankle put
an end to Uteritz' career and en-
abled Tod Rockwell to break in
regularly. ''Utz" suffered his injury
in the game with the Marines late
in the 1923 campaign. Rockwell
was showed into the breach. The
following week he crashed into the
spotlight by virtue of his famous
75-yard gallop in the final minutes
against Wisconsin to give the Maize
and Blue hardearned 6 to VIC
tory. From then on Rockwell, vir-
tually an unknown. was the out
standing ball carrier on the Michi-
gan team.
Then there was the case Of Jack
Blot, Michigan's great center of a
few years ago. Blot. in fact fell
the week after Uteritz went out. A
broken ankle also put Blot on the
bench.
Blott's replacement was Bob
Brown. Brown made good. playing
the next two seasons and captain
ing Michigan's sensational 925 team
which had but three points scored
against it. He was close to an All
America selection.
Those instances are Just few
l recall wherein Michigan has un-
covered future greats to take the
place of regulars lost to the team
Tor various reasons.
The old bugaboos sometimes work
out quite advantageously. 1t seems.