The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-11-09
| ALKING
IT OVER
WITH JOE WILLIA.IS

A Ionic stage, the century
N plant football coach of Chi
cago. says he can't recall a season
when he has seen so many good
looking backs. This Is shocking. Mr..
Stage has grown sons. He is entire
" too old to be hanging around
these revues. But possibly Mr..
StaRg was talking about half backs.
Most everybody is these days. This
Is the time of the year when the
boys begin compiling lists Of eligibles
for the all-American frenzy. These
lists always run mainly to ball car
rierS. Where one lineSman is men
toned twenty-five backs are named,
and no questions asked.
Maybe II IA easier 10 spell = bali car
rier's name. still a NAEurski is not exactly
Smith. There must be two or three
other pretty fair players on the Minnesota
team this year. but Nagursh is the only
one You hear about.
The answer to this ancient
phenomenon is, of course, simple.
The backs run with the ball. They
are out in the open where they can
be seen from the stands. Few people
pay any attention to the boys who
clear the way and get them out
there.
TT takes concentration as we'll as a
L knowledge of the fundamentals
to appreciate line play. The average
customer doesn't bring these things
to a game. And besides it's more
convenient and comfortable TO sit
back and wait until one of the backs
gets loose and starts Logging it down
the field. This is play anybody
can understand It has all the
simplicity and much of the same
primitive appeal Of a Ruthian swat
over the garden wall.
Just the same no half back Is ever
going to achieve any degree of greatness
unless he has = strong line helping him
The number OF average backs who have
been lifted 10 what passes for immortality
in the sport pages on the strength of
fast charging SET Of forwards laid helmet
to helmet probably would reach from
Perth Amboy to Palo Alto.
n n
BY the same token the number of
gifted backs who failed to make a
national impression because they got
no help from the men in front Of
them would. similarly arranged.
cover Just as much tory.
TOUR of the gre-t5SJ backs in the
L east this year are eagle CT
Army, Marsters of Dartmouth,
Uansa of Pittsburgh. and Booth Ct
Yale. The unusual running abilities
Of these young men can not be queS-
toned, yet on occasions each has
been stopped in his tracks; they
we're stopped when the opposing
lines outplayed their lines; they ad-
vanced only when the reverse was
true. No further comment is neces-
Sary.
There ought to be some way that Ohictal
acknowledgement for meritorious line play
could be given in the summary of the
game. Something to this effect: Touch
down, Booth. assisted by BarreS. Miller,
snead, Marting and Vincent, with bow
In the direction of the entire coaching
stan.
MO back field as a group ever
IN gripped the popular fancy like
the -Four HorSemen" Of Notre
Dame. They made history that will
never perish from the records of the
game. They were men whom this
generation of football fans will
never forget. Hey Don't sit there
like a ninny and tell me you have
forgotten them! Why surely you
remember Stuldreher and Crowley
and, and, and-and those two other
fellows!
OF course through the years tho iden
titles of a few ancient gladlato7s persiss.
Wherever football is discussed tho names
Of Thorpe, Coy. Heston. Mahan, Hinaey.
EckersaH, Heffelhnger. Brickley, Shevlin
and Schulz mean something. This lSt
rather bellies the popular legend that a
iineSman can never hope for enduring
esteem. Heffelhnger We a guard, Shevlin
and Hinkey ends and Schulz a center.
AS for Thorpe he was a whole
football eleven. Most critics aTree
he was the greatest player of all
time.