The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-04-01
knute Wanted His Writings
to Stand on Their Merits,
Not to Pass on His
Name.
BY JOE WILLIAMS
orId-TeIeKram Sports Editor

are you going to write about
the death of such a char
acter? What can you write
that hasn't been written
again and again?
A dramtically vivid man, intense
ly human and tremendously sue
cessful, the capricious fates decreed
that Knute Kenneth Rockne should
pluck the flowers Of fame while he
lived. He was at once the most
highly appreciated and most popu-
lar coach in American football.
He had a knack-genius if you
Will-for football that was bit be-
yond any of his contemporaries.
And there was something about the
man, his directness, his frankness,
his hunaness, that instinctively
substituted respect for envy.
Not all Of his fellow coaches pre-
cisely loved him, but there was none
who denied his pre-eminence. To
younger coaches, ne was what Cobb
and Davis were to cub reporters OF
a by-gone era. Year in and year
out his team was secuted more STU
diously and thoroughly than any
other team in the country.
The Army game always came late
on the Notre Dame schedule. Most
of the other teams had finished for
the season. And invariably the
coaches Of the other teams would
come to this game, squeeze their
way into the press box, and sit
there, most Of them openly admit
ting they had come to learn
something about football"
It got to be a gag that each year
the coaches would hold meetings
one when Rockne played the Army
and the other when the coaches
gathered for their formal meeting.
Most Interesting Man
I wasn't able fully to appreciate
Rockne as a football man, not be-
inc well enough informed in the
technical phases Of the game, so as
a consequence, we had few discus
sions about such matters as shifts,
double-wing back formations ana
unbalanced lines.
But I got to know him pretty
well as a man, and I believe II
had to name the most interesting
man 7 ever met in sports, at the
moment I would name Rockne.
I know I always was disappointed
if something happened that
couldn't get to see him when he
was in town or I was out his way
in the middle west. The straightfor-
wardness OF his nature, his terse
epigrammatic manner of speech, his
cracking sense of hunor. his burn
ing antagonism for athletic sham
and academic corceitS, all these
made him charming, warming
companion.
don't believe Rockne was ever
completely happy-or maybe con-
tented is better word. He had a
restless, nervous mind. The foot
ball sphere was too small for him,
and sooner or later he would have
drifted away from it, notwithstand-
ing his many protestations to the
contrary.
Rockne had a strange passion for
writing. He didn't want to Write
books or articles for magazines. He
wanted to write sports for a news
paper. But he wasn't quite sure
that he would be an outstanding
success. It was typical Of him that
he didn't want the glamor of his
name to carry the stories-he want
ed them to stand on their own
merit.
Covered Olympic Games
Two years ago he covered the
Olynnpics for the New York Tele-
gram. He asked me if I wouldn't
announce that he actually wrote all
his own stuff. I'm no great writer"
he admitted, "but I don't want the
readers to think I'm kidding them.
When he returned he was anxious
to see how his stories had been
handled. Also he wanted all the
clippings. One story seemed to
please him above the others. 1t told
of the triumph of four small nations
over their larger and more power
full foemen-Ireland, Poland, Hayti
and Finland That was a great
Sunday afternoon, you would have
enjoyed it," he said.
This was the sentimental, imagina-
tive Rockne, his memories very
likely stirred by childhood days
when he was bundled UP in far away
Norway and brought over to these
fabulous shores where he was
destined to record some of the
mightiest triumphs in fotball his
tory.
Rockne had his own ideas about
overemphasis and commercialism.
and to some these ideas were radical
and sharply at odds with the true
sporting spirit AS to over
emphasis Rockne's attitude was that
If football was worth playing at all,
it was worth playing we'll. I'D
much rather play on winning
team than losing team" he said.
Had Something to Say
AS to conlmercialism, Rockne saw
no reason why a coach should not
write for the newspapers IF he
had something to write" or talk over
the radio 'if he had something to
say"
Nobody ever can say that Rockne
didn't have something to wrle or
say. AT the time of his death when
he was on his way to Hollywood to
make a series of educational foot
bah shorts.
There must be a demand for
these pictures or the film company
wouldn't have signed me to make
Them he said. Its a cinch they
didn't sign me- because I look like
Buddy Rogers"