The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-04-02
/ ALKING
IT OVER
by Joe WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, April Even in
i Y sports where fame is extrav-
agantiy bestowed and inexactly
computed the singular gifts Of
Rockne will endure. He took foot
ball and fashioned it into highly
dramatic spectacle. He took the
open game and opened it wider. He
took the shift and made it shiftier.
He took the tricks and made them
trickier
With ROckne the football field was Just
IS much laboratory as was the class
room where he raaiored in chemistry in
bis school days Under his daring and
imaginative touch the game Of football
changed Just as sharply and definitely
from 1920 TO 1880 as 1t had changed back
in 1905 when the mass plays were elm
mated and the pass plays innoyated. From
coast to coast teams now play "Rockne"
football. This Is his legacy to college
football, the game he esteemed so genu-
inely.
1t IS given to few men to change the
nature OF things IN any sphere, TO ere
ate new systems for old, 70 blaze pioneer
ing paths through established routines.
Rockne belonged to that small group in
baseball and TEX Richard in prize fight
ing. II was a curious mood Of fate that
tnese three lives should have been SNUFF
tea out within few wears OF each other.
n
JOHNSON was basebalTs first
- crusader for clean sport, decent
environment and a courteous public
appeal. More than any one other
individual he was responsible for
the position baseball occupies in the
scheme of American life today.
Practically every fundamental re-
finement in the conduct Of profess
sional baseball can be traced to the
wisdom and vision of the one time
Ohio newspaper man who died a
few days ago.
r
In much the same way Rickard was
responsible for washing the large. knobby
ears Of prize fighting. taking 1t away from
the hoodlums and bringing IL to the every
nice people," as he used to call them.
DUT to get back to Rockne him
- self. Now that he is gone it
is pleasant to picture him out there
in the great beyond meeting up
again with the boy he always called
his greatest star-George Gipp, one
of those rare ball carriers who COM
bined great elusiveness with. great
power
Rockne was at Gipp's bedside at
the hour of his death. / believe it
was the first time death had ever
visited a Rockne squad. Gipp had
played a smashing game against
Army and had contracted a throat
infection which was to prove fatal
three days later.
AS he stood at the bedside Rockne
held the hand of the dying youth
and said: "Is there anything I can
do for you, George? Any one thing
you would like to ask me?" In soft,
weak pants the answer came from
the parched lips Of the All-America
man: you know how like to win
from the Army, Rock. Well, some
time when things look bad for us,
ask the fellows to go out and put
over a touchdown for me, will
you?" And with that the black
haired, sharp featured Michigan
farmer closed his eyes.
Il
This became a sacred trust with Tockne.
am not sure but / believe he used it
only once. and that was the time when
Jack Elder ran the length of the field to
score the winning touchdown against the
Soldiers at the Stadium.
THE news dispatches report that
i Frank Carideo broke down and
wept when he learned of Rockne's
death. The Mt. Vernon athlete was
probably closer to Rockne than any
other player on the squad. Rockne
liked the way Carideo ran the team,
his daring, shrewdness and sanity.
He was, in short, his kind OF a
quarter back. 1 suspect that in his
musing moments he had pictures Of
Carideo in later years being pointed
out as another Rockne. He was
enormously fond of him.
/ was with ROckne in his hotel room
here when Noble Kizer, the Purdue coach
called on him. He wanted Carideo as his
assistant. At the time several other col
Ieges wanted him too. CarideO ready
20 go wherever ROckne said Purdue is
close to South Bend. ROckne decided
Carideo should go with Kizer. II don't
want him to get too far away from me-"
he explained.
Earlier in the afternoon Rockne had
been talking about his team. About
Carideo In particular. He called him the
perfect field general. Did he make any
mistakes at all this year." some one
asked. Il wouldn't tell about EN- II he
had" he answered.
4
This was not typical of Rockne. Cen
orally he was prone to kid about his
players. belittle their achievements good
naturally and ridcule the illusions of
greatness built up by the press. But
Carideo was exception. Rockne must
have had set great store by him.