Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-25
THINKS He SHOULD
HAVE KEPT ON IN IT
Famous Grid Strategist's
Favorite Pastime Is Repair.
ing Autos.
BY RUSSELL J. NEWLAND.
DALO ALTO, Calf, February
r. Is R.-Glenn Scobey War

20 HD.-Glenn Scobey War
l. ner, at 60, Is one of foot
balls greatest strategists.
His teams have made gridiron his
tory, but he thinks he should have
stuck to base ball.
For it was base ball-not the
game to which he has contributed
so brilliantly-that gave him his
greatest thrill. That came the
time he caught his first ball game,
at Springville, N. Y. in the late
Dos. He got two hits. Still insists
the umpire gypped him out Of a
third.
The rules Of foot ball have been
changed time and again because of his
creative genius. He brought out the
hidden ball trick In 1897 The back
field man stuck the ball up the back Of
his jersey. Rules were changed TO meet
the emergency. Then he served halves
Of cheap foot balls on the players
jersies. More rule changes.
He introduced the foot ball crouch.
He gave the game the wing back forma-
originated the screened pass, devised
the solid thigh pads, improved shoulder
pads, remodeled many other appliances.
Proud Of Ring Record.
Yet none Of his foot ball achieve
ments give him more satisfaction than
telling Of the time he was heavyweight
boxing champion at Cornell. He viii
stop in the middle of street to
demonstrate his corkScrew punch. It
won him the title.
AS boy, his playmates nicknamed
him Butter" He locked like mound
Of hay. His brothers, Bill of Hermiston.
Ore, and Fred of San Clemente, Calf,
say he was the LATEST kid in Texas.
The family lived on a ranch near
Wichita Falls. All Glenn wanted to
do was make playthings and eat and
sleep.
To keep from working. he went to
college. His dad gave him 500, tuition
York and went to the horse races at
Saratoga. The boolmakers pocketed
his 500. He borrowed another century
note and lost it playing poker. He per-
Suaded Cornell authorities to let him
enter on deferred payments. Worked
as a waiter and painted and sold pic
lures of sunsets, trees, cows and what
not to pay the tuition.
He played guard for Cornell. Team
mates hung the moniker Pop" on him.
He looked like an old man. Didn't set
the foot ball world on fire, but was cap
tain and coach In his last year-1892.
Graduated in law. Practiced Q few
months. Started coaching at Annes Col
lege in 1893. Switched to Georgia the
same season. Then to Cornell, over to
Carlisle, back to Cornell, again TO Car
Isle, to Pittsburgh, then Stanford.
Sticks to Workshop.
He has a fine home in Palo Alto,
but spends most Of his time In work
shop In his garage. Always figuring out
foot ball plays. Diagrams can be found
on the back Of sandpaper and boards IN
his workshop. On every piece of paper
in his pockets. He deposited check in
the bank. 1t had three plays on the
back of 1t. But no signature. At ban
quets he draws on napkins and takes
them home.
He would rather tinker than eat
Buys up old automobiles SO he can fix
them. Has three rattle-trap veterans.
Two are nine years old, the other eight.
Has an expensive car, but never uses It.
He will miss dinner to file saw for the
carpenter across the street. VIII walk
a couple Of blocks anytime to take q
clock to pieces.
Loves golf, but claims the clubmakers
don't know their business. Made his
own set. The shafts 1T into the middle
of the head rather than in the back.
Says this makes for perfect golf" But
he shoots in the COS. Favorite club Is
his "all-purpose baby" It Is made Of
wood, with more loft than a spoon.
for approaches to the green.
Won't NAV unless there IL a Ei0A
bet. Limit is cents for first on the
green and cents for first In the hole.
Won so cents once. Talked OF 1t for
a week. Dick Hanley. coach at North
western, shoots 10 strokes better than
the old man but never has beaten him.
Pops golf rules include talking, laugh
ing, coughing and singing.
Try to hook him on nickel bet and
he'll use virile language. But he gives
away two and three hundred dollars
at a time to needy friends.
He is q director in a bank here.
When his associates want him for a
heavy financial conference they usually
have to root him out of the workshop.
Owns several houses, but Is always for
ball syndicate writer and writes his
own copy. Hasn't the slightest idea
how much money he is worth. Mrs.
Warner tends to the finances. Spends
lots of her time trying to get Pop in
to eat, or answer telephone calls. When
he Is deeply engrossed in taking an
auto apart, other business can wait.
Kept a party calling from New York
waiting on the line for i've minutes
while he cleaned a sparkplug.
Another hobby Is painting. His
house is full of his own works Of art.
Hasn't done much with the brush
lately.
He is not demonstrative in foot ball
season. Seldom gets off the bench,
where he smokes cigarettes necessarily.
Only time the boys saw him give vent
to his emotions was after Stanford
lost to Southern California in 1928.
There were a couple of tear drops in
his eyes. Thought his team should
have won that game.