Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-09

~ MUTE ROCKNE, who has
K been both, thinks that it
~ requires more work to be a
foot ball coach than a
professor.
eff I funk half my class as a
professor" he says, nothing hap
pens to me. But, if I funk half
my foot ball squad, I funk with
them"
Rockne agrees with all of Bill Roper's
suggestions except the one concerning
Spring practice. He sees no reason why
boys who wish to kick foot ball around
in the Spring should be forbidden to
do so.
cat Notre Dame" says Rockne. I'VE
have 300 men out for Spring practice.
There is no publicity, no crowds, no
gate receipts. no games with outside
teamS-none of the things to which OBJ
lection has been made as tending to
overemphasis.
1.-THE boys who play base ball, go in
for track or practice other forms of ath-
leticS never come out for Spring foot
ball. Boys who are behind in their
studies don't come out. There is no
compulsion about Spring foot ball. but
when we are through with it lot of
the players want to keep on. We don't
permit it.
1--WE find at Notre Dame that the
time boys fall behind in their studies is
when there Is no sport going on. A
boy is restless animal. Instead of
staying on the campus, he goes some
where to play pool. Then he stays out
to dinner. When he gets back he
doesn't feel like studying. December is
our worst month. There is nothing go
ing on. no routine to keep the men in
line. lost lot of good foot ball men
in these last few weeks. because they
fell behind in their school work.
Good for Idle Boys.
Foot ball, for boys who have nothing
else to do, is fine thing in the Spring
It keeps them occupied in a sane,
healthy manner I know that Harvard
has 200 or 800 men out in the Spring
If Princeton can get only 80 men out,
that would seem to be Princeton's fault
At Notre Dame the boys form elevens
and play round-robin tournaments. The
seniors, who are through with foot ball,
coach. Everybody has a lot of fun.
have yet to hear good reason why
Spring foot ball should be abolished"
Rockne says that while many attacks
are based on power and deception Notre
Dame depends. upon deception and
speed. He admits that timing, change
Of pace, has much to do with it. The
backs have one-second and two-second
counts, half spinners and full spinners,
plays which start in the same manner
but end differently. Much of Notre
Danes strength this season was to the
short side.
It is Rocknes belief that future I'M
provement in foot ball will be along the
line Of balanced attack. He says that
the perfect attacking team might have
Gil Dobies tackle play, Northwestern's
plunge into the line, Southern Cali
fornia's end run and Southern Metho-
dist's passing attack.
Calls SavOIdi Best.
He admits that the Notre Dame team
of this year had a bit of all of these
things, and with Savoldi added power
to speed. Savoldi he calls the best at
lacking fullback he ever saw. Rockne
also says that Culver was the most
underestimate lineman in the game.
told him that Howard Jones never
underestimate Culver. A couple of
weeks before Notre Dame played South
ern California Howard Jones wrote me
that Culver was of all-American caliber.
Rockne naturally takes pride in this
years team but he will not say that it
was any better team than his 1920
outfit or the team which had Adam
Walsh and the four horsemen. He
merely states that this years team was
as good as any other, and let's it go at
that.
He still likes that four horsemen team
for its great spirit. This years team
he praises for It's unity. He says he
never saw team on which the players
liked each other as we'll and stuck as
close together They were one for all
and all Tor one.
Carnegie Is named by Rockne as prob
ably the toughest opponent Notre Dame
met this season. He says the Carnegie
men played foot ball for all there was
in 1t. He also describes Northwestern
as big. rugged team. with fine tackles
and backs and lot of power.
(Copyright, 1917