The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-04-06

One brief message from Rocl to valorous heights when the ot insurmountable.
 Tn his early days Rockne had a dread of badness. When he was a student of Chemistry at Notre Dame he concocted all kinds of prepara- tions in an effort to save his hair. Many jokes have been cracked about Rockne's bald head.
 "Well, Demosthenes didn't have any hair either," Rockne once jok- fngly remarked about his badness. This bit of comparison was intend- ed for a jest. Strangely 1t extended not only to the absence of hair but the flow of words.
 Plain Personality.
 Rockne's magnetism threw a hyp- notic spell over his players just be- fore the call to gridfron battle. Let's go back to the Notre Dame game of last season. one of the greatest victories ever scored by the Irish.
 The scene is the Notre Dame dressing room underneath Dyche Stadium, Evanston. The Notre Dame players are dressed, nervously await ing Rockne. The minutes tick away and Rockne still does not appear. Finally he dramatically enters. The players come to rigid attention. Rockne does not say a word. The silence continues for a seemingly in- terminable period.
 Ten minutes before game time, Rockne utters his first word.
 "Up!"
 His sharp. staccato voice brings his men to their feet almost simul- taneously.
 My starting lineup will be Con- ley. Kurth, Metzger, Yarr, kassis, Culver, Host. Carideo. Brill, Mullins, Schwartz"
 A dozen or so more words and then the team goes out to the field for brief warm up. Back again to the locker room and not another word from Rockne until two minutes before game time.
 That's allan ear-splitting com Twice in the first half Rockne' s men stopped Northwestern on the I-yard line and then in the last seven minutes of play broke a score less deadlock when March Schwartz broke away for 27 yards and 8 touchdown. Another touchdown was added in the final minutes, Notre Dame winning, 14-0.
 Needed Proof.
 A famous engineer told Rockne there was no such thing as emotion: That nothing counted but cold in telligence. Rockne disagreed so he asked to hear what message the late coach would deliver to his men be- fora the Carnegie Tech team game last year.
 This is what Rockne said:
 We will probably win the toss. want you to run down the field and tackle them and go on the de-
 
 { the heart out of them! You men in the backfeld, be alert, heads up smart: look for that ball when they throw a pass, and when they do, SC 1 in and get the ball. I want you to block as you never blocked before I l want you to do as well, as hard, as 1 mechanically perfect as you can 1 think of. And the quarterback think l clearly and call the right play. And you men, all eleven of you, dig those cleats in deep. get your jaws set and when you start for that goal line. drive, drive, drive!'
 Rockne's men followed instructions to the letter and defeated Carnegie Tech, 21-6.
 Rockne's e1oQuence was not con- fined alone to his football teams. He spoke at banquets. meetings and gatherings all over the country. He was on his way to speak at the DreakIdSL CluD III LO6 <AhSCiCS "ASA he met his death.
 Rockne had a gift of saying the right thing at the right time. Ht knew when the situation called fol sarcasm. for humor, for praise, oi for silence. He had tact
 Another Incident.
 On the way to Los Angeles las December for the last game his teaH ever played against South California Rockne threatened to board a trair for Rochester, Minn, when the team stopped off at Tucson, AriZ. Rockns charged his boys with quitting or him.
 asked them if anyone could give hin a reason for staying. He told then he was d sick man, and there was nc need for him to stay with them Il they were going to Hay down or him."
 "I guess you have every reasor to leave us," said Carideo.
 None could think of reason, anc Rockne turned to go.
 Then Schwartz, that halfback who was always greatest in the tlgh places, stopped him.
 T have a reason for you to stay Rock" snapped Schwartz. I wan you to be there to see us knock hel out of Southern California.
 Notre Dame won that game, too
 
 27-0.
 Rockne never went too far witf criticism. Once after his team hat lost a close game, he walked into ( barber shop in South Bend and sait jovially:
 Good morning, how are all thu coaches to-day"
 Little speeches like that are one 0 the reasons why Rockne was sue cess. He learned early not to tak' the coaching game too seriously.
 Walter Camp was the pioneer 0 football, but it took Rockne to pop uiarize the game. He lifted 1t iron a college sport to a million dolla basis. In 1919 Rockne took his tean TO West Point to play Army befor 6,0OO persons and there were no gat receipts.
 Big Business.
 In 1929 and 1880 Notre Dam played to more than l,OOO,OOo per sons. Last season Notre Dame sol out Franklin Field, Philadelphia