Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-12
CARDINAL COACHES
SWEET" ON TOMMY
BackfieId Comet Has Made
Long Runs Against All
Foes This Season.
BY r. d. THOMAS.


Notre Dame has been re-
/ ferred to so often as the
acme of all to be desired in
foot ball player that to mention
him in the same breath with a
halfback on an obscure team, who
has never shown his stuff in big
time, may seem unreasonable.
But in this instance the speaker
Is Arthur j. Bergman, head coach
at, Catholic University and the
man who paved the way for many
of Gipp'S long runs and himself
lugged the oval with uncommon
success.
Bergman and two members of his
staff who are ex-Notre Dame top
notchers and as youngsters saw the
Clipper in all his almost legendary
glory make bold to compare with him
as ball carrier one Thomas J. Whelan
Of the Cardinal eleven.
Your foot ball coach ordinarily IS
careful not to heap praise on one Of
his own, and Bergman Is not an ex-
ception in the case Of Whelan. His
appraisal Of that worthy leaves the
"Galloping Gothamite" far short of the
versatile Gipp, but not in the speciality
OF toting the oval over great distances.
YVES" said Bergman when queried
l. on the subject, "Whelan is one of
the greatest running backs I've
seen, and quite as effective in broken
field, believe, as Gipp. There, of
course, the comparison stops; but this
boy is just finding himself He has
come along remarkably, not only as a
ball runner but as blocker and
tackler."
Whelan has scored 10 touchdowns in
six games this year, and nearly all with
sensational runs. His gallops across
the goal line have averaged SOL yards
A sprint now and then of such dimen-
sion Is sufficient to make a campus idol,
but Whelan has managed to get in one
or more in every game, and some of
them have been vital to victory.
EOR instance, when Catholic Univer-
l. sity defeated North Carolina State,
1877, Whelan caught q pass from
Johnny Oliver and skipped more than
so yards for one touchdown-the play
gained a total Of 83-and for the other
ran IS.
A week later he made 80 yards on
fourth down for the touchdown that
started the Cardinals on the way to an
upset triumph over DuQueSne, which
has been a consistently tough customer.
He ran rs yards from scrimmage to
give c. U. the marker that turned the
tide against Manhattan shortly after
the New Workers had been held on the
1-yard line.
MYTH three passes taken from Oliver
w he travelled from deep in his own
territory across the Boston College
goal In the first two minutes of play,
and If the Cardinals had owned the
manpower his touchdown would have
gained the day and C. U. at this time
would have a clean slate. Eagle reserve
strength won the game in the final
period.
Tomorrow night in Grifith Stadium
Catholic University will meet st. Fran
els College Of Loretto, Pa, and the
Saints will be laying" for Whelan.
But all the Cardinal enemies since
Tommy flashed against B. G. in the
seasons opener have done that, and out
at Brookland any freshman will wager
his Eugene on .Whelan to get away at
.OUR hero is 20 years old, weighs ITS
~ pounds and halls from New York
City. He showed promise, but little
more, as sophomore last year until
Bergman, serving his first campaign at
Brookland, took fancy to Toms man
ner Of running. His ability to change
direction in flash at full speed caught
tne coachs eye, and Bergman, singing
him out as a sterling prospect, went
to work" on him.
Tom turned out to be what coaches
pray for. Hear what BergmanIs aides
say Of him:
Line Coach Forest Cotton:
Tommy Whelan is the greatest run
ming back I've seen since the days Of
George Gipp: His blocking and tack
ling have picked up amazingly since
the beginning Of the present season.
Tommy's use of the change of
pace Is as great, If not greater, than
that used by his present teacher, Dutch
Bergman, who in his day was a past
master of that particular dodge. I ought
to know. used to try to tackle Dutch
In Notre Dame scrimmages when he
was senior and I was freshman"
George Vlk, end coach:
tom Whelan is the greatest run.
ming back I've seen in years. He is on
a par with left-halfbacks such as Chris
Flanagan and Jack Elder. His tack
ling and blocking are far from mediocre
and there is no halfback in the East
who can better his change of pace and
cross over"
Eddie La Fond, freshman coach:
greatest running back ever to enter
Catholic University. Eddie Lynch, Ray
Foley, Harvey and Bobby Deneault all
had splendid ability and possessed quail
tiles that made them outstanding, but
none Of them had the all-around class
of Whelan.
Tom is big, fast and has a wonder
full change of pace, which combined
with his elusive hips and a great love
for foot ball, makes him, in my opin-
ion, the greatest back I've ever seen at
Catholic University"