The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-12-14
He's as Common as the Salt
Of tho Earth in Spite Of
His Fame
BY CLAIRE BURCKY

Pittsburgh, Pa, Dec. l4.-Thcy're
going to like Elmer Layden at Notre
Dame. He's great guy.
Not that the fellow isn't very we'll
known around the campus of the
Irish institution-for as fullback Of
that immortal Pour Horsemen'
quartet, Elmer chiseled his name in
large letters in the football monu-
ment there. But they're due to see
the inside Of this curly-haired Irish
man when he trots his team out for
its first practice session next spring.
He's as common as the salt of the
earth. He never gives YOU the i'm
preston that you're talking TO SUI
perior being. And the climax of his
coaching career hasn't gone to his
head-rather, it has floored him.
He's been a good mixer in the six
years he's been at Duquesne Univer-
sity here. And in that time lie has
demonstrated that his game Of golf
isn't SO hot-except those rifling tee
shots: that he's stickler for dis
ciplinc OH the field; that his words
OH the gridiron are short and clip
ped, and that around the table with
old grads, or at home with his wife
and two kiddies, he's an easy fellow
to know.
His 160 pounds were a distinct sur
prise to Knute Rockne at Notre
Dame. Elmer developed into probably
the best fullback the Irish had, con-
sidering his weight. Where big
Jumpin' Joe Savoldi. who followed
later, bulled his way through line
with his beef. Layden was a knitting
fullback, preferring to slice through
q hole rather than to batter his way
with weight.
Probably his most brilliant per-
Torrance was against Stanford In the
Rose Bowl game on New Years Day,
1925.
In that contest he ran 70 yards for
a touchdown after intercepting pass
punted out from behind his own goal
line GO yards. and then intercepted
another Stanford pass and dashed IS
yards for another touchdown.
Layden married his sweetheart OF
school days back at q Davenport, Ia.
high school. Mrs. Layden is a beat
tiful woman, gracious hostess and
a friend of Elners friends.
! Their children are Joan, 6, who has
just started to school. and Elmer. Jr.
3. Both children's faces are freckled
and their noses are inclined to be
| pug" Their legs are long anc
gangly. just like their daddy's.
! The Laydens' Pittsburgh home is q
duplex in Mt. Lebanon q suburb. II
contains nothing to remind the visi-
tor that the head of the Layden house
was one of Rockne's brightest stars
All his pictures and mementoes arc
in the home Of his parents at Daven.
port.
The story Of Layden's football sys.
TENT won 48, lost Is and tied 6 fol
Duquesne since 1927-is that of any
other Notre Dame mans system. Il
consists In the main Of sound funda.
mentals drilled everlastingly into thu
heads Of athletes made willing b.
psychological handling Of them.
It stresses strong tacxle play, {
bruising but fast-stepping fullback
and an elusive halfback or two. A
Duquesne, Layden was successful II
developing q fine aerial game. ans
his kickers we're excellent. He al
ways managed to have someone
around who could kick those points
after touchdown-remcmbering, per
1aps. how many games his almi
mater won from Southern Californi;
by the margin Of point after touch
down.
The 1888 Duquesne eleven, wficl
won ali but that TO game with Pitt
was the smoothest and most powerful
he ever developed. It was q typica
Rockne machine. expert ct blocking
quick to seize an advantage. alert IN
efficient.
Duquesne. which years ago va
known a. Holy Ghost college, va
little more than . pushover for op
posing teams when Layden steppe
ii. The Dukes met only minor col
lege opposition In those days.
Today Duquesne has q footba