Evening star., 1934-12-19
OS ANGELES, December 10
Robert w. Zrlppke, the sage of


Illinois, is a great believer in
quickness. I'VE hear too much
about speed in foot ball." he says.
"Quickness is more important-quick-
ness of feet, hands and head. A slow
starter may have speed, after he gets
under way. But he doesn't often get
under way"
What IS the age Of quickness?"
asked. Stamina comes after 25 or 26.
Most marathon runners, the good ones.
are in between 26 and IS. But what
about quickness?"
"The age of quickness," Zuppke said,
sis from 19 to %. This is where sup
pleneSs and lgility reach their top
marks. Later on there can be speed,
but natural quickness begins to die out
after one is 26.'
Il had to get by with quickness this
year." Zuppke said. my foot ball
team ranged from 155 to 189-l89 was
my heaviest man. We were outweighed
from 10 to 20 pounds in almost every
game, and yet lost only one start.
like quick men-quick moverS-qulck
thinkers. I can't use numbering giants.
I'd much rather have quick 150-
FOUNDER than a slow 220-pounder."
A good example of this is the Four
Horsemen, who averaged 158 pounds,
the lighteSt big-time backfield in his
tory-and one of the greatest.
The Case of Red Grange.
"D ED GRANGE" the Illinois coach
continued, was not only quick
but fast on his feet. Grange
had a way of picking his openings,
timing his charges, but, when the
opening came, he was through like a
flash. He could run the 100 in 10 fiat
in a foot ball suit. Back at Illinois he
was one of the fastest men in a loot
ball suit ever saw-faster than track
men who could do 81 in track suit" !"
Red also had one of the quickest
competitive minds I've ever known.
He could size up a situation In a
flash, and action was almost lnstan-
taneous with thought. 1t was ike
setting fire to pile of powder. Grange
never lost his head-no matter what
the situation. In the famous Chicago
game he was cornered and practi-
cally surrounded twice by four or
five tacklers, and yet worked his way
out for long runs. 1t was marvellous
to see Red time a tackler-or out
time him, changing his pace to meet
the situation. Grange was foot
ball genius-and you don't get a
genius often in ANYTHING
Another thing about Grange-he
knew the art of relaxing He never
was tense between plays. He knew
how to handle his nervous system.
He wasted little effort. That's one
of the reasons Red has been a star
foot ball player for a dozen years
Speaking of Star Competitors.
TN ORDER to carry out the compet-
tive argument, dropped by the
famous Gay Lion Farm at Ell
Monte. Why is the lion known as the
king of beasts? Mr.. Gay has 221
lions in his stadium, ranging from
a week to 80 years old. He ought to
know.
"The lion," he insists. "is the great
est competitor in the animal Worlo.
! The lion can whip a tiger for just
one reason-it has everything the
tiger has on atack-speed, quickness,
courage, ETC., and it has perfect de-
fensive armor against teeth and claws
in the thick, matted name that pro-
tects both throat and stomach. 1t
| would be almost impossible for a tiger
or a leopard to reach a lions throat,
and the throat is the main target
| usually the first target.
Few people understand the tre-
mendous strength and the amazing
| uuickness of full grown lion-say
| between the ages of 6 and 10. They
have big, heavy paws as you can
see-and yet these paws work with
| the quicknes Of q cats. They are
like flashes Of lightning"