Evening star., 1935-09-01
BY ROD THOMAS.
T WASHINGTON gridiron fan

w WASHINGTON gridiron fans
A/ can look for lots of high
wv grade foot ball this Fall II
correct assumption Is
made by the magazine Foot Ball, ar
annual publication, that gives a
Nation wide survey Of the game. II
will be on the newsstands Wednesday
No less than II players representing
George Washington, Maryland and
Catholic University are singled out
for prospective stardom and optonlis-
tic mention is made of Georgetown
green team.
In the list of prospective standouts
are five George Washington players,
four from Maryland and two from
Catholic University. Here they are;
George Washington, Harry Deming
tackle; Ken Rathjen, center; Tuffy
Leemans, halfback; Joe Kaufman,
halfback. and Ross Marshall, fullback'
MARYLAND, Louis Ennis, end: Vic
Willis. end; Ed Minion, guard. and
Bill Guckeyson, halfback. Catholic u,
Herman Schmarr. end, and Ed
karpOWltch, tackle.
Special "write-ups" appear on Tufty
Leemans, who was one-man back
field at George Washington last sea-
son, and Vic Willis, Marylands
capable flankman.
Nicknamed by Kids.
A BOUT Leemans: His mother
named him Alphonse Emil %
years ago in the little Belgian settle
ment of AlloueZ, Wis. for certain FAM
ily reasons. For other reasons, per-
sonal and decidedly more definite, the
boys of the neighborhood renamed
him "Tuffy." 1t wasn't logical, they de-
cided, for an Alphonse to hit so fast
fight so hard, be so tough to handle.
young Alphonse Emil Leemans has
changed some since those kid days
He has climbed to height of almost
feet. his shoulders have broadened
and his muscle-hard weight has in
creased to a total of 1873 pounds. He's
a senior at George Washington Uni
versity, but time and change have moi
diluted the qualities of personality
that won him his youthful nickname
He's still the tough guy, fast hitting
and hard fighting. though the chalk
barred gridiron is his wider arena now
fluffy Leemans is halfback, the
keyman of a team that rapidly is
rising to foot ball prominence. A
varsity performer since his sophomore
year. he is entering upon his third
season of big-time competition at the
peak of his powers. In ability, IN
performance, in competitive attitude
he must be ranked among the top
backs of the Nation.
"Leemans is not Speciallst-no
prima donna who eXalts a single
talent He deserves the much-maligned
name of 'all-around' back, for he has
proven his ability in every phase OF
play. He runs hard and deceptively,
though not a jack-rab bbiting speedster
He can plunge the line, sweep the
ends, knows the tricks of the broken
field. In "a he averaged 5 yards
a try against flrst-rate opposition. His
punting is consistent if not sensation
al a 40-yard carry from scrimmage
being his usual kick He is cool and
canny passer whose tosses hit the
mark.
Great on Defense, Too.
"RUT his offensive abilities, great as
they are, are overshadowed
sometimes by his sensational playing
on the defense. Operating at the
safety-man post, he never has been
eluded in broken field by the oppos-
ing runner. Not once in "a did an
enemy pass connect at or beyond his
position. His defensive instincts are
uncanny.
Add to all this that he's 60
minute battler-still the Tough Guy
who can take it as well as hand it out,
who can turn on that extra ounce OF
speed when the chips are down-and
you'll see why Allouez. Wis, which
produced Ernie Nevers, may have a
second foot ball great to rank beside
him"
So much for Leemans. About Vic
Willis: Base ball fans of 80 years
ago still may conjure up, at mention
of the name of Vic Willis, lank and
towering pitcher whose smoke ball
tipped across the plate looking like
a petit pois divorced from lamb
chop. 1t is Victor Gasaway Willis,
jr., however, of whom we speak-a
young fellow who will be doing great
job of end play at College Park, Md,
this Fall.
Willis Career Unusual.
ITO APPROPRIATE an appropriate
wisecrack, junior is a block off
the old chip. For while Vic, sr, was
only skinny sapling and big