Evening star., 1935-10-20

The human missile cut down Newell.
Berries. sweeping the field with quick
eye, was astonished to find himself free
of the tackler who had barred his way.
He stretched those lanky legs of his
like thoroughbred race horse of his
own native Kentucky and raced some
thirty-fve yards to touchdown.
1t was an extremely brilliant play
by Berries. Even the Columbia stands
noisily acknowledged that. Navy's
goat blinked and butted at the un-
military jubilation of the Midshipmen
on the sidelines. Buzz" Berries had
turned in the first of many brilliant
runs on the way to what was almost
unanimous recognition as an all-Amer-
lean back of 1884.
AS this was happening, Midshipman
Louis Robertshaw. center of Navy's
team. was picking himself up and pre-
pairing to 60 back to work. Midship-
man Robertshaw it had been who.
after passing the ball accurately to
Fullback Clark as the play started,
had cross-blocked a Columbia oppo-
nent, then had gone downheld, had
followed Newell of Columbia to the
outside and at the critical instant when
the play hung in the balance. had
thrown himself across Nevel's legs in
perfect body block.
Without that body block by Robert
shaw. the sure tackling Newell must
have nailed Berries, because he had
him at his mercy, hemmed in by the
sideline. But Robertshaw. thinking
and acting in the same instant and
performing an act outside the usual
category Of a center's duties, had oblit-
Grated Newell. Thus Berries had been
permitted to 60 cruising on for the
score on which the entire game hinged.
Again. heard no cheers for Mid
shipman Robertshaw. saw no head
lines in Sunday mornings sport pages
devoted to Midshipman Robertshaw.
But I'm asking you. with all due
credit to Midshipman Berries - now
Ensign Berries of the U.S.S. Arizona
of the Pacific Fleet - who was the
real hero on that play?
No. I don't believe Robertshaw
fretted because he didn't receive the
credit due him on the play when he
read the next day that the touchdown
had been the product of Borries's
amazing elusiveness." l didn't think
much about it in my own playing days.
but during my years as coach ! have
frequently pondered the amazing un-
selhshness and lack of glory-seeking
that mark the good varsity football
players, and especially the linemen,
the centers, guards and tackles. The
lineman plays the football game down
there in the scrimmage line and in the
last analysis it is he who wins the
game, even in these days of the for
ward pass, the lateral pass and the
wide open play. But does he get the
credit due him? Not very often.
BY that l don't mean to intimate
that it is always the lineman who fails
to receive the credit he deserves for
being the real but unsung hero of the
play on which a touchdown and
game swing. There was, for instance,
the case of Tommy Tomb. Columbia
quarterback, on the play which scored
a touchdown from the four yard line
through the middle of the Syracuse de-
fense last season. If am not mistaken.
that was the first touchdown scored
through the Syracuse line all season.
And this was in the final game for both
teams.
The second quarter was we'll along
when Columbia's first real scoring
chance came - first down on the
Syracuse five-yard line. But that ad-
vantageous situation had been hard
won, and when three plays at this
hard-bitten, fighting Syracuse defense
netted only single yard. it looked as
if this were destined to be another Of