The Omaha guide., 1937-11-20

NtAR 49, ~
many white stars at this position
to give Harris a chance.
At guard there are Chester
Smith of Boston u, Bobby Lee of
California. Horace Bell of Min
nesota and Presley of San Jose
(Calif.) State. Lee after playing
in all of powerful California's
games, has recently been denoted
to the reserves through lack of
experience but since he is a So
phomore may find himself next
year. Pressley's chief hold back is
the comparative obscurity of his
school. Smith is steady and ca
pable, but the cream Of the guard
crop is Bell. Not only is he sensa-
tional on defense and ~offense, but
is also the Big Tens best field
goal kicker. In 1888, he should be
hard to overlook on anybody's All
American.
There are no center so lets take
a gander at the galaxy of star
backs. Consider Bernie Jefferson
and Clarence Hinton of North
western, Horace Johnson and
Fritz Pollard, jr., of North Oak
ota, Wilmeth Sidat Singh of Syria
cuse, Kenny Washington of u. Z.
L. A, Ed Williams of New York
u, and Walt MCGOWAN and George
Sims of Loyola, Los Angeles.
Both Pollard and Johnson, left
and right halls respectively, are
too far from the beaten path to
merit the consideration they reser-
We. Hinton, a senior, was miscast
as a right halfback when he was
a natural left half. Williams has
not been consistently sensational
enough to draw the favored eye of
the solicitors. MCGOWAN and Sims
have still to develop. That leaves
Jeff, Sidat Singh and Washington.
If Jefferson shows as much i'm
provement next year as he did for
'37, he ought to be a cinch. He
kicks, runs, passes, blocks and de-
tends amazingly, and is SO tough
as to be almost indestructibie. He
is the key man of Northwestern's
backfield, and has had to play go
minutes in several games this year
because his coach was afraid to
take him out.
Sidat Singh, Washington born
Negro painted as a Hindu by the
daily press, in one of the greatest
passers in the game and spark
plug of the Syracuse backfield. He
can also run. Mark him down as a
prospect if Syracuse has a good
team in '38.
But the most sensational of the
three is Washington, just a sophie
more. He has of late been given
the signal calling post for the U.
G. L. A. squad. When Rose Bowl
bound California played u G. L.
A. before $4,000 recently, white
sports writers called him the best
back on the field and the West
Coast. AS he left the game seven
minutes before the final gun, both
friend and foe arose to roar a sta
dunn rocking ovation. He's an
amazing passer. He should get the
call in either '38 or '39. incident
ally, Washington walks with a
distinctive limp, the result of poor
bonesetting following a broken leg
some years ago.
So there you have the All Am
erican picture of this moment. But
if none of these lads are chosen,
it will be no disgrace. 0ze Sim
mons, as great a runner as Red
Grange in the latter's prime, was
MT considered, and many other
stars have been overlooked.
AS a matter of fact, the i'm
mortal Duke Slater, listed by Pop
Warner and many other authorities
as the greatest tackle in the his
tory of the game could do no bet
ter than Walter Camps All Am
erican second team in 1921 al
though he was placed on Walter
Eckersall's first selection that
same year and in 1926 and 80
made the National All Professional
eleven. Camp never chose but
three Negroes on his All Ameri-
cans. They were Fritz Pollard of