Evening star., 1939-12-15
Selection Of 0'brien
Over Dodgers Ace
Is Startling
Hutson Is Only Member
On Green Boy Champs
To Be Voted Place
By BILL DISMER, Jr,

Selection of Davey O'Brien, a
johnny Lately in his first pro-
fessional football campaign, in place
Of Ace Parker, one of the greatest
all-around backs In the game, pro-
vided the biggest surprise of the
official 1899 all-National Football
League team picked by the 10
coaches and released today.
Secondary only to the O'Brien- for
Parker choice was the failure Of
the new world champions Green
Bay Packers to place more than one
man on the two. teams chosen, End
Don Hutson being their lone repre-
sentative.
The New York Giants, Eastern
champions routed by the Packers in
the playoff, received the biggest
play from the coaches with six NOM
inees, four on the first team and two
on the second. The remaining
members of the first II were pro-
vided by only three other teams
the Chicago Bears. who placed three:
the Redskins, who placed two, and
the Philadelphia Eagles, represented
by OBrien.
Pittsburgh is the only team I'M
represented by a single player on
either the first or second team, with
Brooklyn and Cleveland each plac-
ing three men on the second eleven
and the Detroit Lions and Chicago
Cardinals one apiece.
O'Brien Finishes Strongly.
Apparently, the coaches were will
ing to overlook OBrien's early-sea-
son shortcomings when the opinion
was widespread that lii Davey was,
as many had anticipated, too small
for the big league. But his feats
in the last three games when he es-
tablished two all-time passing rec
ords evidently impressed the ment-
ors, who gave him 26 votes, II more
than Parker and as many as any
other back in the league with the
exception of Bill Osmanski, the Chi
cago Bears rookie all-league full
back.
Andy Farkas and Jim Barber
were the two Redskins selected, thus
justifying local belief that they were
as good as any halfback or tackle in
the league. Farkas' establishment
of new all-time mark for touch
downs in single season and Bar
bers consistently outstanding work
both on offense and defense merited
their selection.
But the complete omission of Red
skin Guard Jim Karcher, who made
the second team in 1888 and who
played even better this season, and
the failure to recognize End Wayne
Millner, who had his greatest year,
were distinct surprises.
Amid a plethora of backs, fans
could argue all year as to the best
possible backfield combination and
there is little to choose between
the first-named quartet of Tuffy
Leemans, Farkas, OBrien and
Osmanski and the second of Parker,
Parker Hall, Lloyd Cardwell and
Johnny Drake. Osmanski and
Farkas were one-two in leading the
league in ground-gaining this year,
while Leemans was no worse than
seventh best in that respect. Os-
manski averaged ST. yards per rush,
Farkas 39 and Leemans 33.
Sets Record for Rockies.
Selection of OBrien and Osman-
ski. incidentally, marks the first
time in the leagues history that
more than one rookie has been
named to the first team. How out
standing these backs must have
been is seen by their being favored
over such recognized stars as Clarke
Hinkle, Cece Isbell. Bill Shepherd,
Frank Filchock and Fred Vanzo.
Two rockies also made the second
team, Parker Hall of Cleveland and
Ki Aldrich of the Cardinals.
Only four of the first team are
hold-overs from 1938-Mel Helm of
the Giants, Danny Fortmann and
Joe Stydahar of the Bears and
Hutson of the Packers. It is the
seventh consecutive year that the
31-year -old Helm has been picked
as all-league center.
Ed Widseth of the Giants, Lloyd
Cardwell of the Lions and Parker
all first-team choices last year
were dropped to the second, while
three other '38 selections-Ed
Danowski of the Giants and Russ
Letlow and Clarke Hinkle of the
Packers-were omitted.