Evening star., 1939-10-23

SCCll tC1y 1CW VI IllClu dllu VIC Ic
talking now about the average can
didate for a blocking assignment"
Smashing Fu|Iboek Type
Good as Blocker.
We'll. let's suppose you're look
ing for a blocking back. You have a
kid weighing about 200 pounds"
rs he lean and hard and fast?"
the doctor asked
Yes" said. Lean and hard and
fast. Now what, specifically, do you
look for next?"
The ability to start quickly He
must start in flash and he must
drive like fullback. Some of the
best blockers have had have been
boys who were line smashing full
backs in high school. But, of course.
they had to be taught not to go
always in straight line
"A blocking back must be agile
and timber. He must be able to
strike off suddenly this way or that
way. To give an opponent the
shoulder. the head or the hip. On
quick opening plays he must be
able to block player who doesn't
expect block from him"
DO you find many boys who want
to be blocking 5acks?"
No Jock admitted Once in
while you will find boy who really
wants the job. He's the type Of boy
who just likes to go out and hit
somebody for the sheer fun of it.
He gets greater kick out of
that than he does out of carrying
the ball. He's your real natural
blocker and, provided he has the
necessary physical requirements
weight, speed and ruggedness-and
he generally has or he wouldn't be
so likely to be so ggressive-you
don't have to teach him much. Your
main task with him is to mold him
into your plays.
Mostly you have to pick your
boy, stress the importance of block
Ing to him and then keep building
him up as you go along with him
You impress on him what he means
to the team, point out to him-if
you can think of any-the compen-
sations for doing much of the hard
work. while the ball carriers get all
the credit and then add every little
bit that you can to the maintenance
OF his morale.
For instance, during a practice,
will go out of my way to praise a
boy for nice bit of blocking.
Did you see that?' 1 will say to
the other boys. That was fine work.
That was what made the play pos
sible. If Smith, here. had missed
that block, Jones couldn't have gone
2 yards. AS it was, he went 8. Nice
work, Smith
Brill Was IdeoI Gridmon
For Rugged Task.
"Of course, that's no more than
the boy deserved. But I look for
things like that just to praise him
where, for an equally good bit of
work on the part of ball carrier,
I probably wouldn't say a word
You don't have to be so watchful
of ball carriers morale. Give al
most any kid the ball and he gets
kick out of Juggling it. and that's all
he asks. But, as l say, few boys
really like to be blocking backs and
1t is wise always to bear that fact
in mind"
you've had some very good block
ing backs yourself I said. but did
you ever see better one than Marty
Brill of Notre Dame?"
NO" he said. Il never did. There
was the perfect blocking back. He
had everything that l told you I
would look for in candidate-and
to a degree that l couldn't hope to
find, He had the size and the weight
Just right. He was lean and hard
and rugged and fast. He was a
grand ball carrier-as he proved that
day he ran riot against Penn-but
he thought that blocking was a
much better job-and much more
fun. I don't think I eyer saw boy
who got so much enjoyment out of
going ahead of the ball carrier and
flattening everybody in sight"