The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-10-04
THINGS l NEVER KNEW TIL
NOW
(AbOut K. Rockne q Footbam

NOW
(AbOut X. ROckne & FOotbaII)
The reason most football players
wear silk trousers is because it's
hard for an opponent to get grip
on them /. Twenty-Five years
ago, football was considered so
brutal that the legislatures of half
a dozen states passed a law MAX
ing 1t q penal offense to play the
game -. "Old Siwash" isn't some
thing the radio gagmen thought up
Its actually a college. (Its square
monicker is Knox College, and it's
in Galesburg, lid When Knute
Rockne was captain of the Notre
Dame football team, he invited his
mother to see him play against Uni
versity of Chicago. Rockne played
more brilliantly than ever, making
long runs and spectacular pass
catches. After the game Knute
proudly asked what she thought of
the spectacle. "It was marvelous!"
she said breathlessly. THAT cheer
leader who turned the pinwheels
was wonderful"
AS a tribute to Red Grange, the
Illinois football team has never re-
issued his number, the famous "77",
to any of its players The VIM
ner of the Minnesota Michigan game
each year gets possession of a little
brown jug which cost Is cents!
Qmagine % grown boys fighting
0Up1, thotn Will Do0o1.e 0Y1no
kiddingly asked Rockne if he
thought his son could make the
Fighting Irish" team if he went
to Notre Dame. mo doubt he could"
replied Rockne, "but he might have
to change his name to RogersN or
Rogeoli"
The Louisiana State football team
which once had Gov. Huey Long
as its mascot. now has a tiger. (They
keep it on the campus in a cage)
. A college football player once
got $1,000 a touchdown. marty
Brill, of Notre Dame, was promised
a G-note by his father for every
score he made against the U. of
Pennsylvania At one of U. G.
L. AS games in Los Angeles last
season, the crowd started to cheer
when Marlene Dietrich arrived
Marlayna threw kisses to the grand
stand, unaware that the cheering
was for Kenny Washington, U. c. L.
A. halfback, who had just ap-
peared.
Howard Jones, U. S. C.'s football
coach, figures out all his plays while
playing bridge. $50 next time the
team loses, just blame Ely Culbert-
sonD While a student at No
tire Dame, Rockne once played the
feminine lead in a play called
"IVhat Next?" The shoes worn
BY football players are usually made
from kangaroo skin and cost around
S23 a pair Friday night foot
ball. which has been an attraction
in the .hinterlands for some years
now. is finally coming to New York.
proving once again that the only
difference is that New Workers spell
it "hey!"
South Bend, Indiana, the home of
Notre Dame, is the only town in the
country with statue honoring
football player. The player hon.
ored isn't. the great Knute Rockne.
as you'd suppose, but George Gipp
(his star pupil Rockne has
more practical memorial. Twenty
two head coaches around the nation
are men who were taught their foot
ball A, B, C's by him Rockne's
big ambition was to have his son,
Knute, Jr., follow in his footsteps,
Last year, the lad became q candi-
date for halfback on the Notre
Dame team. During a scrimmage,
his leg was fractured and it's been
so weakened that he may never
again be able to play football.
In his undergraduate days at
Stanford. Herbert Hoover was bust
ness manager of the football team
The average football player
at the major colleges earns about
$4,000 for his school during his
career J. In the flicker, "Knute
Rockne-All American" very I'm
usual thing happens. Notre Dame
loses some big games! st. Mary's
college in California, has a football
stadium with seating capacity of
65,000-and the college has less than
500 students!
When the NATIVES in India play
football, they bring in hokus-pokus.
Both sides have fakirs work spells