The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-10-04
THINGS I NEVER KNEW TIL
 NOW
tAbout K. Rockne $ Footban


 About K. Rockne & FoOtbaID
 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 dozen states passed a law mak- Ing it a penal offense to play the game "Old Siwash" isn't some thing the radio gagmen thought up tits actually a college. (Its square monicker is Knox College, and it's in GaleSbtTg, Ill) 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. Tt was marvelousl" 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 it's players .. The win ner of the Minnesota M Michigan game each year gets possession of a little brown jug which cost IS cents! Umagine 9 grown boys fighting over thatD Will Rogers once kiddingly asked Rockne if he thought his son could make the "Fighting Irish" team if he went to Notre Dame. No doubt he could" !" replied Rockne, but he might have to change his name to Rogerski 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 cage.) A college football player once got $1.OO0 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 Il. At one of U. c. 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. (So next time the team loses, just blame Ely Culbert- sonD While student at No tra Dame, Rockne once played the feminine lead in a play called "lVhat Next?" :. The shoes worn by football players are usually made from kangaroo skin and cost around $2S a pair Friday night foot ball. which has been an attraction in the hinterlands for some years nov. is finally coming to New York proving once again that the only difference is that New Workers spell it "heyl"
 South Bend, Indiana, the home o1 Notre Dame, is the only town in the country with a statue honoring g football player. The player hon. ored isn't the great Knute Rockne aS you'd suppose, but George GipI (his star pupiD <. Rockne has a 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 lah became candi- date for halfback on the Notre Dame team. During Scrimmage his leg was fractured and it's beer Nso weakened that he may never again be able to play football.
 s Tn his undergraduate days al Stanford, Herbert Hoover was busi- ness manager of the football team =. The average football player at the major colleges earns about s20,OO0 for his school during hi. career In the flicker, 'Knute Rockne All American" very un- usual thing happens. Notre Dame loses some big games! ... St. Mary. college in California. has footbal stadium with seating capacity oi 65OOO-and the college has less thar 800 studentsl
 When the natives in India play football, they bring in hokus- -pokus Both sides have fakirs work spells