Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-10

blue, and punctuated by stars and
stripes And by 1881 his program
of intersectional football was well
under way.
A series was started with the
University of Iowa, and another
with the University of Tulsa. North
Dakota appeared on the schedule.
Boston University was another new
conner, and from the Middle West,
Butler was added.
The following year introduced the
Rose Bowl championship Alabama
team to Washington. A crowd of u.s.
900 spectators saw the game Okla
homa drew 1900. In 1892 a new
college attendance record was estab-
lished by George Washington. The
team drew $4,000 paid admissions
and won more than it lost.
Each year through 1885 that at
tendance record was to be broken.
but, getting back to 1882, it marked
the exodus of Pixlee's famed fresh
men of 1929. Ten seniors were grad
uated, including Johnny Fenlon and
Walter Slaird, who are picked on
many of G. WIS all-time teams.
Easy Victory.
In 1888 the school suffered a blow
when a great Tennessee team came
to Washington, lured by a fabulous
guarantee, and shortly before taking
the field producted evidence that
several of the Colonials had played
more than their quota of college
football in the West. 1t was neces-
sary to bar the players. who included
tackle Hardy Pearce, blocking back
Johnny Baker and the best ball
carrier, Mig McCarver. While the
huge crowd wondered why these
aces were not employed, Tennessee
romped to an easy victory.
This incident may have been
more harmful had it not been for
the advent that year of a 1.-THE
sophomore halfback named Alphonse
(Tuffy) Leemans, who had switched
to G. w. after serving a freshman
term at the University of Oregon.
He was no regular at the start of
the season. but following the Ten
nessee unpleaSantness he broke into
the lineup. When he got out he
was unanimously acclaimed the
greatest football player in George
Washington history, probably in all
Washington. and quite possibly, he
was one of the greatest players
ever produced anywhere.
Attendance Record.
Throughout 1884 and 1885 the
Colonials, with Leemans and not
much else, battled such juggernauts
as Alabama, Vanderbilt. Louisiana
State, Rice, West Virginia, Okla
homa and North Dakota. Night
football was introduced by Pixlee
and a game with Tulsa drew 1000
as Leemans put on one of his great
est college performances. A tie was
played with the University of Den
yer in another great natural rivalry.
A new single game attendance
record was established when 10000
saw Alabama again,
After 1885, which marked the
final season for Leemans and Espey's
unsuccessful attempt to place him
on the All-America team, the big
business atmosphere began to fade.
George Washington did not chose
to risk another incident like the
Tennessee, and transfer students
were not welcomed with open arms.
1t was with satisfaction, however,
that Washington fans watched Tuf-
fly Leemans as he stole the show in
the 1886 Chicago All-Star game,
indicating Espey's judgement in
his ability, and then move to the
professional New York Giants, for
whom he became the greatest ball
carrier in football and spearhead
in two championship teams.
Pro Football.
In the winter of 1888 it was evil
dent that a change was due at
George Washington. Growing
mightier every year, professional
football was a big business. and in
1887 Washington secured National
League team, the Redskins. In
their first year representing the