Evening star., 1942-07-11
No Tyrantin Football,
Tom Would Give Ear
To Players Kicks
Devotion to Game After
Posing Athletic Prime
Hostened His Deoth
BY GRANTLAND RICE.
Special Correspondent OF The Star.

BY CRANTLAND RICE.
special Correspondent OF The Star.
No one could think up too many
nice things to say about the late
Tom Thorp. But If he excelied in
any one respect it was in some
official capacity where the need Of
sound judgment was blended with
his ability to hold the respect Of all
players.
For one thing, Tom Thorp should
be held as a pattern for all football
referees or umpires, too many of
whom are entirely officious and too
large a part of the game. Football
captains knew they could come to
Thorp on the field and make their
complaints without being called
down.
Maybe" Tom would say, Il
missed that one. But I've seen
few of you fellows today miss few
blocks and tackles, too"
Gridders Always Wanted Tom.
Here's just one example Of the way
Thorp would handle a football
game. He told me about 1t some
time ago.
This team" he said, was play
ing Princeton, and they were not
doing any too we'll But they had
a center who was all over the field.
He was playing whale Of a game
and taking quite battering with
it. His team already had taken out
all its time before being penalized
when play came along that
knocked this center fiat and cold.
"T called time out. ON whose
time7' both captains asked. This
time out is on me- said, for which
will penalize myself yards"
There was no complaint.
Players on both teams always
wanted Thorp. They knew he
would call each play as he saw it,
but they also knew he would be a
sympathetic listener when they had
a squawk to make He was no part
of tyrant or dictator.
Jockey Gets Good Tip.
He was the same as a racing
Official Some time back a wild
young rider came from the West.
He couldn't see where any rules
we're important when it came to
getting his horse in first.
In certain race this Jockey
crowded in too closely. 1t was at
least close call in the direction
of q foul ride. After the race Tom
paid the kid rider a brief visit.
son" he said, you know how
to ride a horse. But that isn't
everything. I could have disquali-
fed you today, but I want to give
you another chance I'm going to
ask you not to do anything like that
again. If you do you'll only get
into trouble. And I feel sure you
don't want to break any rules"
They had no trouble with this
jockey after Thorp'S talk.
Lesson for Middle Age.
1t seemed to me that such men
as Tom Thorp and Harry Ellinger,
the late Army line coach. offer
middle age another lesson. They
gave too much in a physical way
after they had passed their ath-
letic prime.
Handling a football game is al
most as hard as playing in one. 1t
can be harder. since the official
must go out there in action through
the four periods. He has no sub
stitute to take his place. It is no
Job for one who has reached middle
age.
But Tom loved the work OF han
ding a game-and they all wanted
him. There is little question that
his football work in later years
brought about his death.
The same was true of Harry FL
linger. For years at West Point
then at Dartmouth and then back
with the Army team again. Harry
worked against his own lines In
practice as hard as any player or
the field. One Of the best line
coaches of al time, he wanted tt
show his young linemen just how
a tackle or a guard should handle
q job.
There Is Time TO Quit.
Ellinger would scrimmage with
the team and take more of phySi'
cal beating than any member o
hts forward wall This was o. K
from 25 to %. but not after IS.
You may recall the time Knut'
Rockne was i'll for so many months
with thrombosis. Rock had a clos
call that year.
Its all my fault" he said on
day while hobbling around. That
what I get for letting those duml
ends dive into me with their shoul
ders and knock me down so man
times"
Those who have known actor
never like to leave it. But in an
strenuous sport there is time t
quit. There still are golf. fishing
tennis doubles, hunting, etc, an
even these shouldn't be overdone
The great exception was Pudg
Heffelfinger of Yale. who still wa
playing football at the age of 65-
who was a football star at SO. Bu
there are not many Pudge Heffel
fingers around.
tReIeased by the North American