The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-11-11
DR. STEVENS BIG ASSET TO CAME
 OF FOOTBALL
BY ALFRED JONAS United Press Staff CorrespOndent)

New York, November II. - (UP) Lieutenant Commander Nal Stew ems, the "Jekyl and Hyde" of foot ball, finally gears his destiny to- ward the top of the grid heap Sat- urday with an eleven that needs no alibis.
 One of the nations leading bone specialists, the former Yale and New York University coach, brings his Sampson Naval Station Sailors to West Point for a clash with Army "a game regarded as a preview of the annual Army-Navy battle. The West Pointers, with one of their best teams in history, incidentally rate as the favorites.
 While serving at N.Y.U., Stevens underwent much criticism as he faced the nations major league ag- gregations, while the Violets were manned with minor league material His N.Y.U. teams met Texas A & M Missouri, Carnegie Tech, Tulane and Georgia Tech, among many, while the doctor was provided with weak squads and even weaker substi- tutes. He had lis Boell's, Blooms, Swiadon's, Bates and Barmack's, put never enough of them at one time. And excuses were constantly in order.
 Come the final year of Stevens regime, and the faithful were bel lowing for subsi6ization or weaker opponents. Neither was in the off, ing. At Sampson, Nal has been tutoring such stars as Dom Principe, formerly of Fordham and the New York Giants, and Jerry Courtney, from Syracuse and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
 His critics have maintained foot ball and medicine can't go hand in hand, because both are full time jobs. But the doctor has not agreed. At Sampson he's a medical officer, although coaching football.
 Versatile
 In his typical friendly way, he'd spend an hour or so wrestling with the entire Violet squad-calling for the team to come on and tackle him while he held the ball coming down the field. Then he'd switch clothes and scurry to the operating room for one of the Stevens skilled surgical performances.
 Many have been the occasions when he's saved the lives of his or the oppositions gridsters. once Phil Swiadon broke & collarbone during scrimmage. Stevens rushed him to the dressing room and operated.
 Stevens brought his medical skill to football in other ways. AS head of the games injury board, he de. vised many gadgets for gridmen and saved lives at the same time. His crash helmet, many padding schemes and other gear have been important modern aids.
 Five-Letter Man
 A graduate of Yale in 1925 and of the Yale Medical School in 1929. Stevens was a five-letter man and a star back. He served as head coach at the New Haven Univer- sity from 1928 to 1882, resigning to devote his time to medicine. In March, 1884, however, he accepted the post at N.Y.U. He remained there until the Violet left the grid for the duration in 1941. While at N.Y.U., the doctor, who turns out patients with wires hinging their necks legs and arms as no other surgeon can, fostered many fine gridders. But lacking the Ken Strong's and Al Lassman's of the former days, he was always on the offensive-offering alibis.
 Stevens entered the Navy In the medical branch. Now the combina- ton naval officers, football coach and surgeon brings a well-manned naval outfit to meet Army in tilt which should prove his opponents wrong-win or lose.