Evening star., 1945-04-06
zeno |nducted, Lapka
Faces Call 10 Make
Outlook GIoomier
BY LEWIS F. ATCHISON,
Star Staff Correspondent.

NEW YORK, N. Y. April 6.-The
Redskins need more than a draft to
get some players. They need good,
stiff wind.
The board of strategy, composed
of President George Marshall, Head
Coach Dud De Groot, Assistant
Coach Turk Edwards, and General
Manager Sid Carroll, Caucused this
morning before the start of the
regular National League meeting to
map draft plan, but had to give up.
The Skins need too many players in
too many positions.
More bad news was received by
De Groot yesterday in letter from
End Ted Lapka informing him that
he has been reclassified IA from
AZ and faces induction within
three weeks. An X-ray examination
showed Ted's bum knee to be a
rather respectable joint and Army
doctors by-passed a swollen ankle.
Lapka expects to go in three
weeks, but wrote that he may be
permitted to finish the semester at
De Paul Law School, which would
mean a total of five weeks grace.
Zeno Now in Service.
Added to that was word that Joe
ZenO, one of the few linemen left
from the 1912 championship eleven,
has been inducted. De Groot doeSn't t
know where the beeny tackle was
sent for training, but assumes the
Army got him. Zeno enlisted in
the Navy year ago, but never was
called.
Barney Foltz's induction some
time ago took the Tribes last cen
ter Edwards has signed one Jim
Watson, who is reported to have
helped Alonzo Stagg at College Of
the Pacific last year, but little is
known about him. and both Mar
shall and De Groot have a sus-
picion they had better make a CEN
ter first call on their draft list.
The Redskins strategists also are
shopping for guards, tackles, ends
and backS-particularly a fullbaCk
We don't have a crashing back
who can get two or three yards
when We need it," De Groot said
Frank Atkins is big and fast, but
ne runs with his head up and is a
Shifty runner, not poWer-drlTer
Bob Seymour is the same type.
Andy FarkaS was the best crashing
back we had, despite his size, and
we won't have him this year. I'm
convinced Andy is through with
football We had hard time talk
ing him into playing last year"
Wants Break Away Runner.
De GrOOt also would like to find
a speedy break-aWay runner to boil
ster the T. He had none last year
and as a consequence the outside
plays were no threat, The opposi-
ton merely moved its ends a yard
or so wide and turned the plays in.
The Tribe finished last year with
26 men, two under the maximum
%, but with the draft situation as
muddled as the Potomac after a
storm they'll be lucky to start the
l945 grind with 26. In the good
old days two years ago, club could
draft 80 players. This year there
aren't 300 players to choose, good,
bad or indifferent.
In fact there is a movement afoot
to limit each club to 10 players at
today's meeting. This prompted
by the realization that if 30 names
are selected the chances are % will
be in military service and will have
to be placed on the reserve list. That
list is so badly confusd now that
several clubs are putting in claims
for players already the legal prop
erty of rival organizations.
The draft is supposed to be high
on the agenda but few Of the club
owners and coaches expect it to be
reached until tonight at earliest.