Roanoke Rapids daily herald., 1948-12-01
BY Ted Smdts
Associated Press General
Sports Editor


trend in 1948 towards subordina-
ting the individual to the team,
heroic performers stood out "a
4 cross the land to constitute The
Associated Press All-America.
But unlike All-Americas of re-
cent years, no college in 1948 con-
tributes more than one man to
the first eleven, not even those
great power teams, Michigan
and Notre Dame.
Three 1947 first team men are
back-Bill Fischer of Notre
Dame at tackle; Chuck Bednar-
Xix of Pennsylvania at center; and
Doak Walker of Southern Metho-
dist in the backfield.
Geographically the All-Ameri-
ca reflects the middle vests
domination of the sport. Four
from the first team come from
that area, two from the east, two
from the south, two from the
southwest, and one from the
Pacific coast.
. Virtually all the several hun
dred Associated Press staff writ
ers, newspaper sports editors
and broadcasters who joined in
nominating the team agreed on
five men-Dick Rifenburg Of
Michigan at end, Buddy Burris
of Oklahoma at guard, Halfback
Charlie Justice of North Carolina
Fischer and Walker.
The rest of the first team men,
Gbers had sharper competition for
their posts-Barney Poole of
Mississippi at end, Leo Nome
llini of Minnesota at tackle, Rod
Franz of California at guard,
Bednarik at center and Backs,
Bobby Jack Stuart of Army and
Art Murakowski of Northwest
ern.
Michigan, Notre Dame and
California, rightfully, are the
only teams to place men on more
vhan one team. In addition to
Rifenburg at first team end,
Michigan is represented in the
second team backfield with its
sophomore sensation, Charles
Ortmann, of whom great things
are predicted.
Back of Notre Danes Fischer
is Emil Sitko in the second team
backfield and Leon Hart at third
team end, all sterling per-
formers.
y California's Jack Jens n
a highly regarded back, is on
the third team with Franz on the
first.
Two Platoon System
Sharpest argument this year
over bestowing All-America hon.
ors centered on the merit of rec
ognizing men who played only
offense or defense under the
spreading "two platoon" system.
=. Separate defensive and often
Ssive All-America first teams
were proposed. Should the pres
ent cleavage widen this could
become a possibility. For the
present, however, to deny ac-
claim to men such as Justice,
Rifenburg and Stuart merely be-
cause they were used primarily
on offense seems unfair. All
are great enough athletes to play
defense if needed.
\ The rest of the first team is
made of men used throughout the
game.
AS might be expected at the
end of highly successful col
lege football season during
which no first rate team went
unscored on, and the greatest
emphasis was put on offense,
contention for backfield honors
was keen.
The entire second team back
1field-Clyde Scott of Arkansas,
Ortmann of Michigan, Sitko of
Notre Dame, and Johnny Rauch
of Georgia-is of first team cali
Der.
Walter Stewart, who has
watched plenty of ball carriers
from his vantage point in Men,
phis, Tenn, says of Scott that
1--WE have never studied an ath-
lete who could buck into the
oline with such dazzling velocity
so little lost motion and
so much high-kneed venom"
Leading the first team back
field are probably the only gen.
uine, dyed-in-the-wool triple
threat all-round performers left
in this day of specialists-Char-
lie Justice of North Carolina.
l6S-pound throwback to the days
of infreouent substitutions, and
Doak Walker of S.M.U.. three
pounds heavier. Both r''n, pass,
and nunt-and block and tackle
as well, when necessary.
Justice, a 24-vear-old junior
who was in the Navy during the
war and is married and the IA
thAr of a young son. is modest
ofe field. but terror on it.
"His play and leadership are an
insniration," syas his coach.
Carl Snave1y. Typical of his
versatile play was his perform
ance against Georgia. defeated