Evening star., 1952-11-05
Redskins Have Find
As AIban Becomes
Defensive Standout
By Lewis F. Atchison

Almost completely overlooked
each week when laurels are passed
around. Dick Alban, rookie half
back from Northwestern Univer-
sity, will be a key man in the Red
skins defenses against the Eagles
at Philadelphia this week. He's
one of the most important cogs
in the machine.
Anonymity dogged the black
haired. retiring Alban even before
he joined the Redskins. Through
an error his name was left out
of the East-West game program
at San Francisco last January and
that of teammate Dick Athan was
inserted instead. Alban played a
bang-up game and Athan received
all the credit. It hasn't been that
bad with the Redskins, but Alban
is not yet household name in
Washington.
Alban attracted more than
passing attention against the
Steelers, however, by kayoing
George Sulima on a Pittsburgh
pass play in which Dick went for
the ball. 1t wasn't the first time
he barreled into a pass receiver
or runner. And Alban easily
might have ended up on the
ground. so
Dick doesn't look like football
player in civilian clothes. He
wears spectacles, combs his HAIR
and has the serious demeanor of
a r-minded law student. On
the field he wears contact lenses,
as Lou Karras did, and thinks his
vision is even better than normal.
He seems to have no trouble draw
ing a bead on a ball-carrier or
potential pass receiver.
They bothered me once" Dick
recalled, referring to the glasses.
Il don't know what happened
maybe jumped too hard-but the
glasses must have slipped and I
saw double"
Alban. to hear Coach Curly
Lambeau tell it. is one of the sea-
sons real finds.
You don't often get fellow
who falls into the pattern as
quickly as Dick" Curly said. He S
got that sixth sense for smelling
out plays and he gives it every
thing. I think he's one of the
better defensive backs in the
league now, but he'll improve
even more. I'd like to have four
more like him"
frankie Albert's six-inch for
ward pass to Gordie Soltau for the
Forty Miners last Sunday was two
inches too long to tie a 10-year-
old mark. Cecil Isbell completed
a four-inch toss to Don Hutson to
hang up mark for the shortest
pass in 1912 as the Green Bay
Packers defeated the Cleveland
Rams
Herman Clark, rookie tackle
who intercepted Albert'S pass and
set the stage for the Chicago
Bears winning field goal against
the Forty Miners, is a brother of
Jim Clark, f1rst-year guard with
the Redskins.
George Thomas, former Red
skins halfback who was released
before the opening league game,
started at right halfback for the
New York Giants against the Chi
cago Cardinals, and gained one
yard on one trip with the ball.
Those were expensive points the
Green Bay Packers missed against
the Philadelphia Eagles. The
Packers had three tries after
their second touchdown, because
OF penalties, and each time
bleacher fan grabbed the ball, an
$3.50 item.
Sammy Baugh's retirement is
as sure as death and taxes. but
the Redskins had better come up
with a substitute for Eddie lie
Baron before tucking jersey No.
33 in the moth balls.
And speaking of retirements.
George Gulyanics has quit the
Bears because of a back injury
He'll undergo surgery to correct
a displaced spinal disc. according
to reports from Chicago.
Leon Heath's improved ball car
rying is partially due to the dis
card Of his face mask. Mule Train
didn't wear one at Oklahoma and
put on one only after a hometown
doctor advised him to do so. In
stead of helping. the thing i'm
paired his vision. He reminded
Redskin coaches of Ed Quirk's
rookie yeaI when the Missouri full
back, since retired, fell down every
time he went through a hole, for
no apparent reason. It was dis
covered later that Eds helnnot