Evening star., 1952-09-17
Parker Is Confident
As Lions Start Season
With Better Reserves
By Lewis T. Atchison
Stor Staf Correspondent

OKLAHOMA CITY, Sept. IT,
The Detroit Lions have more ex-
perience and greater depth than
a year ago, when they missed get
ting into the National Football
League championship play-off byl
a half game, but injuries will be
the most important factor in their
bid for the 1852 title. Coach
Buddy Parker said today.
Parker, tuning up the Lions forI
what he hopes will be a sixth
straight exhibition victory at the
Redskins expense in nearby Nor
man, Saturday night. seemed
quietly confident about the 1852
race when interviewed at the
teams quarters at the University
of Oklahoma.
A wild-running halfback at
Centenary College 18 years ago,
Buddy helped the Lions win their
only pro title in 1885, and bring
ing the second to Detroit would
be a big feather in his coaching
cap.
Reserves Are Good.
almost all of our key players
have had at least three years pro|
experience now," Parker pointed
out, land we've got more and bet
ter reserves than we had at the
wind-up last year. That's what
beat us in the final analysis. You
can't win without good reserves,
and we have them this year."
With five straight exhibition
victories, and an almost certain
sixth coming up against the Red
skins, Parker said he wasn't wor-
ried about over confidence.
I'VE didn't 60 all out in any Of
those gameS," Buddy said. 1.-THE
boys went at top speed on the
field. but I didn't use them all the
way. 'Hunchy' Bob Hoernsche-
meyer didn't carry the ball at all
against the Cardinals at Amarillo,
and Doak Walker was only in for
a minute or two. It's been the
same in all our games"
IN a word. the Lions were strong
enough to knock over the Cards,
Eagles, Giants, Browns and Dali ]
las Texans. without going all out.
That seems to bear out Parker's
claim that they have the horses
this year.
Layne Not Expected to Play. |,
Quarterback Bobby Layne, one
Of Parker's key men, isn't expected K
to play against the Redskins. The
blond Texan received a shoulder
bruise in the Cleveland game. He
was in only few plays at Dallas,
coming in near the finish to con- I
troll the ball when Detroit decided
to run out the clock. AS for those
close scores, forget 'em, they could
have been higher. ,
Jim Hardy will replace Layne ,
Saturday. and unless Parker ,
changes his mind, Layne is in no
danger Of losing his No. / ranking.
"Bobby's a great competitor,
Parker said. ''The tougher the ,
game. the better he likes it. With
us, at least he's at his best with
the chips down."
The Lions have one of the
toughest beginnings and oldest
schedules ever fashioned for a
pro club. going to the Pacific Coast
to play the San Francisco Forty
Miners and Los Angeles Rams, and
returning home to entertain the
same two clubs on successive
week ends. This pairs the top
three teams Of the league race
last year against one another in
the first month of the so cam
paign.
NOTES-Coach Curly Lambeau
spent all of yesterday drilling on
offense later the squad viewed
movies of last Sundays game with
the Packers. General Man
ager Dick McCann is living in
cottage No. 13 at the Redskins
motel. Gene Brito, who COM
planned of feeling tired at Kansas
City-and looked it-spent 13
hours in bed yesterday and
got up feeling still tired. Piggy
Barnes, veteran guard recently ac-
quired by the Redskins, figured in
a spying" incident against Okla
homa few years ago when Leon
Heath. now a teammate, was q
Sooner star. George Thomas
is official sightseeing guide for
the Redskins during their stay in
Oklahoma City. Bones Taylor.
a real estate agent during the off
season. selected their present ,
quarters and most of the boys
think they're too far from the
bright lights. The Lions are
staying even farther down the
road at Norman at a former Navy
a1rfield now used by Oklahoma
University. Orville Tuttle,
Redskins line coach a year ago L
and currently in the real estate
business here, watched the team
work out yesterday. . Cactus
Face Dugan, one-time Pittsburgh ,
lineman. is a State trooper here.