Evening star., 1953-09-12
Seasoned Squad Due
To Keep Alabama in
Nation S Top Ten
BY the Assoeioied Press


TUSCALOOSA, Ala. Sept. IL.
If Alabama's 1853 football
team fails to land in the Nations
top 10, a lot of Dixie gridiron
prophets will have red. faces.
Naturally enough, Coach Har-
old (Red) Drew of Alabama
won't be one of them. Red says
I'VE can't be as strong as last
year." when his club won nine,
lost two and was rated ninth in
the country.
Eddie Pharo, topnotch defen-
sive back for the University Of
Alabama last season, has re-
ceived his notice to report for
military induction October 10.
The Birmingham youth said
yesterday he has withdrawn
from school.
His loss was the second to the
Alabama squad in two days
Jerry Lambert, regular end from
Gadsden, left Tuscaloosa Thurs
day for military duty.
In addition, Billy Shipp. 250-
pound tackle from Mobile. quit
the squad earlier this week be-
cause of financial reasons.
Shipp, a Korean veteran, is mar
ried.
But those who see Alabama's
1853 chances through rose-col-
ored glasses have some logic to
back their enthusiastic optimism.
First, last years murderous de-
fensive line is still around, big
ger and meaner. 1t was terrific
through the November stretch
and right into that 61-6. lacing
of Syracuse in the Orange Bowl.
Two All-America Prospects.
Tackle Ed Culpepper, an agile
215-pounder, and Center Ralph
Carrigan are genuine All-Amer-
lea prospects.
Backs returning include Bobby
Luna, Corky Tharp and Tommy
Lewis, all rated as regulars a
season ago. They'll fill three
backfield posts, with quarterback
the only question mark.
There Bart Starr. a sopho-
more who was a letterman as a
freshman, will start. He is a
tremendous prospect, especially
as passer. Starr could make or
break the ball club. Last year
he completed II of 20 passes.
All these things, plus a sea-
soned crop of reserves, led
Southeast Conference coaches to
pick Alabama to top the confer
ence this fall.
Lost Most Offensive Linemen.
How do they get that way?"
Red asks. Drew ordinarily is not
a coach who says his poor little
boys won't make a first down.
But this year he argues with
considerable heat that he lost
nearly all of last years offensive
linemen. plus his great running
back, Bobby NARROW, and top
fight quarterback in Clell Hob
son.
He also complains that aboli-
ton of the two-platoon system
will take us back to horse and
buggy football" He further OBJ
jects that his 20 days of spring
practice didn't give him time to
convert defensive men into Of
fensive. and vice versa.
Three games on the Alabama
schedule now appear to be the
make or break ones.
The two with old rivals Tenn
essee and Georgia Tech will be
four weeks apart, and both will
be in the friendly confines of
Birmingham's Legion Field.
Those were the teams which
trounced Alabama last year.
Maryland Also Tough Foe.
The Maryland game is just
seven days behind the Tech
contest, and will be at College
Park, Md.
Other toughies for this fall in
clude Louisiana State, Tulsa,
Mississippi State and Georgia.
The schedule:
September 18, (night) Missis-
sippi Southern at Montgomery.
Ala; 26 (night); LSU at Mobile.
Ala: october 3, Vanderbilt at
Nashville; 10, Tulsa here; II.
Tennessee at Birmingham; "a.
Mississippi State here; 81,
Georgia at Athens; November Z,
Chattanooga here; Ia, Georgia
Tech at Birmingham; 81, Mary
land at College Park; %, Auburn