Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-12
Quiet, AffobIe Nogurski Tries in Vain
To Tone Down Legends of His Power
ny BURTON HAWKINS
star stan Writer

star otnH Wttttt
e. Sometimes those stories are
exaggerated" Bronko Nagur-
ski said last night when asked
about the two players who suf-
nfered broken shoulders while
attempting TO tackle him at the
same time. ~ remember two
Pittsburgh Steelers who broke
their shoulders in the same
game tackling me. but not on
athe same play"
The massive Nagurski. like
most towering structures Of
muscle. is an affable. gentle
fellow. He Is one of the great
est football players Of all time.
q fact recognized by $500 fans
last night when he was intro
duced from the floor at the
Touchdown Club banquet at
the Sheraton-Park.
Such are the stories about
Nagurski. bruising tackle and
fullback at Minnesota and later
with the Chicago Bears. that
he is certain to become one
of the games lengendary char
acters.
b.
Should Have Been Barred
i. Cliff Battles. who sat at the
ssaine table with him and who
played against him for six years
sand with him for eight games.
ssaid. humorously and respect
fully, HE shouldn't have been
allowed to play"
That's how q pro. elected to
footballs Hall Of Fame. re-
CARDS Bronko.
He was q skinny guy at ass
pounds" Battles said. when
Beattie Feathers ran behind
him you couldn't get close. Ma
gurski gave you the elbow or
the shoulder and you were out
of the play. II he had been q
mean man. he'd have killed
somebody"
In 1884 Feathers. then q
rookie up from Tennessee. led
the league by gaining 1904
yards in l0i tries by following
the menacing Nagurski. PUT
your Aunt Sue back there be-
hind Nagurski." football-wise
listener said. "and she'd set
records. I'd still hate to tangle
with him"
PaFt-time Wrestler
Bronko. now $50 pounds, is
nobody to insult. He's q part
time wrestler around Interna-
tional Falls. MINI.
Maybe I'll wrestle three or
four times Q week and then
lay OF two or three weeks"
Nagurski said. But they're
tag team matches-Im too old
LOT 6nyJnlng else.
Nagurski is 20 and not many
men would want to be slocked
in the same room with him
on the superstition that only
one would emerge breathing. It
would take q lot Of provocation
to stir him TO such action, for
he's quiet and hkeable, content
to swig q bottle Of beer and
enjoy companionship.
. Cal Hubbard. Q 26O-pounder
who currently Is supervisor of
American League umpires and
formerly played tackle with the
Green Bay Packers. once want |
ed direct contact with Ma
gurski. Cal likes to tell It on
himself:
When the Bears punted.
Red Grange and Bronko would
line up on my side to protect
the punter," Hubbard recalls.
4 wanted to get a shot at Ma
Egurski. ! had been hearing
about how hard he was and +
wanted q crack at him to test
him.
Il told Grange to let me
through. Promising wouldn't
Try to block the punt. He let
me through on the next punt,
] hit Nagurski and bounced. Al
moment later I caught up with
Grange and said, Look, you lit
tile so-and-so. next time block
me.'"
Ran Own Interference
Steve Owen. former coach Of
1.-THE New York Giants, enhanced
Nagllrski's reputation when he
said, Hes the only man / ever
saw who ran his own interfer-
ence. The only way to stop him
is to shoot him before he leaves
the dressing room"
Asked the one play he'd like
Ito remember above all others.
DDEC1nEATc