Evening star., 1962-12-27

TDCIubbers Note:
Knocky's in Town
Bv MORRIS SlEGEC

ON THE MORNING OF the Maryland Tennessee Sugar
Bowl ENHANCEMENT in New Orleans more than decade
back, Knocky Thomas ordered half dozen beers sent
to his hotel While others dined cereals eggs
Ramos gin fizzes and other accepted wakeup staples
Knocky stuck to beer.
This" he said with bottle on high us the breakfast
Of champions"
Knocky himself is a champ of sorts in this book He
is bon vvant and philosopher quarrelsome but not med
desome, and good for laugh when he isn't trying
He is also University Maryland rooter with loyalty
dating back almost to the stene ages.
Knocky is in town for spell, warming up for the big
Touchdown Club shndig January H. This is the time Of
the year he makes his annual pilgrimage from Rome
r. where he has been engaged in some kind of COM
muncatons work for the Government the United States
Government presumably ever since he left washington
JAMES B. JOHNSON, the high commissioner of the
Touchdown Club hoedown, still has not settled on sew
era trophy winners for the big blast but with Knocky
already on the premises Johnson at least has less
major worry without Knocky the dinner can't be official
Like homing pigeon, Knocky Lit at the Touchdown
Club yesterday shortly after his arrival This will his
command post daily until after the dinner. There have
been when Knocky completely forgot about the
quet and remained at the Touchdown Club while 1t
was going
The young bucks only recently affiliated with the
hayloft Eye street probably have met Knocky
but they certainly must have heard about the man. He is
{. a rich and vital part of the clubs legend
Ia HRR%
KNOCKY WAS SELF-MADE football player. His
critics contended this showed the results Of unsked
Those who him scoot for Curly Byrds Maryland teams
circa 1s25-s28 claim otherwise Until Jim Tatum intro
duced Maryland to a flock Of Pennsylvania gazeles,
Knocky owned just about every record in Marylands
football books.
He was product of the Washington sandots never
lettering at Tech High in football At Maryland ironically
he beat out the great Eddie Pugh for the regular half
back job accomplishment Knocky failed to bring off
when both at Tech.
Next to getting his degree Knockys biggest achieve
ment at Maryland was an almost single -handed-or
of Yale when the Eli was big bad
and Booa not like today He scored all except three
Of the points in Maryland $50 victory what then
was regarded as a powerful Eli eleven.
ShSH
KNoCKY-H1s REAL NAME is Lewis but Knocky fits
him much betterwaS chosen for signal honor after
the '28 season. He picked to play on an An-South
team which met AlWest aggregation in a Red Cross
benefit in the Rose Bowl Christmas Day "a years ago.
His old coach Curly Byrd advanced him the $500 for
expense money to make the trip.
Thomas and the other players on the squad coached
by three greats Bill Alexander Georgia Tech) Dan Nc
Gugin Vanderbilt and Wallace Wade (Alabama), were
given watches and blankets souveners Knocky valued
them not highly he did his friendship for Byrd He
hooked the gifts to repay Byrd the $500.
Yesterday to celebrate his return, Knocky and pals
were getting in the golden mood beautifully 1t gala
'tel EN- about the time that you ETC." mood. Tommy
Whelan, an arch conspiratOr along with Knocky in many
OF the Thomas epics won the afternoon round Of the
reminiscing derby with doozy of yarn about Knocky
Thomas football referee
KNoCKY OCCASIONALLY moonlighted as an Official
mainly working games among service teams around
On occasion he assigned to the Quantico- Camp
Lejeune affair Quantities. star Eddie LeBaron, Le
jeune had the late Harry Agganis of Boston u its
quarterback.
Thomas a LeBaron man. He made a small wager,
friendly fin, Quantico 1t scoreleSs dogfight
rugged Marine units going into fourth
quarter neither Quantico Knocky, who
had spotted three points.
With less than five minutes to play, Lejeune half
back fumbled the ball deep in his territory. There
was massive peup and Knocky plunged into the middle
of the guerilla to determine who owned the football
Our ball, our ball." Referee Thomas shouted award
ing the pgskn Quantico II he himself recovered
It, The LeBarons went on to score and win-the game
and Knockys bet.
Bottoms up, Knocky, and welcome home.