Football days : $b memories of the game and of the men behind the ballEdwards, William H. (William Hanford)
General
Football days : $b memories of the game and of the men behind the ball
Edwards, William H. (William Hanford)
Football
"I think that Harding began to paint my face from the start of the game
and that as it proceeded he warmed up to the task, seeing that he was
making a pretty good job of it. He had several mighty able assistants.
The work was done with several hundred Wellesley College girls, who were
seated on benches close to the sideline, looking on with the deepest
interest and, as it soon appeared, with much sympathy. I will not forget
how concerned they looked.
"By the middle of the second half I guess they did see a spectacle in me
for they began to call to me and hold out handkerchiefs. At first I
didn't realize what they meant for I was so much engaged with the duties
that lay in front of me that it was difficult to notice them, but their
entreaties soon enlightened me. They were asking me as a special favor
to clean my face with their handkerchiefs, but I replied--perhaps rather
abruptly--that I really didn't have time to attend to my facial toilet.
"My nose had been broken, both eyes well closed and my canvas jacket and
doeskin knickerbockers were scarlet or crimson--whichever you prefer--in
hue. Strength was quickly leaving me and the field swam. I finally
propped myself up against a goal post. The next thing I knew was that I
was being helped off the field. My brother, Billy, who was highly
indignant over the developments, took my place. This was about ten or
fifteen minutes before the end of the game, which then consisted of two
45 minute periods.
"Ames emerged from the game with nothing more than the usual number of
cuts and bruises. At that time we did not have any nose-guards,
head-guards and other paraphernalia such as are used nowadays, except
that we could get ankle braces, and Ames wore one. That ankle stood the
test during the fight.
"A majority of the other players were pretty well cut up. After Cowan
was disqualified Bob (J. Robb) Church, subsequently Major in the United
States Army Medical Corps and formerly the surgeon of Roosevelt's Rough
Riders in the Spanish War, was shifted from tackle to Cowan's position
at guard. Chapin, a brilliant student, who had changed from Amherst to
Princeton, went in at tackle. He was a rather erratic player, and
Harvard kept pounding in his direction with the result that Bob Church
had a sea of trouble and I was forced to move up close to the line for
defensive work. It was this that really put me out of business. My left
shoulder had been hurt early in the season and it was bound in rubber,
but fortunately it was not much worse off than at the beginning of the
game.
"Bob Church risked his life more than once in the Spanish War and for
his valor he received a Medal of Honor from Congress, but it is safe to
say that he never got such a gruelling as in this Harvard game. He was
battered to the extent of finding it difficult to rise after tackling
and finally he was lining up on his knees. It was a magnificent
exhibition of pluck. As I recall, Bob lasted to the end of the game.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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