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
But we must leave Jack for the present at home with his family in Sandy
Hook Cottage, Drummore by Stranraer, Scotland, in the best of health,
happy in his recollection of a service well rendered and appreciated by
every one who knew him.
Jim Robinson
There was something about Jim Robinson that made the men who knew him in
his training days refer to him as "Dear Old Jim," and although he no
longer cries out from the side lines "trot up, men," a favorite
expression of his when he wanted to keep the men stirring about, there
still lives within all of us who knew him a keen appreciation of his
service and loyalty to the different colleges where he trained.
He began training at Princeton in 1883 and he finished his work there.
How fine was the tribute that was paid him on the day of his funeral!
Dolly Dillon, captain of the 1906 team, and his loyal team mates, all of
whom had been carefully attended by Jim Robinson on the football field
that fall, acted as pallbearers. There was also a host of old athletes
and friends from all over the country who came to pay their last tribute
to this great sportsman and trainer.
Mike Murphy and Jim Robinson were always contesting trainers. At
Princeton that day with the team gathered around, Murphy related some
interesting and touching experiences of Jim's career.
Jim's family still lives at Princeton, and on one of my recent visits
there, I called upon Mrs. Robinson. We talked of Jim, and I saw again
the loving cups and trophies that Jim had shown me years before.
Jim Robinson trained many of the heroes of the old days, Hector Cowan
being one of them. In later years he idolized the playing of that great
football hero, John DeWitt, who appreciated all that Jim did to make
his team the winner. The spirit of Jim Robinson was comforting as well
as humorous. No mention of Jim would be complete without his dialect.
[Illustration: THE ELECT]
He was an Englishman and abused his h's in a way that was a delight to
the team. Ross McClave tells of fun at the training table one day when
he asked Jim how to spell "saloon." Jim, smiling broadly and knowing he
was to amuse these fellows as he had the men in days gone by, said:
"Hess--Hay--Hell--two Hoes--and--a Hen."
Few men got more work out of a team than did Jim Robinson. There was
always a time for play and a time for work with Jim.
Mike Murphy
Mike Murphy was the dean of trainers.
Bob Torrey, one of the most remarkable center-rushes that Pennsylvania
ever had, is perhaps one of the greatest admirers of Mike Murphy during
his latter years. Torrey can tell it better than I can.
"Murphy's sense of system was wonderful; he was a keen observer and had
a remarkable memory; he seemed to do very little in the way of
bookkeeping, but his mind was carefully pigeon-holed and was a perfect
card index.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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