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
"The University of Michigan combination was broken yesterday when Keene
Fitzpatrick announced that he had accepted Princeton's offer, to take
effect in the fall of 1910. He was trainer for Michigan for 15 years.
For five years Fitz' has been sought by every large university in the
East.
"What was Michigan's loss, was Princeton's gain. He made men better,
not alone physically, but morally. His work has been uplifting along all
lines of university activities. In character and example he is as great
and untiring as in his teaching and precept. The final and definite
knowledge of his determination to leave Michigan is a severe blow to the
students all of whom know and appreciate his work. Next to President
Angell, no man of the University of Michigan, in the last ten years, has
exerted a more wholesome influence upon the students than has Keene
Fitzpatrick. His work brought him in close touch with the students and
his influence over them for good has been wonderful. He is a man of
ideals and clean life."
"To 'Fitz,' as the boys called him, as much as to the great coach Yost
is due Michigan's fine record in football. His place will be hard to
fill. Fitz has aided morally in placing athletics on a high plane and in
cultivating a fine spirit of sportsmanship. He was elected an honorary
member of the class of 1913 at Princeton. The Secretary of the class
wrote him a letter in which he said: 'The senior class deeply
appreciates your successful efforts, and in behalf of the University
takes this opportunity of expressing its indebtedness to you for the
valuable results which you have accomplished.'"
Yost had a high opinion of Fitzpatrick.
"Fitz and I worked together for nine years," writes Yost. "We were like
brothers during that association at Michigan. There is no one person
who contributed so much to the University of Michigan as this great
trainer. His wonderful personality, his expert assistance and that great
optimism of his stood out as his leading qualifications. My association
with him is one of the pleasantest recollections of my life. He put the
men in shape, trained them and developed them. They were 'usable' all
the time. He is a trainer who has his men in the finest mental condition
possible. I don't think there was ever a trainer who kept men more fit,
physically and mentally, than Keene Fitzpatrick."
There were in Michigan two players, brothers, who were far apart in
skill. Keene says one was of varsity calibre, but wanted his brother,
too, to make the Eleven. "Once," says Keene, "when we were going on a
trip, John, who was a better player, said, 'I will not go if Joe cannot
go,' so in order to get John, we had to take Joe."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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