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Show low "Bill" Caley Saved Michigan; Colorado Boy Talked Business to the Coach, but Later Saved the Wolverines Wol-verines From Defeat. Many football fans who saw the recent re-cent game between the "U" eleven and the University of Colorado team will remember Caley, the star fullback of the visiting aggregation. The following story on Bill Caley will not seem Improbable Im-probable to those who saw the work of his younger brother In the Utah-Colorado game: A good story Is told on Bill Caley, probably the best football player ever turned out of the University of Colorado, Colo-rado, says a writer In the Denver Times. Caley Is not responsible for the story, and It may not be true, but at the same time it is a good joke. After playing on the Colorado team a few years he decided to go to Michigan, not to play football, but to study law. The year he struck Ann Arbor the team was In a bad way for material, but Caley was there unheralded and did not offer to play. One night he walked out on the field to watch the team practice. The coach spotted the 225 pounds of Caley and his broad shoulders immediately. immedi-ately. "Don't you want to get out and make the team?" asked the coach. "No. I guess not," answered Caley. "Did you ever play football7" "Yep, a little, out In Colorado." "Put on a uniform and come on out." Caley was properly fitted out by the trainer and went rambling out onto the field. "What position did you play?" asked the coach. "Halfback." "Where did you stand on the defensive?" defen-sive?" Caley showed him the position that Bill Folsom had taught him to occupy. "Why, If you stand there they will get around you every time," roared the coach. "All right, let's try It and see," answered an-swered Caley. j It happened that Michigan's captain was playing an offensive half and was sent around the end that Caley was defending. All afternoon he tried to break his way through, .and every time he hit the line he was stopped or thrown back by Caley. The last time he made the attempt Caley tackled him so fiercely that the captain was carried to the hospital with a broken leg. That established the Colorado boy's reputation as a football player In Ann Arbor. The next day he did not show up for practice and the coach went after af-ter him. "Aren't you going to come out and play?" "No." "What's the matter?" "Oh, I don't want to play." "Maybe you don't, but we need you." "Well, I'm paying you good money 'to come here and study law, and If you want me to play football you will have to pay me. I'll play the season out for $350. and If Ave beat Chicago It will cost yoU $500." The coach gave Caley the laugh, and that was the last heard of the proposU tlon for several weeks. Caley went on studying law, and the football team did without him, and the captain nursed his broken leg in the hospital. Then the early practice gumcs were over and the hard teams began to come to Ann Arbor. Purdue had a crack team that year and In the first half scored two touchdowns and apparently had the game at his mercy. The coach was frantic and Michigan's rooters dead. Between the halves Caley was found watching the game from the grandstand. grand-stand. The coach had a little talk with him and when the whistle blew for the beginning of the second half the big fellow came trotting out on the field, much to the surprise of Purdue, and to the delight of Michigan. Caley was every place on the defen sive, tackling like a wild man and throwing Purdue back for losses time and again. In a few minutes the best ground gainers that Purdue had were carried off the field, and then Michigan began to sweep through them and soon had the game won. From that time the Ann Arbor team began to Improve and Michigan went down to Chicago later and won an easy victory. What the coach said to Caley between the halves was not heard by anybody, and Caley has never told, but Michigan had a championship team, due to the efforts of the Colorado boy. |