Show RAMS D DISCOVER SCOVER FRED GEHRKE'S PROWESS AFTER FOUR YEARS I IBy By FR FRANKLIN LIN LEWIS VIS Sports Writer for tor the Cleveland Press CLEVELAND Five CLEVELAND Five years Is la a long time timeto to wait for anything from a raise in pay to a street car but it is an an especially annoying spell to a halfback who is sweating out a n. touchdown The hero of our current epic Is Fred Gehrke who plays a lot of halfback for the Rams who is Is in la fact a scat back in that he can run madly at great speeds to not only confuse contuse the enemy but output him During the tho war years Gehrke was as forgotten forgotten forgotten for for- gotten as aa a spare tire The Rams Rama drafted him himat himat himat at the conclusion of the 1939 collegiate season season season sea sea- son one he spent with the University of or Utah eleven He reported here In 1940 1910 and spent the autumn shinnying on the sidelines as understudy understudy un un- un to Parker Hall HaU the 01 Ol Mi Miss s All- All America and the Rams Rams' very blood at the box office No touchdowns did Gehrke score in the 1940 season Nor did he score any for the Rams the next four falls But the first time he got his hla hands on a football in the opening game at Pittsburgh this year he broke away for a yard 54 touchdown run Gehrke was set as the Rams' Rams left halfback In the four war years Gehrke was frozen to his Job In a California airplane airplane- plant pIat I that was all an right with him because he was doing the kind of work he loves de designing designing designing de- de signing and improving airplanes Most of the time h he hc worked on the design of ot the celebrated Black Widow night fighter known as the P P-OL No assembly line Job Was was his It was and will be again at the end of ot this football season a fascinating chore based on the breaking down of ot plans and blueprints for airplanes and transmitting transmUting the Intricate and nd detailed labors to the plant assembly line Hes He's en be-en playing some ome football these past four years with California professional teams But there are dozens of those teams in California Call Cali fornia lornia and their personnel changes with the weather and Gehrke admits he didn't take his time Dart playing paying out there ther very serious In front of Gehrke the other day the story was relayed of ol how Bob Snyder the club backfield coach took one gander at Fred during the first week of training and said said That guy will Wilt be one of the greatest backs in the league this year Gehrke stammered pawed with the feet stuck his hands in his pockets dropped his hla head He didn't have the words But a little later when we WO spoke of ot Black Widows and other air airplanes and their thIr designs he leaned across the luncheon table and there were rainbows in his eyes Well I always said a halfback who couldn't fly was wasting the coach's time Nate publicity director of or the Rams adds this note Freds Fred's return has beer been one of ot the main rea reasons ons for our winning the tho western championship cham chain He is unquestionably the best running run run- nin ning back on our club if it not In the league Mor Moreover he Is a fine defensive player who sees sec action 55 minutes out of each Cleveland game He has the best running aVera average e In the league teague with 64 yards a try He has carried the die ball ban 71 11 times gained yards for fourth place In total yardage ya gained in the league He has haa scored seven even touchdowns Including two in our second game with Green Bay when ha he heran ran 72 and 42 yards for tor the scores |