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Show WW 'TPHE off-trails of footbaU that rarely lead to the major headlines head-lines ean take you Into a country just as Interesting as Minnesota, Stanford, Texas A. & M., Boston college and Tennessee. For example, during the late World Series in Cincinnati I ran i ..'V Grantland Rice across a numDer 01 old - time football players who told me about a back by the name of Jackie Hunt of Marshall college in Huntington, W. Va. "T played against George Gipp," one old-timer said, "and I d rather have Hunt than Gipp." "I played against Cliff Battles," an other reported, "and I'U take Hunt over Battles. He is just as good a ball carrier, a great kicker, a fine passer and a star defensive back." When good football players tell you about a fellow who is better than Gipp and Battles you begin to take notice. So two months ago I crawled a trifle out on the limb for Jackie Hunt Being ob the off-trail, away from the beaten pack, Hunt was hard to follow. But he was the big factor In beatinc V. P. I. and also In coring 19 paints against Wake Forest, For-est, a team good enongb to beat North Carolina, 12 to 0. Picking op what I could here and there, (after all, there are over 400 college teams playing 200 games each week), I discovered Jackie Hunt was doing all right. The next Investigation discovered that he was the leading scorer of the country, well ahead of such people peo-ple as Harmon and Kimbrough and the rest. About Jackie Hunt About thij time I ran into Jock Sutherland, the Dodger mandarin. "I know abont Hunt," Jock said. We wanted him at Pittsburgh. He was the best high school back in America that year. Big, fast, passer, pass-er, ball carrier and kicker, loaded with exceptional football spirit But Hunt wanted t stay in his borne town at Huntington with Marshall. He felt that Huntington was where be belonged. Even as a high school player k waa aa outstanding star." More thaa a few leading colleges tried to explain to Hunt that he eould take the headlines away from Harmon and Kimbrough. from Reagan Rea-gan and O'Rourke. Hunt wasn't interested in-terested in headlines. He loved football, foot-ball, but he wanted to play at home. A 135-pound 10-second man who could do about everything, this West Virginian let nation-wide fame roll by as be went on scoring three or four touchdowns in almost every game for dear old MarshalL This attitude was more important than I all the touchdowns he scored, which lead the nation. Hunt and Snead A few days ago I received a screed from a sport writing friend from West Virginia who knows his stuff. "To may remember," he wrote, 'that I've only slipped you one tip. Years ago 1 told yon that we had a hillbilly by the name of Sammy Sorad wha was on bis way up with the greatest swing in golf. That waa bWore anyone knew anything about Sammy Snrad. Ton printed what I wrote to yon. Now I'm telling tell-ing you Out Jackie Hunt of Marshall Mar-shall collect Is a better football player thaa Sammy Snead Is a gtlfer. "I know his schedule isn't what ! Minnesota or Michigan faces. But I 1 know what he can do. I'd like to ' set him, on equal terms, play against Ihrmon or Kimbrough, for I know he can do more things better bet-ter with a football. He can run ' with either and outkick and outpass both. And you can't find a better j defensive pla)er. I "Hunt la la rtie same spot Mutch Clark auce held. 'A great player. ' thry aald, 'bnt ao schedule." Putch Clark la sill the all-time All-America quarterback In your book and almost al-most every other book. Hunt Is bigger and faster than Dutch Clark, and caa da everything as well." No Fake Ballyhoo This Is no fake ballyhoo fur Jackie Hunt, whom I have never seen. But when Due Spenrs. coach of Dartmouth, Dart-mouth, Minnesota and Oregon, now at Toledo, who has seen Hunt piny two years, adds his testimony, you hove to listen. i Dot Spears doesn't believe there is a belter all-around back In Amor- 1 Ua. And he has no exceptions. I "One of the greatest," Is the Doc Sprard tribute. Hunt went to Marshall college I knowing H would bp almost Inipos- llile for him to make an All America Amer-ica for this one rriiRnn the sched-ale. sched-ale. The Important qnentlon would be avkrd "limit may look good gulu-it V. r. I. anil Toledo and Wake -'orrt. hut let hhn Irv In run auiiinsl Hlg Ten leanin. What Iheii?" There Is somrthing to this anple, lut I know several pro coaches who would JuM as soon huve Hunt, when ho urailii'ilrs, o cither Harmon or Kimhi ihii:Ii except for the mailer nf publicity noil galp receipt. |