Show R CE TT IT IS highly probable that few foot- foot football football x ball players today recall the name of Herman Suter and the remarkable remarkable remarkable re re- re- re Sewanee team he coached just 45 years ago Herman Suter was the Princeton quarterback quarterback quarterback who ran 95 yards against Harvard Harvard Haryard Har Har- s vard yard back around around 1895 or 1896 He was and still is on the small side side i weighing around pounds with a 4 shock of long blonde hair hair hair-at at least it was blonde in those Grantland RIce days His story of the 1899 Sewanee team is the most remarkable football football football foot foot- ball epic in all fo football history We uVe had students at Sewanee that season Suter said Sewanee being a small but famous university university university sity hid away in the Tennessee mountains My football squad consisted of 18 men from which only 12 or 14 could be used Our schedule consisted consisted consisted con con- of 12 hard games including a I mile 2500 trip in which we had to play five games in six days The average weight of this squad was about pounds On this mile 2500 trip we had to play Texas Texas A A. A and M. M M Tulane and Mississippi Mississippi Mississippi Mis Mis- among the ranking colleges of the South They were all strong that season We Ve had to jump from spot to spot by poor train travel at night eight where we got little sleep Yet this Sewanee team not only won all five games but it wasn't scored upon I I can remember them still still still-Or- Ormond Or- Or mond Simpkins one of the greatest football players I ever saw saw saw-a a fine kicker a fine ball carrier and the most terrific tackler tackier and blocker Ive I've ever seen since There was Kirby Smith son of Robert E. E Lees Lee's famous lieutenant general general-a a pound tackle Also Ditty Seibels a pound greyhound back and Rex Kilpatrick brother of Yale's famous end John Reed Kilpatrick now a general and former president of Madison Square Garden These are just a few types I am giving you These men had the greatest spirit spir spir- it Ive I've ever seen on any football field Eight of them played through 60 minutes in all five games during during during dur dur- ing that six-day six trip The other three averaged 55 minutes They almost fought me when I tried to take them out for a little rest Yes at the finish they were tired and stale and battered but they were still full of fighting football Two Games in Three Days But that isn't all Herman Suter Suter Suter Su Su- Su- Su ter told me We still had a tough schedule left With this team picked from students and a squad of 18 men we still had a strong North Carolina team and a stronger Auburn Auburn Auburn Au Au- I burn team coached by John Heisman Heisman Heisman Heis- Heis man to meet three days apart We beat North Carolina Then we beat Auburn 11 to 10 in one of the roughest rough rough- est fiercest and best football games the South has ever seen There were i riots along the side lines and at times there were riots on the field We were always in enemy territory since no one cared to come to our mountain fastness nu r. r I h IPe u- u ive ue e finally unshed t me He e season C I with 12 straight victories over the best teams in the South We had to todo todo todo do all the traveling We Ve had to be bethe bethe bethe the invaders But we had three major football assets and there wasn't a man on the team who had been or paid in any way First we had the finest football spirit that any football field has ever shown Can you imagine a man 12 squad today playing five games in six days and a player beefing when removed for rest Second we had stamina and fiber the ability to take more punishment punishment punishment pun pun- than any of our rivals could give us and hand it back Third we had football skill skill skill- especially kickers tacklers and ball carriers Those were the main assets assets assets as as- sets over 40 years ago After 45 years I still haven't seen a better all around back than Simpkins I have seen no one who tackled as fiercely And I have seen few backs more elusive than Ditty Seibels It was a long trip back to the Su- Su ter-Sewanee ter days of 45 years ago in inthis inthis inthis this new era where teams need a squad of 35 men to complete their schedules many of them on the easy side Someone may recall a amore amore amore more dramatic episode than the Suter-Sewanee Suter campaign of 1899 1899 five hard games in six days with a working squad of 14 men men including including five consecutive victories What's the nomination Sidelights on the Pros b Don Hutson of the Green Bay Packers was discussing professional football with me How about Herber after his layoff layoff layoff lay lay- I off I asked Hutson There is an unusual case Don answered Good passing is also a matter of good timing and Herber is throwing that ball about as well as ever He was always a great passer with the Packers and he is ia about as dangerous now new as he used to be The Eagles found that out s k Y |