Show 0 vv vvE E Few Fe ever pay any particular at attention tendon to the center a a star guard or a brilliant tackle Few ever fiat fla a an eagle eye on a smashing block blocking ing back S The crowds and this also In eludes most of the football writers are watching the ball carriers carrier the passers and the 3 pass receivers who are usually out In the open who supply most of c the color and action In a an any n j game The men who are a j just as Important who have nave to handle nr Drennan Brennan n the brunt of con filet usually are overlooked For this Ws reason the football cam cam- of 1947 Is almost an exact duplicate of other years The head head- headlines lines and the laurels are going to the backs to the passers and the receivers It is difficult to recall a season where so many backs have drawn this old age-old citation He cant can't be left off anybody's star all-star team What they forget as far as any star all-star backfield selection is con con- concerned Is s this you tilts you cant can't put 15 or 20 men Into four pairs of cl shoes Here nere are Just a few of the men who cant be left oft off Lujack Lajack of 01 Notre Dame Layne of Texas Walk Walk- Walker er cr of Conerly of 01 Mississippi Scott of Arkansas Minis 1 of Penn Perm sylvania Brennan of Notre Dame Evans of Kansas Chappuis and El EI llott lIott of Michigan 1 Self SeU and Girard of Wisconsin Cloud of William and Mary a fine fullback McCardle and Doll of Southern California Gil GU Gilmer mer of Alabama Bailey of Virginia Burns of 01 Rutgers of Yale of Columbia Taliaferro of 01 Indiana and too many others to be mentioned In any event here are 21 fine backs rated high In the nations nation's ranking There are other unlisted nominations from the Northwest Each section sees only Its stars In Inaction Inaction inaction action and knows what these stars can do with little knowledge of tar stars from other sections The Local Viewpoint This is only natural You watch a Conerly a Gilmer a Layne a Walker an Evans a Scott from the South and the Southwest alone and you feel quite certain that anyone of these is the star back in n tie coun coup coup- try And you may be right then again you may not be right Maybe Maybeno no one will be right The high level of class doesn't I leave much margin There are too many outside factors to consider consider- such as time experience and all all- allaround allaround around versatility I A great football back should be beable beable beable able to run pass block and tackle especially tackle the final word Only top rankers can block and tackle Football Is studded with passers and ball carriers It isn't studded with blockers and tacklers This Is an unselfish job Ask any coach In the argument that concerns the best backs of the year we can take you to the South and the Southwest The deep South insists that Con Con- Conerly Conerly erly of Mississippi and Gilmer of Alabama are two of the outstanding outstanding I ing stars Many scouts that I respect re re- respect re- re respect rank both over Layne of Texas and Walker of Gilmer can pass run block and tackle He is isan Isan I Ian an amazing football player who weighs about pounds Now equally smart football play play- players players players ers write me that Walker of SM U. U and Layne of Texas belong with any top four Layne is s a brilliant pass pass- er Walker a sophomore can do everything a coach wants But Dut three coaches from the South South- Southwest Southwest Southwest west write me that Smackover Clyde Scott formerly with Navy is isa isa Isa a better around all back than Layne or Walker He lie Is a star on ona ona ona a weak ball club who has picked up more ground than either Layne or Walker Wa e t Then word comes from off the trail that Ray Evans of ot Kansas out out- outclasses outclasses outclasses classes Conerly Scott Layne Walk Walk- Walker er or Gilmer Evans has had four or five brilliant years of college and army football All AU the Kansan can cando cando cando do is run pass kick block and tackle The pros want him more than anyone else Other Headliners Headline In the meanwhile there is s Min Min- of ot Pennsylvania who also has had bad four or five big years years years-p years passer passer ball carrier blocker and star defensive sive back Also a fellow known as Johnny Lujack of Notre Dame a abig abig abig big factor at Notre Dame four sea sea- seasons seasons sons ago who ago who can pass or run run and and who happens to be probably the best defensive back In football today Fritz Crisler of Michigan admits I that Chapp ls has been his main factor actor on offense Running and passing Cloud of William and Mary Is probably the best fullback in the country Few even know his name He lie is pounds of Doc Doe Blanchard The pros will come up with some from an unknown team who will outclass many of these I Ila sava la mentioned They merely never aad ad the chance to prove their stuff tuff |