| Show youn YOU might not think that hat football was back with may on its way to june but football Is al always wa ys back it has few intermissions now from january to janu ary when you pac k in spring pr practice catica and the never end ing now flow of football talk I 1 found taij true again on a recent launt jaunt through the southeast where record squads were V busy at spring practice in florida 41 georgia alabama Grantlan dRice and the he carolinas Car oUnas many of these practice delegations ran from to men the early enthusiasm even under blazing suns was far beyond normal I 1 ran into wally butts georgias c coach who coyly admitted his 1946 1940 bulldogs would be better than fair we had no line last fall wally said but we have a rood good line now and with on hand for the be plus a few more we hope to be ready for alabama and nd akl oklahoma A and bl 51 to mention my only two also in the tha meanwhile alabama and oklahoma A and M are facing the chance of losing harry gilmer and bob fenimore two all america stars the beckoning finger of the army draft has called both bolh tor for a physical test these two have been in i n the 4 F class clas the last two seasons s but if they they are taken there can be no replacements to match their worth alabama has a great squad but losing gilmer I 1 la I 1 like losing a sammy baugh or a L luckman uck losin losing g fenimore the pound sprinter passer and kicker would be no worse than the army losing doe doc blanchard Blan chaid florida full of hope florida was running a high football fever ray wolf and a new strong staff are now at florida with the tha best gator prospects in several seasons miami universo university ity orange bowl winner over holy cross expects to have a much better team than the 1945 squad StIrn backfield coach at north carolina reports the arrival of halfback justice at chapel mil hill plus several additions that carl snavely can use with considerable pleasure I 1 also received the news that bob neyland will have another tennessee tennesse squad that will be hard to clean away also that wallace wade back at duke Is busier than ten warms swarms of bees getting ready for a hard campaign southern teams have a stiff spring training grind and they are busier than usual with so many bowls to be filled next year with neyland and wade back they also face keener competition especially it if frank thomas at alabama loses gilmer no one can say yet what henry frnka will have at tulane but you can gamble the green wave is rolling forward it might also be noted that no one can say yet lust just how many good football players the draft will remove from the scene all over the map this draft procedure will wreck some teams while missing others completely army and notre dame we ran into several notre dame dam e ex stars who advised U us to keep an eye on frank leaphys 1948 1946 squad the last two army teams piled up points against us in 1944 and 1945 A beating Is one thing A massacre 1 is something else but brother it Is going to be different in 1946 notre dame will be there with what it takes this means line backfield power and speed leahy will have both kelly and back here are two of the best backs no notre re dame has known in years but they are only a L small part of the material now on hand for spring aprin practice at south bend you dont figure any army pushover I 1 asked the notre darner certainly not but army wont be the army of 1944 and 1945 why the line yes ves army will have bave or should have the best backfield in football headed beaded by blanchard davis and tucker but dont forget army has lost a number of valuable linemen and that army line has been a big factor in their victories in the meanwhile capt tom hamilton now on the job at navy finds himself caught between two fires ires army and notre dame tom hamilton is not only one of the best coaches in football but one of the best cst inspirational leaders hamil ton on has the foundation or basis tor for a hustling fighting squad that can make it extremely uncomfortable for or any opponent on navys schedule Alich igans troubles hamilton was the one man who saved college football during the war at least he did more tor for the cause than any other three men 1 know about one team that may acquire more than its share of draft trouble is michigan last fall all fritz crisler had 18 freshmen on his 8 of whom were classed among his regulars the wolver ines had one of the youngest squads in the country and for or this reason may suffer heavier casualties |
