Shenanigans
Knute Rockne speaks:
"From my first coach, Longman, came another valuable lesson. A sturdy
man and useful with his fists, he believed that the best way to impress his
charges was to demonstrate that he was physically their master. With this in
mind, he prescribed boxing lessons which he himself would give, beginning
with the lightweights and working his way through to the heavies of the
Philbrook displacement.
Respectfully the squad gathered to see the first demonstration. Several of
the less heavy boys, myself included, were to be operated on with boxing
gloves. Shorty selected a mild-mannered chap named Matthews, a light end,
for the first object lesson. That was a bad break. Matthews stepped out
expertly, ducked and weaved and hooked and jabbed. After three minutes
Shorty had enough. There were no boxing lessons for the rest of us."
* * * * * *
In 1910 Frank "Shorty"
Longman, an end on Michigan's famous "Point-a-Minute" team, was
the Notre Dame coach-the first college coach that Rockne ever knew. And
Rockne remembered him as "a snappy, belligerent figure" who
effected a shock of hair after an actor of the day whose last name was
McCullough.
"Freshmen were played in those days," Rockne recalled, "and
with a small enrollment, we needed them. Longman sent me out with the scrubs
in a test game with the regulars. He made me fullback. They should have
changed my position to drawback. Never on any football field was there so
dismal a flop. Trying to spear my first punt I had frozen fingers and the
ball rolled everywhere it wasn't wanted. Longman kept me in that agonizing
game. Finally, I tried a punt. Nothing happened.
I might have been a statue of a player trying to punt. Nothing was
coordinated. I was half paralyzed. A 200-pound tackle smashed into me. My
145 pounds went back for a 15-yard loss. Longman yanked me out of the scrubs
and sent me back to Brownson Hall. I was a washout, not even good enough for
the scrubs."
* * * * * *
Coach John L. Marks (1911-1912) was always a quiet mentor: but he liked to
pile up scores. Once we led Adrian by 81 to 0, and the Adrian coach said
he's used up all his substitutes and would we agree to let him send men back
who had already played? Marks agreed.
He returned to the sidelines. Some time later he saw a strange player on our
bench.
"You're on the wrong bench," he said. 'I know it,' said the lad.
"I've been in that scrap four times already, and they're not going to
send me back if I can help it. I've had enough.' Marks laughed quietly, and
let the lad remain.
* * * * * *
Not only was 1920 to be one of Rockne's great seasons when Big Ten teams
Purdue, Indiana, and Northwestern were back on the schedule, but the new
west stands were opened on Cartier Field. Twelve thousand fans were on hand
for the first football Homecoming.
Bringing back the stars of the past-Red Salmon, Red Miller, and Frank Hering
among them - was a Rockne idea. Homecoming wasn't restricted to former
athletes, because more than 600 alumni showed up for the three-day
celebration. Most of them cheered when it was announced that the Oliver
Hotel (reunion headquarters) had seceded from the United States for the
weekend, effectively eliminating enforcement of the Volsted (Prohibition)
Act.
* * * * * *
To read previous versions of Shenanigans click below:
September
1998
November 1998
January 1999
March 1999
May 1999
July 1999
August 1999
October 1999
December 1999
January 2000
February 2000
March 2000
April 2000
May 2000
June 2000
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