Collier's, December 15,1951 The d ALL-AMERICA BifLL H(m rors IMaiiivicw, '\v\. BILL MrCOLL Slaiif'ord San Dicjio, Cal. WivUh^ JIM WFAJIIKRAIJ. Okhihoiua White D<rr, Tex. Tackli^ DON COLEMAN Mu-higan Stale Flint, fMivh. (iiiani BOH WARD IVlarylaiuf Fli/alM'th, rV.J. (iiiani RAY BECK Ccorgia Pcrli C-r<larloHn, (ia. Crntrr DICK in(;nrowKR Soiilhern Mi'lluMlist I yier, I ex. Qiiarlrrliack HANK LAIIRICIXLA T«>IIIH'SS<M' N<'w i )rh'an8. Fa. Half Lack DICK KAZMAIIR PriiU'cton Main •ark JOHNNY KARRAS Illinois AiM,M», Til. Fullb K'k FRANK (;iFI ORD Southern (^al Bakorsfiehl, (^al. Selected by The Aineriean Football Coaches Association By BILL FAY ALFBACK Dick Kazmaier controlled the greatest individual display in the 62-year history of supplemented by a collection of All-America football on 43 of the 56 offensive plays Collier's All-America elevens. Now, critics are movie high lights dating back to the late 1920s. H Princeton used to crush Cornell, 53 to 15, wondering whether even the 1924 Grange sur­ Harvey Harman, head coach of Rutgers and in the big Eastern game of the 1951 college sea­ passed the 1951 Kazmaier. chairman of the coaches' historical films commit­ son. Kazmaier completed 15 of 17 passes for 236 It's a question that can't be answered conclu­ tee, reports: "Colleges all over the country are co­ yards and three touchdowns; he carried the ball sively, because Grange antedated the practice of operating enthusiastically by making available to 18 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns; and filming games for coaching studies. Consequently, the Hall of Fame copy negatives of their game he set up eight dazzling reverses with deceptive Red's explosive start and tantalizing change-of- movies featuring former All-Americans. The old­ hand-offs to other Princeton backs while faking a pace now exist only in the fading memories of vet­ est film strip uncovered to date shows Johnny pass or run. eran fans who watched him bewilder tacklers more Baker of Southern California kicking the field Over all, the slender, 171-pound Kazmaier out- than a quarter of a century ago. goal which snapped Notre Dame's 26-game unde­ gained previously unbeaten Cornell in total yard­ But thanks to the motion-picture camera, Kaz- feated streak in 1931. But within a few months, we age, 360 to 210. This almost perfect performance maier's five-touchdown blitz against Cornell will expect to collect enough film for a documentary was the most devastating one-man offensive show never fade to a nostalgic blur. Instead, the bril­ covering the exciting All-America action of the since Red Grange of Illinois routed Michigan, 39 liant work of Kazmaier and the 10 other great last quarter century—a Hall of Fame feature to 14, in a pressure-packed battle for first place in players in Collier's 62d All-America line-up listed which should be of tremendous interest to fans the Western Conference way back in 1924. on these pages will be preserved in slow-motion and coaches alike." In that historic meeting, which marked the dedi­ film for future generations of grid enthusiasts. Judging from the comments of the nation's top cation of Illinois Memorial Stadium, Grange Starting this year, the evidence on which Col­ coaches who picked the 62d All-America, the stunned the Wolverines on the opening kickolf lier's selections are based—actual coaching films great players of 1951 will compare favorably with with a 95-yard touchdown return, then followed documenting the ability of each All-America star Collier's stars of yesteryear—the Carideos and up with three long scoring runs from scrimmage in key games—will be presented annually to the the Baughs and the Nagurskis—destined for Hall to provide his teammates with a staggering 27-0 National Football Hall of Fame now being estab­ of Fame recognition. During the past season, lead in the first 10 minutes. Later, Red ran and lished at Rutgers University, site of the first inter­ more than 275 members of The American Foot­ passed for Illinois' fifth and si.Kth touchdowns. collegiate game in 1869. This yearly award, to be ball Coaches Association reported to Collier's on Until Kazmaier steam-rollered Cornell, Grange's prepared by Collier's in co-operation with The the week-by-week progress of leading All-Amer­ rampage against Michigan was accepted as the American Football Coaches Association, will be ica candidates. These exclusive reports, containing 13 PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 14 JOHNNY KARRAS BOB WARD FRANK CLIFFORD Illinois Maryland Southern California BILL HOW TON (No. 84) JIM WEATHERALL Rice Oklahoma Collier's for December 15, 1951 PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 15 An All-American in Action: ColUer's camera shows Princeton's sensational Dick Kazmaier fake a hand-off to Dick Pivirotto (No. 21) and then snake his way through the line for a touchdown in his great one-man show against Cornell. This is the type of ganie-action film Collier's board of coaches studied to determine which All-America candidates would make this year's official team • the coaches' analyses of game movies plus confidential report to the coaches, an Arkansas player wrote: "He'd scouting information, produced the five regional All-Star jigger around until he got you going the wrong way, then teams announced in last week's issue—All-East, All-Mid­ he'd take off and leave you. He's tremendously fast on the west, All-South, All-Southwest and All-Far West. getaway." Each report was checked and evaluated by Collier's Defensively, Howton was a clawing, scrambling per­ board of famous coaches, including Lloyd Jordan of Har­ former who always managed to stay on the outside of the vard, president of the coaches' association; Frank Leahy play. Bill also was adept at dropping off the Rice front of Notre Dame; Carl Snavely, North Carolina; Lynn Wal­ line to defend the flat zone in pass situations. dorf, California; Tuss McLaughry, Dartmouth; Lou Lit­ He never asked for relief and seldom got any. "I had tle, Columbia; Henry Frnka, Tulane; Dutch Meyer, Texas a lazy man's job anyway," Bill contends. "An end ought Christian; Ray Eliot, Illinois; and Bud Wilkinson of Okla­ to be able to play 60 minutes easier than any other man on homa. Then, after comparing the film records of each of the line. On defense, especially, he sort of camps out the 55 regional stars, Collier's board selected the 11 out­ there, a step across the scrimmage line, and if the play standing players for the 62d All-America line-up. isn't coming his way, he can relax a little." Continuing the practice of spotlighting All-America But regardless of Howton's own estimate of the de­ speciaUsts inaugurated last year. Collier's board also mands of his position, take the word of his coach, Jess picked the nation's best players in the following cate­ Neely, nobody ever caught Bill relaxing. gories: defensive linemen, line-backers, defensive backs, The All-America tackles are Jim Weatherall of Okla­ offensive linemen, offensive backs, pass receivers and pass­ homa (six feet four, 230 pounds) and Don Coleman of ers. This roster of All-America Specialists—including Michigan State, both of them versatile enough to play of­ punt, point-after-touchdown and kickoff experts—is listed fense and defense against any opposition. Weatherall on page 74. shares with Stanford's,McColl the distinction of being a That's how Collier's board rated the top players. Now, holdover from the 1950 All-America. let's take a close-up look at the 62d All-America line-up, "Weatherall," testifies Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkin­ starting with the big backfield surprise of the 1951 season son, "continually made the clutch play for us. Against —Southern California's Frank Gifford. Texas, for example, we trailed 9-0 and Texas had a second During the 1949 and '50 campaigns, Gifford (six feet down coming up on our three-yard line. In that desperate one inch and 194 pounds) labored anonymously as a de­ situation, Weatherall overpowered the right side of the fensive halfback and third-string T-formation quarterback. Texas line, then broke through and tackled the Texas But this fall, when new head coach Jess Hill con­ quarterback for a four-yard loss. We finally stopped them verted Southern Cal's offense to single-wing power, Gif- on the six and moved 94 yards for a touchdown, mostly ford's triple-threat talents blossomed spectacularly. His behind Weatherall's blocking. We lost that game, 9 to 7, slashing runs and clutch passes spearheaded the three- but Jim's great play saved us from a 16 to 0 situation touchdown rally which ended California's recent domina­ which might have turned into a rout." tion of West Coast football. Not since Bert Metzger, the incomparable 150-pound Commenting on Gifford's tremendous performance against California, Coach Hill said: "Frank ran 69 yards for our first touchdown, added the extra point, then trot­ ted back upfield and kicked off into the end zone. He made a great on-the-run pass for our second touchdown and dived two yards for the vital first down in our decisive third-touchdown march. What's more, he kept Cal in the hole with two punts that angled out of bounds inside the eight-yard line." Gifford also quick-kicked sensationally and produced field goals at the most opportune moments. His 13-yard place kick whipped Oregon State, 16 to 14, and a similar 24-yard effort was responsible for Southern Cal's 24-21 edge over Washington State which widened into a 31-21 decision.