TEN



TIlE MICHIGAN DAILY FRIflAY. flFCRM1WR. 1 iQ~7

Recorn
By PHIL BROWN
Records don't come easily in
sports, as all athletes well know.,
You, have to train for years,
practicing incessantly, preparing
for the moment when you com-
pete against the best opponents
around, and even then only a
superb performance can erase an1
existing mark.
It isn't the usual happening for
sophomores to be grabbing for
the record book the first time they
step on the field.
So one of the most pleasant
surprises for Michigan fans this
season was the fine play of soph-
omore Tom Curtis, a safety who
snagged seven enemy passes in
Big Ten games, tying 'a confer-
ence mark.
Laundry?
There .are those who would tell
you that as far as Michigan foot-
ball Is concerned, Saturday is a
good day to do laundry.
SIn a season blemished by numer-
ous losses - often by heatbreak-
ingly close scores - Curtis' per-
formance in the Wolverine sec-
ondary was a brilliant highlight.
And the ex-quarterback just
shrugs it off, remarking, "Getting
interceptions is really just luck."
lie's soft-spoken, modest, and
sincere when he talks about foot-
ball. And when he talks about
football - the one subject always
on his mind - you can feel the
confidence in his voice, confidence
which has helped him become a
star in his first season of Big
Ten football.
Nervous QB
Curtis came to Michigan as a
qluarterback, as do many of the
freshman hopefuls. But the de-
pletion of the Wolverine defensive
backfield necessitated his move,
and neither he nor the coaches
have had reason to regret it.
"I wasn't as nervous on de--
fense as I used to get on offense,"
he says in his soft, steady voice.
"Playing defense you're just get-
ting ready to hit people. A quar-
terback has a lot more responsi-
bility."
But "just hitting people" doesn't
necessarily make you a great
safety. Don James, Michigan's de-
fensive backfield coach, knows
this better than anyone else.
"Tom has exceptional natural
athletic ability, He, learns easier
and faster than many of our other
boys. He has very good fluid
movement."
Good Hands
'And there's more. "Tom's great-
est ability is to catch the foot-
ball," continues James. "We all
"'felt last spring that Tom had
great ability, He has good hands.
He'd make a fine receiver.'"
"An Tom was getting. a great
break on the ball, especially late
in the season," James adds. "If
he'd had some experience before
starting the season, he might have

/T


had as many as fifteen intercept-
ions,"
Curtis doesn't mind admitting
that often he is deliberately going
for the ball on a pass play. "I
decide when the play starts
whether to try for the ball," he
says. "The defensive player has
just as much right to the ball
as the receiver, even," he smiles,
"though the officials don't al-
ways think so."
Curtis has never been called
for pass interference.
Tackler, Too
But there is still more to play-
ing football, than cathcing one.
"Tom is one of our more con-
sistent tacklers," points out
James. "We teach a high, open-
afield tackle for the secondary
men. He's real strong, and can
stop the big back's momentum,
when some of the smaller boys
can't."
Curtis ranked sixth among the
Wolverine defenders in, tackles
this season with 47, unusually
high for a defensive back. And
with his 67 assists he ranks fourth
In total stops behind stalwarts
Dennis Morgan, Rocky Rosema,
and Tom Stincic.
The sophomore standout led
the team in 'RBIs' with 8. An
RBI is awarded to a player for
forcing a turnover or otherwise
causing the opposition a good
deal of distress. His three snags
In the Illinois contest rank as a

Active in athletics since he was
five, Curtis didn't have to be ask-
ed twice about accepting a foot- DI M N I G
baill tender at Michigan,
"I had a few offers to play
basketball," he frowns, apparently
reflecting on the relative merits
of that course. "But really, I'm
just too small. I always intended
to go out for the freshman team
here, but I just never got around
to it."
Future Bright
If Tom Curtis ever had any
doubts about his future in athlet-
ics, 'he can relax now, His spot in
the Michigan secondary is secure,
despite the remote possibility that
he will return to offense.
"Sure, I'd like a shot at quarter-
sack. I'll probably get a chance
to play there some in spring
practice. But it looks like I'll be
playing defense again in the fall.
There is a smile on James' face LANAI - - . . . from $150.00
now when he discusses his
charges, even after Michigan's los-
ing season. With Tom Curtis re-
turning to the Wolverine fold, you only the original can hove
can't help feeling that things are the name Or ange Blossom
gettirng better. nsde the ig
SCORES
Minnesota 1, Montreal 1, tie ic/i/in d'erer ex Fuancierefr
T o r o nt o 3, D etrit e l n 3, t e_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Oakan 3 Pilaelhi 1ON SO. UNIVERSITY , J n
Dsenver 98, Houston 92
New Orleans 141, Oakland 199 113 SOUT H U. 208 S. MAIN ST.
Anaheim at Pittsburgh, postponed,

TOM CURTIS

most distressing figure in Cham-
paign.
"I'm from a real small school,"
he reflects. "There were about 85
kids in my class. One other guy
is playing college football, and
he's at a real small school.
"Everybody told me to go to a
small school, where .I'd be sure
to play a lot. But if I had, I
wouldn't have known if I could
have made it in the Big Ten. I
felt that I had to make the ef-
fort."

This Weekend in Sports
TODAY
Gymnastics-Michigan at Midwest Open, Chicago
Hockey-Waterloo Lutheran at Coliseum, 8 p.m.
TOMORROW
Basketball-Kentucky at University Events Building,
1:30 p.m.
Gymnastics-Michigan at Midwest Open, Chicago
Hockey-Waterloo Lutheran at Coliseum, 8 p.m.
MONDAY
Basketball-Michigan at Detroit
aI
DEC.3, 9 AM-3 PM.
201 H IL LANN ARBOR, M ICH.



420 Moyno r d Street
Cirulti n -4 p.m , 764-0558
Circulation Complaints 9-11 a.m., 764-0558
Classified 12:30-2:30 p.m., 764-0557
DY is p a 1 3 p3. 6 4 0 5






ORGAN IZATION
NOT! CES
USE OF THIs COLUMN FOR AN-
NOUNCEMENTS is available to officially
recognized and registered student orga-.
nizations only. Forms are available in
room 1011 SA B.
UM Chess Club, no further meet-
ings until Januar 12, 1968
Bach Club meeting. Wed., Dec. 6, 8
p.m., Gulde House, 802 Monroe Listen-
For further inforimation "can '61-0699.
Mook convention, TG for the Ohio
delegation, Fri, Dec. 1, 4 p.m., Bob
Gorsllne's apartment, 608 Monroe No.
21.
Special Hillel Sabbath Service, Dec.
1, 8 p.m. 1429 Hill St. Dr. Rudolf B.
Sohmerl, director of Program Devel. of
Research Ad. and Asst. Prof. of English,
College of Engineering on "The Evolu-
tion of American Identity." Also a new
Torah Service composed by the late
Isadore Freed will be chanted.
Art Print Loan: all prints loaned
must be returned to 512- SAB, Decem-
ber 4-8 from 7-9 p.m.
* * *
La Sociedad Hispanica, Dec. 4, 3-5
p.m., 3050 Frieze. UNA Reunion.
* * *
Baha'i Student Group, informal dis-
cussion, "A New World Order," Fri.,
Dec. 1, 8 p.m., 520 N. Ashley. Call 662-
3548 if you need - transportation. All
welcome.

I.,,



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STEAK DINNERS
Now Serving
at REASONABLE prices
FILLET . .. 1.39
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