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SPORTS
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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, MONDAY, OCT. 30, 1944
Michigan Has Impressive Number o All-American Gr
idders
To be nominated for an All-American team is probably the
greatest honor that can be bestowed on any player and on his
coach, but during the forty years that these mythical teams have
been chosen 28 Michigan men have been thus honored.
Beginning in 1903 with Walter Camp's first team and carry-
ing through the great years of the thirties and forties, Michigan
has done extremely well in placing men on these teams. Willie
Heston, the great halfback of Yost's "Point-a-Minute" teams
was the first chosen and he was again nominated in 1904, thus
doubly insuring his fame.
Adolph Schulz Greatest of Centers
Next came Adolph Schulz, who was heralded as the greatest
center Michigan has ever produced. Schulz was chosen to the
1907 team, thus becoming Michigan's second All-American. He
was followed by the great guard Albert Benbrook, who was
chosen to both the 1909 and the 1910 teams. Another man of
that 1910 team was Stanfield Wells, who played end in the same
line with Benbrook.
Then in 1913, after a lapse of three years, James Craig
became the fifth Michigan man to become an All-American, and
the second halfback to be thus honored. Craig was succeeded by
John Maulbetsch, who was named as a halfback on the 1941
team.
Two Players Succeed
Michigan's great 1917 team, which won eight and lost two,
placed two more men on the roster of the All-Americans. They
were Cedric Smith, a fullback, and Ernest Allmendinger, a
guard. Then in 1918 Smith relinquished his post to another
Michigan man, Frank Steketee.
Michigan, after a lapse of three years, again took up the role
of All-American producer. For in 1921 Ernie Vick became the
second center to be honored, and in 1922 Harry Kipke, another
halfback, was named. Jack Blott, the center on the undefeated
and untied conference champions of 1923, was the next Michigan
man to be chosen as an All-American. And he was followed by
E. R. Slaughter, a guard on the 1924 squad.
Oosterbaan Wins Acclaim
In the succeeding years Michigan football was truly honored,
for from its ranks came Benny Oosterbaan, who has been called
the greatest end in the history of the game. Oosterbaan, one of
the few men ever to be chosen to three All-American teams, was
one of the greatest defensive ends that ever lived. He was chosen
to the 1925, 26, and 27 teams, but he was not the only Michigan
man on th 1926 team. Harry Newman, quarterback of the con-
ference champions of that year, Was also named. He thus
became the first Michigan quarterback to be so recognized.
Then in 1928, Otto Pommerening became the first tackle ever
to be chosen to an All-American team from Michigan. Hence, in
the short span of seven years, Michigan succeeded in placing
seven men on the lists of All-Americans. But in the succeeding
years they were to place twelve more men on these mythical
teams.
Friedman Makes Grade
In 1931 it was Maynard Morrison, who played center, and in
1932, it was the memorable quarterback, Bennie Friedman, who
brought this honor to Michigan. And in 1933 another center
Charles Bernard was added to the list of Michigan's All-Ameri-
cans. Also in 1933 another man was chosen to this great team.
He was Francis Wistert, the first of two brothers to be thus
honored.
Following the 1933 selections Michigan was without an All-
American until 1938. But since then there has been at least one
Michigan man on each of the succeeding teams. In 1938, it was
Ralph Heikkenen, who starred at the guard position for the
Wolverines. Then in 1939 and 1940 came the greatest back ever
produced by Michigan, and named by some as one of the greatest
backs that ever lived. He was, of course, Thomas Harmon who
led the Wolverines to two highly successful seasons. Harmon's
running mate, "Bullet Bob" Westfall succeeded the great Tommy
as Michigan's representative to the All-American team. But
even before Westfall, Michigan produced another great player,
Edward Frutig who was selected along with Harmon to the
1940 team.
Franks Added to List
Then in 1942, Michigan again produced two All-Americans;
this time they were both linemen, Julius Franks, whose great
career was ruined when he contracted sickness, and Albert
Wistert, brother of Francis, and stalwart in the Philadelphia
Eagles' line. Finally, last year we again produced two All-
Americans. This time they were William Daley, hard plunging
fullback, and Mervin Pregulman, tackle and one of the faious
Seven Oak Posts.
Thus with the array of fine talent shown in past years
Michigan rates as one of the greatest All-American producers
in the nation, and a team of such men as Oosterbaan and Frutig
at the ends, Pregulman and either of the Wistert brothers at the
tackles, Benbrook and Franks, at the guards, Schulz at center,
Friedman at quarterback, Harmon and Heston at the halfs and
either Westfall or Daley at fullback would be hard to beat no
matter what team opposed them.
Wolverine Gridders Have Commendable Record Th
us Far
Grid Heroes
Who Carry-
Michigan On,
First Half of Strenuous
Schedule Is Out of Way
- Minnesota, Wildcats Included in List of Wins;
Indiana Game Only Loss of Year for Varsity
C
Thinclads Cop Both
Track Crowns
,....<
r.
By BILL MULLENDORE
MILAN LAZETICH
. a Stellar Tackle
With the first half of a formidable
ten-game schedule out of the way
the Michigan football team finds it-
self with a commendable record of
four victories against one defeat
against all comers and a Western
Conference total of two wins and one
loss, thus confounding the early sea-
son pessimists who predicted all sorts
of disasters for Coach H. O. Crisler's
eleven this fall.
As the Wolverines pause for breath
before tackling the second portion of
the slate it is evident that they can
hardly hope to duplicate the per-
formance thus far. Navy and marine
transfers and the draft are bound to
take their toll of starting players
while the opposition appears to be
even tougher than that faced to date.
When Crisler first issued a call for
candidates the gridiron outlook was
anything but bright as only a mere
handful of veterans from last year's
championship team reported. But
numerous civilians, reserves, and V-
12 men rose to fill the gaps while the
usual brand of superior coaching by
Crisler and his staff molded this mot-
ley crew into a smooth machine
which improved with almost every
appearance.
Few Veterans Return
Line coach Clarence Munn had the
biggest job with only two experienced
men, Clem Bauman, a husky tackle,
and Harold Watts, a reserve center,
returning. The rest of the line was
necessarily filled out by newcomers,
many of whom had only high school
experience.
The end situation was somewhat
more promising as flanker coach,
Bennie Oosterbaan, could count on
Art Benner, a letter winner in 1943,
and Bruce Hilkene, a reserve, as a
nucleus. In the backfield were team
captain Bob Wiese and Don Lund at
fullback, Joe Ponsetto at quarter,
and Bob Nussbaumer and Bill Culli-
gan, at the halves.
Line Comes Through
With this meager assortment as a
starter the coaches went to work and
fashioned a lineup which would do
credit to any school in wartime, or
peacetime for that matter. Contrary
to all expectations the line responded
magnificently against much heavier
opposition while the backs did their
job more than adequately.
The starting lineup as of the
Northwestern game last week had
Hilkene and Renner at ends with
Dick Rifenburg, the pass-catching
freshman from Saginaw Arthur Hill,
and Ted Greer in reserve. Bauman
was at one tackle while Milan Laze-
tich, a discharged veteran from Ana-
conda, Wyo. who holds the distinc-
tion of being the only former deputy
sheriff to play for the Wolverines,
operated at the other. Art LeRoux
is the number one tackle replace-
ment.
Plenty of Centers
At guards are George Burg, a small
but effective lineman, and Quentin
Sickels, a freshman from Benton
Harbor whose size and ability have
bolstered the forward wall a great
deal. Only at center is there a state
of flux. Four men have taken a shot
of the present semester and will
probably be supplanted by Lund and
Ralph Chubb, their respective under-
studies. Jim Aliber, second string
quarterback is also slated to leave.
Derricotte Starts
The tailback position has freshman
Eugene Derricotte, the highly publi-
cized Defiance, Ohio all-stater and
tI(akmng the Sund
By HANK MANTHO
Daily Sports Editor
W HEN the present football campaign was ready to get under way, this
season was no different than any other and it was marked by the usual
ballyhoo and predictions of not only the expert critics, but also of anyone
who had the slightest knowledge of the game.
As per usual, Michigan was rated highly and was reputed to again be a
powerhouse because of the Navy and Marine trainees stationed on campus.
Little was it realized that these men were inexperienced and that all of the
other schools were finally on a par with the Wolverines as far as latent
material went.
Michigan entered its first game against the Iowa Pre-Flight grid-
ders as decided underdogs to this veteran crew, but their organization
and determination to win was too strong and their stunning 12-7
victory over the Cadets electrified the fans, who were bubbling over in
their praise for the Michigan squad.
Although the Wolverines did not score on the ground, they unleashed
an aerial attack which kept the Iowans leary, finally capitalizing on their
opportunities and scoring two touchdowns via the air lanes. This passing
combination was Bill Culligan, sophomore halfback, to end Dick Rifenburg,
freshman, and these two were hailed as competitors to the fame held by
the'Benny Friedman to Benny Oosterbaan combination, who performed for
the Maize and Blue in the late '20's.
COACH "FRITZ" CRISLER of the Wolverines showed a diversified attack
and his spinner series and the T formation run off an unbalanced line
were just short of clicking on numerous occasions, but this variety kept the
Seahawks guessing and the two passes which connected for touchdowns
were the result.
Marquette proved to be Michigan's next victim, and although many
breaks went against the Maize and Blue eleven, they carried the fight to the
Hilitoppers and the eventual outcome was a 14-0 triumph.
The following week proved to be a disastrous one for Michigan and
when the final tabulations were totaled, the Wolverines were on the
short end of a 20-0 score which Indiana posted. As I was walking out
of the stadium and all of the following week, I heard many disparaging
remarks about the team from the people who had made them world
champions the week before.
Michigan was an overwhelming favorite to win this game and why they
lost is something that the players themselves can't fathom. It was just one
of those days and that will have to serve as my explanation also.
However, Coach Crisler's comment to his squad that "you aren't as good
as you look when you win, and not as bad as you look when you lose," could
easily sum up the feeling on this score.
WHEN Michigan traveled to Minnesota the following week-end the pres-
sure was on them and everyone was waiting tensely to see if they would
rebound or completely fold, and as is characteristic of all Michigan teams,
they came out slugging and a 28-13 victory ensued.
The gridders continued their good work the next week when they
trounced Northwestern, 27-0, and from the looks of the noted improve-
ment in each game, Michigan should reach its prime against Purdue.
Although Michigan may not win all of its games this year, they are
still in the Conference fight, as well as the national ranking, and it is the
opinion of this scribe that they will spring a few surprises along the way.
Team balance, the same factor
which Coach Ken Doherty has stres-
sed during his reign as track mentor
at Michigan, again proved successful
as the Wolverine thinclads swept to
victories in both the indoor and out-
door Big Ten track meets.
Besides winning the Conference
crowns, the tracksters won the Pur-
due Relays as well as carrying the
Maize and Blue fame at the Penn
Relays and many promoter events
both indoor and outdoor.
Even though the team as a whole
made its name because of its versa-
tility, many individual runners were
in the limelight. Two of Coach Doh-
erty's most prominent stars were the
Hume twins, Bob and Ross. Their
fame as the dead-heat twins is
known from coast to coast, and their
victories on the Wolverine cinder
paths helped bring about team
championships.
Hume Twins Star
The twins shattered the University
of Michigan mile record when they
won the Central Collegiate Confer-
ence mile run in the excellent time
of 4:14.6. Previously, they had tied
H. L. Carroll's record of 4:16.4 set
back in 1916. At the indoor meet in
Chicago, the Humes tied for first in
the mile while Bob also won the two-
mile. On May 27 at Champaign, they
again dead-heated the 'conference
mile and Ross won the two-mile.
Bob captained the team all year, and
Ross was elected captain of the
coming season.
"Bullet" Bob Ufer, who was com-
peting in his fourth year due to a
change in the eligibility rules, ran
his usual strong races. He success-
fully defended his, Big Ten 440 cham-
pionship and sparked the mile relay
team to victory. "Hose" ran into
tough luck one week before the out-
door conference meet. While run-
ning the 100-yard dash he pulled a
muscle and was deprived of running
in what would hove been the last
meet of his college career.
Swamp Broncos
Elmer Swanson captured both the
high and low hurdle championships
at the indoor Big Ten carnival and
then was lost to the track squad
during the outdoor season when he
played varsity baseball. Bill Dale was
another Wolverine champion. He tied
for first in the highjump at both the
indoor and outdoor Conference
meets.
Michigan's thificlads started their
long string of victories on Feb. 11,
when they swamped Western Michi-
gan 93-11 in the Yost Field House.
The next week Notre Dame fell be-
fore the Wolverine- powerhouse, and
Track Squad Also Enters Penn
Relays, Wins Purdue Matches
Bob andRoss Hume Star as Coach Ken Doherty
Stressed Team Balance in Great Season
CAPTAIN BOB WIESE
the first Negro ever to play in the
Wolverine backfield, in the pace set-
ting role. He has been closely pressed
by Culligan, a diminutive rifle-armed
forward passer who saw limited ac-
tion last fall before suffering a
broken leg, and another freshman,
Jack Weisenburger of Muskegon.
This "lineup opened the season
Sept. 16 against Iowa Pre-Flight and
came off the field with a hard-won
12-7 victory, thanks to a pair of
(Continued on Page 5)
BOB UFER
it appeared that the Wolverines
would have one of the strongest col-
legiate track squads.
Trounce Illinois
Two weeks later, the thinclads met
a strong Illinois squad and turned
back the Illini, 66 1-3 to 37 2-3.
Some of the Wolverine star perform-
ers went to Madison Square Garden
and ran in the National AAU meet,
where they competed against the
best in the nation.
Following that meet, the team
went to Chicago Stadium and set a
new record at the Big Ten meet by
(Continued on Page 2)
GEORGE BURG
... His Sidekick
Michigan Coaching Staff Develops Winners
v
'Fritz' Crisler,
Associates Have
Enviable Scores
Under Athletic Director "Fritz"
Crisler's leadership, Michigan's ath-
letic teams have once more swung
into action. The Wolverines will tory
to duplicate last year's record when
seven of their eight teams in Big Ten
with the Maroons from 1922-1930.
He coached the baseball squad from
1925-1930.
In 1930 Crisler went to Minnesota
as Athletic Director and football
coach, He stayed through the next
year and in 1932 moved to Princeton
where he stayed until coming to
Michigan. In his first two seasons
Crisler also guided the Tiger basket-
ball squad. Crisler coached teams
won 35 games and brought Princeton
two championships.
Crisler Compiles Good Record
Coach Crisler continued his cham-
reign, in 1941, Crisler was appointed
to succeed him. Besides supervising
the athletic affairs of the various
teams, Crisler is responsible for the
huge physical fitness program now in.
operation. He started and put into
practice many of the activities that
are making future warriors physi-
cally fit men.
Munn, Martineau, Former Stars
Crisler's two assistants, Earl Mar-
tineau and Clarence "Biggy" Munn,
are both former All-Americans. Line
Coach "Biggy" Munn attended Min-
nesota where he was an All-American
"Seven Oaks" who starred in the
Wolverine line two years ago.
Backfield coach Earl Martineau
joined the Michigan staff in 1938,
coming from Princeton with Crisler.
He was backfield coach at Purdue
for three years and head coach at
Western Michigan College for five
years. In 1923 Martineau won All-
American honors as a halfback for
Minnesota and was also awarded the
Conference Medal. Before enrolling
at Minnesota in 1920 "Marty" served
with the United States Marines and
_three Michigan'
Gridders Play
On Pro Clubs'
With Bob Westfall, Al Wistert, and
Rudy Smeja playing for the Detroit
Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Chi-
cago Bears respectively, Wolverine
rooters can boast three former stars
who are holding their own in the
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