“Sumner?” asked Fred doubtfully as he went down the list.
“Don’t need him. We’ve got five half-backs without him. He will be better next year, but he isn’t ’varsity material yet.”
Fred nodded and went on. Presently: “Rowland?” he questioned.
“Y-yes,” answered the coach hesitantly. “I wasn’t certain about him, though. If I were certain Crane would keep coming I’d drop Rowland, but Crane’s pretty poor sometimes. What do you think?”
“I’d keep him,” said Fred. “Rowland’s a mighty steady player, and considering that he didn’t know a football from a ham sandwich three weeks ago I think he’s done remarkably.”
“Yes, he has. I only questioned him because we don’t want a lot of deadwood around. Cross him off, Lyons. If Donovan doesn’t come around we may need him.”
“Al? Isn’t he going to? I thought he was coming back tomorrow.”
“So he is, as far as I know, but a fellow who gets hurt once is twice as likely to get it again. I’m always leery of them after they once come a cropper. I’ve seen it happen so often. We’ll keep Rowland and be on the safe side. The boy is a worker and would make a corking guard if he put his mind on his work. The trouble with him is that he acts as if he was attending a tea-fight instead of football practice!”
Fred laughed. “He’s too good-natured, I guess.”
“It doesn’t do to be too good-natured in football,” replied the coach drily. “But I don’t think it’s that so much, as it is that he doesn’t take it seriously. I watched him the other day in practice and he smiled the whole time!”