“He’s new this year. Came from Elmira and played up there on his grammar-school team.”
“Well, how does it happen the other camp didn’t grab him?” Duffield nodded toward the farther field.
“The same old story,” answered Rob. “They didn’t give him a chance to show what he could do. They had him on the Second for a few days and then he hurt his ankle and they let him slide.”
“They must be a fine set of chumps,” said Duffield disgustedly. “We’ve got good end material, too, Langton. Cook and that other chap—”
“Brimmer.”
“Yes. They’re showing up pretty well already. Kasker’s a good man at tackle and Koehler’s another at guard. But the others in the center aren’t much to boast of. Still, you can’t tell what a week of coaching will do. That little fat Jelly boy may make a good center. If he can learn to keep awake I think he will.”
“You think he’s better than Morse?”
“Yes. Morse hasn’t any head. Football to-day needs head, Langton. Morse is the sort that will do what you tell him but he hasn’t any initiative; at least, that’s the way I size him up now. I may be mistaken. You’ll do at half all right, I guess, but you’ve got to learn to go harder and use your eyes. Lyman won’t do, but he’ll have to stay until we can find some one better. At full-back: well, Shaler may be the one and he may not. It will depend on the kind of game we play. Taking the bunch in general though, Langton, it looks pretty good. But we may be pinched for substitutes. There are only three or four in the second squad that size up well. Powers is one of them and there’s another chap, a shock-headed boy, who played in the backfield to-day.”
“That’s Tanner. He played full.”
“Tanner? We’ll have to watch him. Well, you’d better run along and get changed. I’ll see you to-morrow. By the way, I guess we’d better cut down the bunch about Saturday.”