"Ned Mahan," said Pooch, "was the best all-around football man I have ever handled. He was easy to handle, eager to do as he was told, and he never caused the trainer any worry. Up to the very last moment he played, he was eager to learn everything he could that would improve his game. He had lots of football ability.
"You know Mahan was a great star at Andover. He kicked wonderfully there and was good in all departments of the game, and he improved a hundred per cent. after he came to Harvard."
Pooch Donovan told me about the first day that Eddie Mahan came out upon the Harvard field. At Cambridge, little is known by the head coach about a freshman's ability. One day Haughton said to Pooch Donovan:
"Where is that Natick friend of yours? Bring him over to the Stadium and let's see him kick."
Donovan got Mahan and Haughton said to Mahan:
"Let's see you kick."
Mahan boosted the ball seventy yards, and Haughton said:
"What kind of a kick is that?"
Mahan thought it was a great kick.
"How do you think any ends can cover that?" said Haughton.