SPORTS
The University Daily
KANSAN
November 1, 1983 Page 10
NFL pioneer Halas, 88, dies in Chicago
By United Press International
CHICAGO — George Halas, one of the titans of pro football, died after a long bolt with cancer last night in his Chicago home. He was 88.
Halas was the last survivor of the small group who sat in a Canton, Ohio, auto showroom in 1920 and founded the American Professional Football Association, which became the National Football League.
He remained active in the league, as a
owner and owner, from its birth
until the day he died.
Halas, an innovator during his more than a half century in the game, helped give the new league credibility by luring Red Grain into the pro ranks. He later transformed football into its modern form with the introduction in
1940 of the modern T-formation, with its spinning quarterback and man in
His Chicago Bears were thought to be the first pro team to practice every day, the first to take game movies for strategy purposes, the first to hire its own band and have its own team song, the first to distribute a club newspaper, the first to play every game on radio and the first to play an annual homecoming game.
But Halas also was the first to tear off his hat and jump up and down on it to vent his frustrations when his beloved Bears failed on a play.
He roared the length of the field on the sidelines and allegedly intimidated officials who made calls against his team. The team, coaches box near the bench, and coaches box near the bench, and
another about commenting to the officials.
During a game against the Rams in 1963, Halas found himself — illegally — on the 20-yard line during an altercation. An official waved him back and he surprised Halas to comment after the game: "He must be new in the league."
"I'll fight anybody, as long as there's a cause to be caused." Halas once said. "I'm not sure I can do that."
Halas said he never felt sure of a Bears victory until his team was 15 points in front with less than a minute left. He had the very game and he was vicious in defeat.
The only man Halas ever ran from was Jim Thorpe — and that run landed Halas in the NFL record books. In a game against the Oorang Indians on
Nov. 4, 1923. Halas recovered Thorpe's fumble and ran 98 yards for a touchdown, with Thorpe, an Olympic gold medalist, in pursuit.
Halas' run set a record that stood until 1972, when Jack Tatum of the Raiders returned a Green Bay fumble. When Halas' name Halas' name from the record book.
Despite his record-breaking football career, he said he had always thought he would have been a better baseball player. He even played briefly for the New York Yankees, after he graduated from the University of Illinois and played football for Great Lakes during World War I.
But in 1919, he injured his hip sliding into third base, ending his dreams of a baseball career. And the vacant spot on the lineup was taken by Babe Ruth.
George Halas
United Press International
SAN DIEGO — Redskins running back Joe Washington is brought down by two San Diego tacklers. Mark Moseley kicked a 37-yard field goal with four seconds left to give Washington a 27-24 victory over the Chargers lost night.
Moseley's 37-yard boot lifts 'Skins to 27-24 win
By United Press International
SAN DIEGO — Mark Moseley, who missed four field goals earlier in the game, connected on a 3-yarder with four seconds remaining last night to lift the Washington Redskins to a 27-24 victory over the San Diego Chargers.
John Riggs scored two touchdowns and the Washington defense forced eight turnovers to offset San Diego's 17 fourth-quarter points.
The Redskins' winning drive went 72 yards on nine plays after the Chargers had tied it 24-24 with 1:52 left on toll Benirschie's 43-ward field goal.
Charger quarterback Ed Luther, starting in place of the injured Dan Fouts, threw six interceptions, included that were picked off by Mark Murphy.
The Redskins also recovered two fumbles.
The victory kept Washington, 7.2, a game behind Dallas in the NFC East. The Chargers, 3.6, watched their playoff hopes dim as they remained mired in last place in the AFC West with a schedule that still includes games against Pittsburgh, Dallas and two against the Los Angeles Raiders.
San Diego cut it to 24-21 with 4.13 left when Luther connected with Wes Chandler for a 27-yard touchdown pass. The score capped a four-play drive that went 99 yards.
Luther brought the Chargers to 24-14 with 8-41 remaining when he scrambled and hit tight end Pete Holson on a touchdown. Woolston's first as a pro was Holson's first as a pro.
Washington took a 7-0 lead 1-48 into the game. Quarterback Joe Theismann connected with Virgil Seay on the Redskins' fourth play from scrimmage for a 39-yard touchdown pass. Seay caught the pass at the 15-yard line, split two defenders and rambled into the end zone.
Theismann finished 25-of-47 for 325
yards and Luther was 18-of-35 for 313
yards.
Washington took a 16-7 lead on a 43-yard field goal by Moseley with five seconds left in the half. The Redskins went 52 yards after cornerback Anthony Washington intercepted a long pass by Luther.
San Diego tied it 7-7 with 32-23 in the first quarter on an 11-play, 74-yard scoring drive that ended when Chuck Hollins scored for a touchdown from 5 yards out.
Carr, defense lead JV squad to 29-18 win
By the Kansan Staff
The game against Baker was one of three junior varsity games scheduled by the league.
Tailback Dennis Carr rushed for 162 yards and Dodge Schwartzburg kicked a 52-yard field goal as the Kansas Jayhawk junior varsity football team beat Baker 29-18 yesterday at Memorial Stadium.
"We wanted to get a lot of kids a chance to play in the maximum number of games," Gofftried said. "I think our other games are going to be against Independence Juco and William Jewell."
FRESHIMAN MIKE ORTIL, whom Gottfried decided to take off the redshirt list in the Oklahoma State game, played quarterback for the Jayhawks and completed 6 of 24 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Orth and Carbine combined on a 73-yard down play. Orth hooked up with Wayne Ziegler of a 33-yard score and ran for a 14-yard touchdown.
Schwartzburg, who is Bruce Kallmeer's backup, booted his 52 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. He also had a 41 yarder with 3 45 left in the game.
KU's makeshift defense held Baker to 26 yards rushing and only 22 yards in total offense. Baker did get 142 yards in returns, including a 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first quarter.
JAYHawk NOTES — Gottfried reported that the injury plague that has hit the KU recently be may diminish. Wide receivers Bobby Johnson and Daren Green may be recovered to play against Colorado on Saturday.
Johnson suffered a slightly separated left shoulder against Oklahoma last Saturday. Gottfried said the injury was not as bad as first believed. Green has been out since the Kansas State game on Friday, an ankle. He can ryanesterday in practice.
Also, inenen Chip Schuster and Rod Timmons will also probably play against the Buffaloes. Tight end-punter and receiver will be the only jayhawk listed as doubtful.
SPORTS BRIEFS From Area Staff and Wire Reports Morgan released by Phils, may play for Giants again
PHILADELPHIA — Veteran second baseman Joe Morgan, saying he wanted to be closer to home should he decide to return for his 19th major league season, was given his release yesterday by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Phillies President Bill Giles said yesterday that he spoke with Morgan, 40, "several times" in the past week, and that Morgan had not made up his mind about playing next season and requested that the Phillies release him.
"There was a clause in Joe's contract in which we had an Oct. 31 deadline for renewing his contract for 1984," Giles said. "Joe requested that the Phillips exercise their option not to renew his contract and be given his release, so that if he decided to play next season, he could play closer to his home."
Such a move by Morgan gave rise to speculation that he would be returning to the San Francisco Giants, who traded him to the Phillies after the 1982 season. Morgan makes his home in Oakland, Calif.
Wake Forest reprimanded by NCAA
MISSION - The NCAA Committee on Infractions has reprimanded and censured the Wake Forest basketball program for violations in the recruitment of two prospective players.
The penalty does not include sanctions and will not affect Wake Forest's eligibility for postseason basketball competition or television appearances.
The case involved recruiting violations that were discovered during general interviews conducted by the NCAA enforcement staff with two highly recruited prospects during the 1982-83 academic year. One of the players eventually enrolled at Wake Forest.
The NCAA said that two assistant basketball coaches had personally contacted a player during his junior year in high school and that a friend of a prospect was entertained with meals, a music concert and lodging for two nights.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Michael Clay, a 25-year-old student at the University of Kansas Medical Center, won the fifth annual Macy's marathon Sunday but was nine seconds short of the record time for the race.
Med Center student wins marathon
Ellen Makarewicz of Bethlehem, Conn., a former dancer with the Kansas City Ballet, was the winner in the women's division with a time of 2:39:50 — 9 minutes and 36 seconds better than the record set by Andrea Ray.
Clay, whose only other marathon victory came in Huntsville, Ala., two years ago, finished the course in 2:20:43 Bob Busy the set up for a game.
Mike McDonald of Prairie Village, crossed the finish line 35 seconds later. Randy Kinder of Topeka, finished third with a time of 2:54.
Golf team eighth in fall invitational
The KU men's golf team finished eighth out of nine teams, including teams from every Big Eight school this weekend in the Kansas Fall
Oklahoma State, with a three-day, 54-hole total of 884 strokes, won the tournament which was played on the Sunflower and Hidden Valley courses at Alvamar.
"Our finish here didn't mean anything," said Ross Randall, KU golf coach. "This fall, we've had a large squad, and I've been playing different people in each tournament. We'll finish much better at the Big Eight championships in the spring."
Led by sophomore Sandy Landgren's final 18-hole round of 74 yesterday, Kansas as a team shot six strokes better on the final day than on Saturday.
Record isn't his only criterion for success
Gottfried's a winner on and off the field
The four-lane stretch of roadway between Tulsa, Okla., and Oklahoma City was lit only by an occasional passenger motorist late Friday night. Assistant football coach Bill Baldridge manned the steering wheel. The eyelids of his passenger, head mounted Gottfried, were heavy from a night of recruiting.
Then Baldridge glanced to his left and saw a Chevrolet pickup slam through a steel guard rail on the other side of the freeway and topple into the line of traffic.
Several cars sped past the wreckage, but Baldridge pulled the car to the shoulder. Gottfried leaped from the auto and ran to the injured driver's aid, Baldridge said. As the rudely awakened coach darted across the highway, two trucks swerved to avoid the wreck and gave Gottfried a "close shave."
When Gottfried got to the truck, fuel and radiator fluid were dripping onto the asphalt, the engine was
ANDREW HARTLEY
Sports Editor
smoldering and the driver's seat had been pushed through the back of the truck. Gottfried and Baldridge extracted the man, set up signal flares and discharged a fire with a flashlight until state troopers arrived.
If United Press International had known what Gottfried was doing the night he was named Coach of the Week after KU defeated Southern Cal, the team made a new award: Humanitarian of the West.
Gottfried may have been at the right place at the right time to become the Good Samaritan. Some might say that he simply was thrust into a situation requiring the same quick action of any other hum-
But when taking into account the number of lives that Mike Gottfried has touched in his 17 years of coaching, his "close shave" with two semi-trailers had been a long line of generous and hard-acted people.
A dying boy
To be sure, Gottfried himself probably would offer that as a reason for his actions.
The week following that victory Gottfried traveled to several Southern states to woo some high school public schools.
When KU played Texas Christian, Gattfried's sister-in-law introduced him to Neil Williamson, her
The football team gave the boy an autographed ball and a card.
But the trip had special importance to Gottfried because it gave him the opportunity to visit and eat supper with a 10-year-old boy in Mobile, Ala., who was slowly dying from a brain tumor.
"He was a great little kid and had a lot of love in him," Gottfried said.
Neil was also an avid football fan.
Gottfried called his friends in the profession and suggested they telephone Neil. The list included three of their colleagues.
quarterback Kenny Anderson, Green Bay Packers coach Barr Stark and USC coach Ted Tolliar to
But Gottfried didn't stop there.
"I called him periodically and then I went down to see him and had a chance to eat supper with him."
What makes Gottfried's good deed even more honorable was his reluctance to tell the story. One other writer knew about the boy, but Gottfried wanted him to use it in a story about Switzer's involvement, Switzer, a man often under fire from critics, needed the publicity — he didn't.
Gottfried is a man who doesn't perform acts of kindness for the ink. They are part of his character
Atop padded shoulders
At the final gun of the Jayhawks' benchmark defeat of Southern Cal, five jubilant Kansas football players lifted their coach off the ground and carried him onto the field. But Gottfried's face was wrinkled in discomfort. His body language said, "I'm not sure whether I want to be up here."
The thrill of victory for Gottfried was overshadowed by his bent to walk across the field and shake the hand of losing coach Tollner. He ended up compromising, steering the herd in Tollner's direction.
"I'm a little uncomfortable with being carried off," he said last week. "I was kind of looking for the other coach. You almost feel bad that you're being carried off and here's the other guy walking."
"I enjoy the wins but I think you just have to keep things in the proper prespective."
Unsportsmanlike tirade
Gottfried thinks he might have temporarily lost sight of that perspective two weeks ago when his argument with an official during the Oklahoma State game cost his team 15 yards.
it was really out of character to get the 15-yard penalty," Gottfried said. "At that point I feel like either I have to do something here or we're going to continually get bad calls.
"One thing I take a lot of pride in is not being too high and not being too low. It was just an emotional time. But I should have never gotten a 15-yard penalty.
"Poise is a big word — poise and class. I think it's OK to have a little flare-up. It goes back to what's expected in you in this position — the way you're looked at and observed by people. So it's important for you to conduct yourself in a manner in which you're always in control."
Former college coach
"I guess he did it to repay him for the things he'd done," Sports Information Director Doug Vance said. "That's just the kind of guy he is. There's always someone out of town visiting."
carl bentley, Gottfried's college coach at Morehead State, Ky., and long-time friend, was the guest of the coach — a special guest. Gottfried paid the gentleman's air fare from his own pocket.
An older gentleman wearing a three-piece suit and a "Bear" Bryant-style hat stood stonically on the KU sidelines Saturday in Norman, Okla., watching his former pupil coach a limping Jawhawk team.
When talking about the influences in his life, Gottfried said last week. "I've always admired Earl
because he was always close to his players. That felt a lasting impression on me."
Rapport with his players
Throughout the football season, players have frequently told writers what a great influence Gottfried has had on them. Perhaps that is because Gottfried chooses to be close to his players.
"I feel it's important that you're in the battle with them — through the problems, the relationships, he said."
"Wimming and losing is important to me because in the end whether I'm hired or fired or whatever depends on that. Your successes are decided in those wavs.
"But to me the successes go further: how your kids are doing, how they react under different situations. To what's more important is do our kids graduate and are our kids given the basic things they need to get through school. That was not what we were trying to do. It was more important to me than the wins and losses."
It's how you play the game
With games remaining against Nebraska on the road and Missouri at home, it appears as if Kansas may have more losses than victories this season. But again, Gottfried won't judge the season by KU's
"I think there's been a pretty good foundation built here," he said. "It's like I said after one of the earlier games. Hey, this is just part of a chapter in the game we are working on, writing the whole book. So we're in chapters right now."
"There's only one way the fan will judge the season, and that's the W's and L's. But I think we've made progress. It's going to take time. People don't want to hear that, but it's a slow process. And again, that's why I don't get caught up in that part of it.
You'd be hard pressed to find a more sincere man to trust a football program with
Mike Gottfried
.
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