University Daily Kansan Wednesday, Oct. 29, 1958
Sing Sing Mentor Had His Problems
By United Press International
College football coaches have a snap. John Law said today, compared to the days when he coached at Sing Sing.
They never lose a player be-®
They never lose a player because he "graduates" a day before the big game. And a confidence man is still a "con man" when he gets a chance to "rig" the points for a betting coup.
"My assistant coach was a 'con' man serving a long stretch," he remembers. "One day I was late for a game and he was running the team."
But John Law, who was captain and played guard in front of the great backfield of Notre Dame in 1929, had his problems.
"I arrived at half time and we were leading 6-0 in a game where we were favored by four touchdowns."
The "con man," as it developed, had taken all the bets he could book from his 2,800 fellow convicts—and was holding down the score by playing third-stringers to win all the bets he had booked.
"I took over and we won by plenty," Law laughs. "But we had to put the "con man" into isolation for a month to save him from his fellow inmates."
One of Law's Sing Sing stars wa a fullback named Moon Byrd.
"Visitors naturally were precious to these men," Law says. "When a convict had a visitor his number was announced over the loud speaker system so he could get up to the reception hall.
"Well, during one close game, Byrd had intercepted a pass on the five-vard line and was going down
the sidelines to what looked like a touchdown. Just then the loud speaker announced he had a visitor—and he lateraled off to a guard and ran right off the field. The guard fumbled and we lost the game, 6-0."
Law, who now handles special accounts for a brewery, coached at Sing Sing from 1932 through 1935.
There was one exception, he admits, to the "clean" play of his walled-in warriors.
That was during their "big game" against the Port Jervis police department.
"One of my tackles was a guy I'l call 'George'. He had been a part-time policeman in the Port Jervis area and they trapped him in a bad deal and he was sent up on a 20 to 40 year rap.
"George figured he had received a bad deal and playing in the line right across from him in the game against the Port Jervis police was the officer who had sent him up."
Both teams played with 10 men that day. George and his opponent across the line spent the afternoon working each other over while the game went on merrily around them.
"It was a two-man riot," he says
They were charged specifically with engaging in an illegal occupation, conviction of which carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail.
First string fullback T Rio and basketball captain Jack Lewis, were named in police warrants issued yesterday. Both are seniors from Chicago and roommates at the university.
H. O. Crisler, director of athletics at the university, said the two would be removed from their squads pending further investigation of the charge.
Phi Delta Theta defeated Sigma Alpha Epsilon in the other Fraternity A game 27-7.
James A. Lewis, university vicepresident for student affairs, said the university plans to launch its own investigation into the activities of the ring.
Cooksey hit Toalson for two touchdowns and Waldo and Hollinger for one each for the Phi Delts. Entz kicked three extra points.
A John Sholeen to Jerry McNeal pass play was the winning combination for the Bikes, a team composed of men with varsity track experience.
In Fraternity A play, Larry Wood intercepted a Sigma Nu pass and dashed 30-yards to give Sigma Chi its only score of the game as it squeezed past Sigma Nu 7-0.
Big 8 Crowds Decrease
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—(UPI) Two top University of Michigan athletes were among seven students arraigned today as members of a $10,000-a-week football card gambling ring.
American Institute For Foreign Trade offers you graduate-level training for a satisfying and lucrative career abroad. Advanced degrees offered.
A second half spurt pushed the Bikes over Rochdale 13-0 in Independent A intramural football yesterday.
Oklahoma leads the Big Eight in spectator attendance. The Sooners draw an average of 50,000 fans a game. Missouri is off 26,000 from 1957 and Kansas State is down 10,000. Average attendance at conference games is 25,263—down from last year's 27,114.
The Sholeen to McNeal play connected in the third and fourth quarters for two touchdowns. Sholeen hit John Davis for an extra point.
"It's unfortunate that a few students—and it's always a handful compared with the total student body—can be led into becoming errand boys for professional gamblers," Lewis said.
Kelso scored seven points for the SAEs.
Michigan U. Players Booted After Charges
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