19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

LIKE IT WAS
Sirs:
Your 1969 College Football Issue (Sept. 15) was terrific! The best yet. A job well done.
THOMAS KOCINSKI
Chicago

Sirs:
Congratulations for The First 100 Years, another great in-depth story on football. Thank you for telling it like it was.
PETE JOHNSON
Baltimore

Sirs:
It's sort of futile to pick an All-Century football team from many thousands. Three who just can't be left off an alltime team are Brick Muller, Ernie Nevers and Jim Thorpe, although you put them on the best elevens of their respective decades.
FREDERIC M. EPLEY, D.D.S.
San Francisco

Sirs:
As a loyal Notre Dame fan who can appreciate a poke at our proposed canonization for all Irish All-Americas, I cannot help asking if you would print what one reader would propose if the South Benders were given all 11 places on the All-Century team: Leon Hart (E); George Connor (T); Jack Cannon (G); Dick Szymanski (C); Bill Fischer (G); Kevin Hardy (T); Jim Seymour (E); Johnny Lujack (B); Paul Hornung (B); George Gipp (B); Nick Eddy (B)?

I hope I have not started something.
STEPHEN BURKE
Fort Wayne, Ind.

Sirs:
A backfield of the '30s without Jay Berwanger, University of Chicago, the first Heisman Trophy winner? You've gotta be kidding.
ROBERT E. FITZGERALD, M.D.
Vancouver, Wash.

Sirs:
How about the great Syracuse running backs of the '60s: Ernie Davis, first Negro Heisman Trophy winner, who averaged 6.6 yards per carry rushing for 2,386 career yards (1959-61); Floyd Little (1964-66), three-time All-America, who had 4,947 total yards gained; and Larry Csonka (1965-67)?
R. W. VIVIAN
Palm Springs, Calif.

Sirs:
Based on the premise that your selection of George Gipp and Leon Hart is correct, then there are two obvious errors in later selections. Missing from your team of the '60s are the two men who broke the records of the aforementioned. Ever hear of Hanratty and Seymour?

Apologies will be accepted.
WILLIAM C. KANE
Tonawanda, N.Y.

PEPPERY WORDS
Sirs:
Last fall, after our game with Nebraska in which Coach Bob Devaney made a bold gamble that later turned out to his disadvantage, I made this comment in the locker room: "I always knew Coach Devaney was courageous, but I never thought he was that courageous." One of the writers at the back of the group misunderstood what I said, and he came out with a story quoting me as follows: "I always knew Coach Devaney was crazy, but I never thought he was that crazy."