NEAL, Raymond - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Greencastle, Ind Sept 20 – Largely in the spirit of being a game sport about making good on a bad bet, genial Raymond Neal, head football coach of DePauw University has decided to go right ahead and play through the 1932 schedule arranged for his remnants of 1931.  Owing to the fact no nationally known syndicate has availed him of the opportunities accorded such men as Dr. Clarence Spears of Wisconsin and Robert Zuppke of Illinois who have publicly predicted disaster for their 1932 gridiron machines, Mr. Neal is not writing any obituary for his team even though he feels that way about it.  Only once during 1931 was his team defeated but this year Coal Neal will be pleased if DePauw is able to win half its games. He thinks it would be a good idea if all the colleges, especially DePauw would permit the boys who have been graduated into the current jobless world to come back to school and continue their gridiron activities until the unemployment situation shows unmistakable signs of absorbing our unemployed populations. Coach Neal would like very much to have such men as Crain, Lyons, Rice, Moore, Longdon, Moffett, Tomlinson, Copeland, Hammond, Leahy, McKinstray, Myers, Madarus, Baldridge, Roy and Coates with him again in his quest of victory.  These men have departed and they will be greatly missed during 1932.

It is difficult to feel sorry for Mr. Neal, however, after reading the medical report of Physician CB O’Brien who attests that one Donald Wheaton of Wheaton, Ill is “a man physically able to participate in competitive athletics.” This young chap who weighs 162# and stand 5’11” whose posture is good whose heart rates 76 who played on the same Illinois HS back field with the great Olson of Northwestern seems to be his natural elusive self this year without the aid of tonsils and adenoids. Wheat was one of the sensations of 1931 and he shows no signs whatever of slowing up any this year. The funny part about Wheaton is that he just happened into DePauw, unheralded and unannounced.  Before coming to DePauw he attended a dance at Wabash and a little later drifted over to DePauw.  He liked the place and stayed, largely because his brother had played at Wheaton High with Red Grange and accompanied the Galloping Ghost to Illinois. Brother Wheaton popped a brittle ankle and spent endless days on the bench so he advised his younger brother to choose a smaller school where he could “have some fun playing the game.” Why he picked DePauw over Wabash is partly explained by the fact his introduction to both schools came by way of a dance. Even Wabash men will acknowledge that if it’s a dance you’re going to DePauw is not a bad port in any storm.  Anyway, Wheaton is back and although he did not chauffeur ice during the summer months he is as fit as his fiddle, the playing of which is another of the young man’s accomplishments. He will be in classy company in the back field, too for husky Bob McCullough, the former Shortride boy has his 190# ready for fullback action; Bill McEwen another Shortridge boy is block better than ever; Bob Bradley of South Side of Ft. Wayne is halfbacking in great style and Ernie Beler, the little Chicago quarterback is patched up again and does not seem to be favoring a fickle knee.  Then there are Bruno Ave of Clinton, the fastest ball hauler on the club and Byron Stout of Sheridan another lightweight but a pretty nifty player just the same.

From last year’s freshman squad Coach Neal has drawn a likely group, Robert Fribley who played in Logansport but now lives in Newcastle is the head man in the sophomore backfield parade. Fribley has worked off all his excess baggage accumulated eating hot dogs while watching the Olympics in California and the poor boy weighs a scant 190. He is a dash man in track. He is a bit reminiscent of Noble of Nebraska. A pair of sophomore quarterbacks are easing the backfield problems, too. Danny Blake of Gary and Earl V. Pierce of Kenosha.  It is said that Pierce is a pip of a piano player but you never would detect that watching him work out. Homer Bishop of Kenosha and Kendall Bradley of Pecatonica, Ill are halfbacks of promise. Wayne Schroeder, Sadorus Ill and Chester Elson of Princeton are the newly eligible fullbacks. Needless to say, the fewest of Neal’s worries come from the backs. It’s the line that has him missing his afternoon naps.

His experience ends include Loren Pope of Falls Church, Va; Roy Williams of Chicago and Alvin Volkman of Evansville.  Frank Kothman of Dayton is the only tackle of the remnants of 1931. Walter Shirey of Gary is a reliable guard and George Lortz is the lone experienced center. As far as Neal is concerned, the line is in the red.

The new men will have to answer the call for help in the front line trenches. Wendell Kay of Watseka and Easterline Allen of Hobart were playing ends on what appeared to be the coming varsity line in practice Monday. Tom Ewing of Danville is another new end. Francis McCoun of New Albany; Paul Beem of Mattoon and Richard Thompson of Shortridge are trying to fill the holes in the tackle positions. Joe Fisher whose dad is a professor at Ann Arbor came down from his Michigan home for more than the ride. He’s taking a whirl at a tackle job, too.

JD Wyatt of Connersville; Roger Bloomfield of Chicago and Glenmore Horein are working at guard. A new center from Muncie returned to school this year after a year’s leave of absence. He is Harry Hagerty and he is welcome as centers are rare birds in this camp.  

Wheaton, Bob Bradley, Fribley and Stout are the best kickers on the team.  Wheaton, Ave, Bradley, McCullough and Pierce are the passers. The new ends have proved to be pretty fair pass receivers. The line will be considerably lighter than it has been in the last two or three years but there is nothing to worry about in the back field especially I the way of speed.  The line problems have been turned over to Donovan Moffett, athletic director and assistant football coach.  Bucheit is helping Neal with the backs. If DePauw’s line can hold well enough to allow the fast back to get into the open the Tigers should be a pretty dangerous team offensively. Coaches Umbreight and Crain have not had a glimpse of the 1932 freshmen but there are 1,544 students in school and only 552 are girls, so the freshman team should be larger than ever.

Here is the 1932 men-u!