JUDD GRITS HIS TEETH
Judd was the object of curious eyes the first night out. Coach Little
kept the squad busy passing the football about, kicking and catching
punts. Judd was exceedingly nervous. He dropped several punts, muffed
passes and when the ball was given him to kick, missed it completely
due to over anxious embarrassment. The sight was highly amusing to the
rest of the squad, all of whom could boast of some football experience.
Coach Little sought to have the boys show respect to Judd, appreciating
his feelings. Judd knew that he could do better; he knew that he had
not forgotten the points drilled into him by Bob. But putting this
knowledge into execution before a field of players whom he felt had the
"show me" attitude, was a different matter.
The news spread throughout Trumbull that Judd Billings, kid brother of
the great, Bob, had at last gotten into athletics. On the heels of
this news came the word that he was the laughing stock of the football
squad. He was the crudest, awkwardest, greenest candidate that had
ever put in appearance on the Trumbull gridiron. No danger of his ever
picking up the laurels won for the Billings family by the older
brother! Judd was a joke. But though the grown folks smiled at the
reports they remarked that people would have to give Judd credit.
Something must have come over the boy to cause him to get out for the
team. Why he had not even engaged in a game of tiddly-winks before!
Judd went home from the first scrimmage with an aching body. He had
been placed in the line of one of the picked teams made up by Coach
Little and it had seemed to Judd that every play was directed at him.
Time and again he was on the bottom of the heap. He could feel the
players piling on top of him and on several occasions his face was
plowed in the dirt. Judd wasn't hurt. He marvelled at this. And
there had been a certain thrill in the moments that he had managed to
grasp the man with the ball and hang on until he had brought him down.
But Judd was not sure that he liked this rough treatment.
That night Judd wrote to Bob. He had been reading his contract over.
There had come to him a strong temptation to quit. Several fellows had
gotten bruised in practice. Jimmy Blackwell had the skin taken off his
knuckles when someone stepped on his hand; Harry Knowlton got a clip
over one eye; Tom Barley had his wind knocked out. It would be but a
matter of time before something happened to him. In the letter to Bob,
he wrote: "I don't know why I'm so timid. I don't feel scared inside
but something keeps me from going only so far. I know I can do better
but I don't. We had our first scrimmage today. Some of the fellows
got bunged up. They didn't seem to mind it. I guess they're made
different than I am."
Bob was glad that Judd had taken to writing him. If Judd could only
confide his feelings in some one he would perhaps be able to keep up
his morale. It helped to know that someone understood what you were
going through. With Bob it had been his father. He must take the
father's place with Judd. Bob answered back: "Stick to it, Buddy.
Each time you win makes the next victory that much easier. And one of
these days it will take an earthquake to jar you!"
Judd gritted his teeth and went back to practice. He tried to forget
himself--to play with a carefree abandon. He tried not to think of the
consequences in advance. When he could get this attitude he noticed
that he seemed to play better. One instance was particularly striking.
Blackwell, fullback on the regulars for two seasons, had broken through
the line and was away for an open field run. It looked like he was
good for a touchdown. Judd found himself free and in position to give
pursuit. He thought only of downing Blackwell. The fullback had a
five yard lead on him. Judd raced after him and caught up to him after
a twenty yard run. He left the ground in a flying tackle and pinioned
Blackwell from behind, bringing him heavily to earth. When Judd
realized what he had done he was shaky for the remainder of the
practice. He might have been badly hurt!
But such brilliant flashes of playing convinced Coach Little that
Billings had some real football ability in him. Judd had been studying
doggedly to make up his school work. There might be a possibility of
his being used before the year was out. When the coach cut the squad
he placed Billings as a substitute on the second team.
With the first three games on the schedule played, the students and
townspeople awoke to the realization that Trumbull High had the best
football team in years. The football warriors had soundly trimmed
every opponent and had kept their goal line uncrossed, piling up a
total of 117 points!
One night the coach gave the second team some of the plays that were
used by Ashton High, Trumbull's next opponent. He wanted to see what
defense his regulars could offer against them. The Ashton team built
their plays around one player, their fullback. He was a big fellow and
exceptionally fast. Because Billings appeared to be about his physical
equal, Coach Little motioned him to the fullback position. Burton,
second team quarterback, outlined to Billings the plays he was to use.
Judd was excited and a bit confused. This was the first time he had
ever been called upon to run with the ball. He did not relish the
thought of being tackled. It was bad enough to tackle anyone but to be
thrown yourself seemed worse. Sometimes several fellows hit you at
once and then more fell on you.
Judd nodded vaguely to Burton's instructions. The first play called
for a cross-buck over left guard. The second team's line opened a
hole; Judd received the ball and followed Burton through. He saw
Burton go down, bumped solidly against some bodies in the line, felt a
grip on one leg, then saw a clear field ahead. Judd ran like a scared
deer. He did not care to be tackled from behind. The only way to
prevent it was to outdistance everyone. But he did not reckon on the
last line of defense. Blackwell, first team fullback, was charging in.
Judd tried to dodge him. It did not occur to him to stiff arm. He
stopped dead in his tracks.
Blackwell's tackle hit Judd with jolting force. It would not have
shaken him up so much if Judd had been running at the instant. Coach
Little, who a moment before had chuckled with glee at the way Judd went
through the line, now turned away with an exclamation of disgust.
Billings was a physical coward. Everyone on both teams knew it now.
Some of the spectators began to jeer. "What d'ya stop for? Afraid he
was gonna hit ya? You oughta get hurt!"
Burton came running up and helped the dazed Billings to his feet.
"What's the matter?" he blazed, "Did you forget something? We had a
chance for a touchdown and we haven't whipped the firsts this year!"
Coach Little called Billings off the field.
The hard games on the schedules were coming up now and every practice
session was vitally important. The team carried its string of
victories to six with three more games to play before the season's end.
Attention was centered on the final contest with Canton High. This
school was the largest in the district. It seemed as if it always
turned out a good football team. And this year was no exception. As
phenomenal as had been Trumbull's season, the Canton High eleven had
won greater laurels. Canton had played some of the best schools in the
state and had emerged victorious. It would be hard to prophesy what
would happen when Canton met Trumbull. State sporting authorities
began to figure the Canton-Trumbull encounter a mythical championship
battle providing both elevens won the remaining games on their
schedules.
Billings' sad showing that one practice session had kept him on the
sidelines every scrimmage thereafter. The players exhibited sullen
contempt for him. And just as Judd had begun to win back some of their
respect too. But they might have known that he would turn out that way.
Judd brooded over his situation. Oddly enough he did not mind what
fellow players thought or said of him. He was having his hardest time
trying to keep from babying himself. Finally Judd decided that he
needed help. He did not have strength enough to force himself to do
what he knew he should do. Judd stopped Coach Little as the coach was
leaving the field one night.
"Could I see you a moment, sir?"
The coach paused. His mind was on the next game. He had a dozen
problems to solve. What could Billings want? Was he going to resign
at last? Billings had stuck longer than the Coach had thought he
would. Somehow he felt a peculiar sympathy for the lad.
"Well, what is it, Judd?"
Judd hesitated until the other players were out of earshot. They
looked back curiously. He heard one of them say, "I thought so.
Billings is tryin' to get in soft with the coach now. Alibi Ike!"
Hot tears came to Judd's eyes. He turned to the coach pleadingly.
"Please sir, I'm not a quitter.... I'm not yellow ... that is, not
really.... I didn't want to stop when I saw I was going to be tackled.
Something else made me.... I--I can't make myself do what I want to
do.... I ..."
The coach studied Billings sympathetically.
"You'd what?"
"I'd like to have you make me do what I can't make myself do ... force
me to get in there and play ... I ... I'm not asking for mercy ... or
... or to be favored. No matter what I do, I don't care if you beat me
or what happens ... I want to get over feeling like I do about myself!"
This was a most unusual request. To Coach Little there flashed a small
appreciation of the struggle that Billings must be undergoing. He laid
a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Billings. You're up against a tough fight. Some fellows
never get over it. Just seems like they can't entirely break it. The
season is so far along now that I don't know whether I'll have a chance
to help you much. Keep a stiff upper lip. Don't take the game so
seriously. You're too tense. Relax. If you do this you will not take
yourself so seriously and it will help you. I'm glad you spoke to me
about this. I'm glad you realize what is wrong. Keep saying to
yourself, 'I will do this' and 'I will do that' and if you can say it
until you believe it, nothing can stop you from doing it."
Judd thanked the coach for giving him this advice and immediately felt
better. He went home with a lighter heart than he had had in weeks.