1953–54 Volume 78 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

They Picked 'em-The Scroll's All-Phi Football Board
The 7p55 All-Phi football teams were selected by the panel of experts pictured above. They are, left to
right: STU HOLCOMB, Ohio State '32, head coach, Purdue; FRANCIS WISTERT, Michigan '34, former Wolverine
All-American; DR. JOHN DAVIS, JR., Washburn '}8, Secretary of the Board; ART LEWIS, Ohio '33, head coach.
West Virginia University, who pinch-hit for Grantland Rice this year (see below); DALLAS C. WARD, Oregon
State '27, head coach, Colorado; WILFRID SMITH, DePauw '20, Chicago Tribune football authority; HOWARD
ODELL, Pittsburgh '^4, former head coach, University of Washington.
The All-Phi Football Teams for 1953
THE return to the single platoon system
this season has given the 1953 AU-Phi
football team a strong and well balanced
unit. The Board of Experts which has
chosen the Fraternity's honorary teams for
B'y DR. JOHN DAVIS, JR., Washburn '38
Secretary of the All-Phi Board
THE SCROLL in recent years found an
abundance of backfield ^^_^_^^_^^
performers and a wealth
of excellent ends this
season.
The Board consists
of Wilfrid Smith, De­
Pauw '20, sports writer
and top football authority
for the Chicago
Tribune; a trio of geographically
distributed
famous coaches, Art
Lewis, Ohio '35, of
West Virginia, a new
member this year; Stu
Holcomb, Ohio State
'32, of Purdue, and
Dallas Ward, Oregon
State '27, of Colorado;
a former Michigan
tackle—first of the three
All-American Wisterts,
Francis '34; Howard
Odell, Pittsburgh '34,
former Washington
grid mentor, and Dr.
John Davis, Jr., Wash-
Lewis in for Rice on
AU-Phi Board
ON November 24, Dr. Davis, Secretary
of the AU-Phi Football Board, received
a telegram from the secretary of Grantland
Rice, Vanderbilt 'oi, saying, "Mr.
Rice has been ill for the past several
weeks. He regrets that he will be unable
to help with the Phi football
selections."
Immediately a contact was made
with Art Lewis, Ohio '35, successful
gridiron mentor at West Virginia University,
whose team came from relative
obscurity this season to win nine and
lose one. Coach Lewis was chosen by
the league sports writers as "Southern
Conference Coach of the Year" and his
team won a Sugar Bowl bid.
At that late date and faced with
the rush and excitement of preparing
for a New Year's Day bowl encounter.
Brother Lewis graciously agreed to fill
in the ballot and sign the certificates.
For this fine gesture all members of
the Fraternity are grateful and appreciative.
[«63]
burn '38, sports expert of THE SCROLL'S editorial
board. Ballots listing the entire roster
of Phi stars at each position were sent to
other Board members by Brother Davis.
Players were scored by -5, 3, 1; thus players
listed in the tabulation with 35 points were
___^^___^_„ unanimous choices.
The 1953 All-Phi
team boasts a splendid
quartet of bac*kfield
performers. The outstanding
ball carrier is
the only sophomore
selected on the first
team. He is Bob Davenport,
U.C.L.A. fullback,
who was named on the
Chicago Tribune's All-
Coast team and the
U.P. All-Coast second
team. He ranked sixth
in ground gaining in
the Pacific Coast Conference
with 416 yards
and scored seven touchdowns.
Dick Hyland,
ex-Stanford grid star
and a sports writer on
the Los Angeles Times
said, "Davenport is the
best fullback in the Pacific
Coast this year."
Davenport will be our