Wyllys Terry

One of the greatest halfbacks that ever played for Yale is Wyllys Terry, and it is most interesting to hear this player of many years ago tell of some of his experiences.  Terry says: 

“It has been asked of me who were the great players of my time.  I can only say, judging from their work, that they were all great, but if I were compelled to particularize, I should mention the names of Tompkins, Peters, Hull, Beck, Twombly, Richards; in fact, I would have to mention each team year by year.  To them I attribute the success of Yale’s football in my time, and for many years after that to the unfailing zeal and devotion of Walter Camp.

“There were no trainers, coaches, or rubbers at that time.  The period of practice was almost continuous for forty-five minutes.  It was the idea in those days that by practice of this kind, staying power and ability would be brought out.  The principal points that were impressed upon the players were for the rushers to tackle low and follow their man.

“This was to them practically a golden text.  The fact that a man was injured, unless it was a broken bone, or the customary badly sprained ankle, did not relieve a man from playing every day.

“It was the spirit, though possibly a crude one, that only those men were wanted on the team who could go through the battering of the game from start to finish.

“The discipline of the team was rigorous; men were forced to do as they were told.  If a man did not think he was in any condition to play he reported to the captain.  These reports were very infrequent though, for I know in my own case, the first time I reported, I was so lame I could hardly put one foot before the other, but was told to take a football and run around the track, which was a half mile long and encircled the football field.  On my return I was told to get back in my position and play.  As a result, there were very few players who reported injuries to the captain.

“This, when you figure the manner in which teams are coached to-day, may appear brutal and a waste of good material, but as a matter of fact, it was not.  It made the teams what they were in those days—­strong, hard and fast.

“As to actual results under this policy, I can only say that, during my period in college, we never lost a game.

“Training to-day is quite different.  I think more men are injured nowadays than in my time under our severe training.  I think further that this softer training is carried to an extreme, and that the football player of to-day has too much attention paid to his injury, and what he has to say, and the trainer, doctors and attendants are mostly responsible for having the players incapacitated by their attention.

“The spirit of Yale in my day, a spirit which was inculcated in our minds in playing games, was never to let a member of the opposing team think he could beat you.  If you experienced a shock or were injured and it was still possible to get back to your position either in the line or backfield—­get there at once.  If you felt that your injury was so severe that you could not get back, report to your captain immediately and abide by his decision, which was either to leave the field or go to your position.