Asheville Citizen-Times from Asheville, North Carolina • Page 86

11) 4 i 4v' Clyde (Bulldog) Turner Two-Way Pbrformor In a day whWriEOW mlgMTSv bee6fr Chicago's championship game slaughter of the Redskins In 1940. In 1942, Turner became the first lineman or linebacker to lead the NFL In Interceptions (eighH.and In 1944 he started game at running back, scoring one 44-yard "We didn't have a lot of players on the roster In those days, so you had to be ready to fill ifi wherever you were needed." said Turner recently "I can remember guys who never kicked the football trying to make extra points because the kicker had bean hurt. In those days, we didn't carry a person lust to kick, we'd ust let someone take swings at the ball for a couple extra bucks a game." Turner said the highlight to hi pro career, came In 1947'When he returned a Sammy" Baugh interception 97 yard to a Although he was among the earliest linebackers. Turner is best remembered as being the heart ot the Bear offensive line. After Ms playing career Turner served as an assistant coach with the Bears through 1957 and was the heedcoach of tha New York Jet In 192.

Now retired totally from football. Turner resides In Satesvtlle, Texas. '2 million and players never got that much to sign a contract, Clyde "Bulldog" Turner demanded that much. Unfortunately, he didn't get the money the NFL office got It from Detroit after the Lions tried to sign Turner, who was, at the time, the first-round draft choice ot the Chicago Bears The Lions who had courted Turner after his unlor season at Hardln-Simmons University, tried to sign Turner before the 1940 NFL season although the Bears had beaten the Lions to the center-linebacker's. draft rights.

At the time. Turner had even told the -Bears he wouldn't play football for them. But George Hales drafted Turner anyway, won a ruling against Detroit for tampering and started Turner along a career that made him one of the most famous players In NFL history. i 1 From the start. Turner was an all pro.

In fact, he ended Mel Heln's record string of six straight all-pro selections In 140 as a Bear rookie. Turner went on to be named all-NFL eight times in 13-year career A two-way performer, the foot-2, 235-. pound Turner returned his first pro In-. terceptlon 1 yards to a touchdown during tvm (mmiooo) tuwm There I a move afoot In area of the Football League to txpand the playoff to teams ala tha saturation principles already laW down by the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League. Commissioner Pete Rozelle opposes such a move.

We agree with Pete. A 1-team playoff rewards teams, with losing records. For example. If the top two teams -In each division plus two wild-card teams from each conference were in the playoffs this season, a .500 team would surely have been playing In the post season. Not until football expands again which it will surely do again within five years to round out the sport into six, five-team divisions should the present playoff system be adjusted.

And when, that expansion is made, tha NFL should take a look at the bigger picture and re align the divisions and conferences entirely along geographic lines. In that' type of a format, expanded playoffs might be accepted by the fans. Lefs just say that Chicago Willie Oault ha a leg up on San Francisco's Ranald 74fand Oregon; Mac Speedle of Cleveland (1944-52) and Utah and Gene Washington of Minnesota 147-72) and Michigan State. .01 yJ'." H' f. Baltimore safety Nesby Witabw on Colts' coach Frank Kusk: "He Imlmldetes you: A lot of player do thing out of fear.

Going to Coach Kuth'i ottlc I Ilk going to the Oval yn a rirt; David Shut, receivers coach for Miami 'and the ton of Dolphin head coach Dan Shula, talk about hit profession! rale-tlonship with his father: s'-H' th same with me as with the other estistants. He expects me to fulfill the retponslbilltias of my job. But I'm careful not to call him dad -because that would only draw attention to it. I refer to him on the job a THE BOSS." Miami's fullback Woady Bennett nas designed a piece of protective equipment. -Several of hit Ooiphln teemmate hav been wearing the girdkt-llka- protecttve -padding tine training cant, lit Includes quarter-Inch pad on lb hip, rib and back area.

AIov the pad do not 'restrict movement af the player. "'When Woody first brought It In, It was kmd of fumy looking," say Ootphtn running back Teny Nathan. "But Mbody I lvuQhtfi0 now. I've hed rib prtoWtfiw Mi Hie past and sine I started uetag It I haven't had any problems. So fan.lt ha warfnd QCSELLELO Each athlete gathered wide notoriety in the sport of track before entering the NFL as a wide receiver.

The difference Is that rookie Gault divided his time between track and football at Tennessee, while second-year Nehemlah had put on shoulder pads since his Scotch Plain (N.J.) High School days, instead concentrating on his specialty, the 110-meter hurdles, at Maryland. "I really thought, about It," explains Gault, who was a first round draft choice of the Bears In 113. "I played three years 1 of football In high school and four more hi college. If an advantage I have on other track guys who hadn't played football for a h.j. Gault was a member of the U.S.

400- meter relay team that sat a world record at me World Games In Helsinki this sum- mer. Also, Willie' 13.24 time.for the 110- meter hurdle I the second fastest to Nehemlah' wcrto mark of 12.93 second. i When Gault moved Into tarting poal- tlon for Chicago' filth game this season, Bears head coach Mtka OHfca (aid. "We didn't bring him In hen to go downfleld and block. He's not going to lead the league InbtOCk." :r.V,,l,.vVv,.

'ii Low cost-high mileage 14MWII 2U1 HSMti' -v 1M IMMia MM Lit 14MR1S MM iKkwn st.T7 lit 1MMII MM 1.M 17MH11 TM 1.M 14MR14 1M 17MH14 MMV 141 1MIM14 kC 41M 1.11 iwtmi mm im 1MHMI I 40.17 I .1.71 Hi Miami coach Dan Shula alt i line-up mostly for two reason; rftefajiit Clark and fre3 Sefeeasssi tha superb pas catchers for the 4r. Gault and Nehemlah otn a dlllngulshed flat of track hurdlers who have turned NFL -player. Some of the met notabl Inctvda: tlan.CroYiiwaff ot the Ram, who was Big Eight 400 lotermedlat hurdle champion; (Mem Davis of petrolt JlM1) and Ohio refill Bennetf protactlva device. "I fhlnklf4 good Idea," say 'Player lava omthlng thaf compact, really doesn't 'preeent weight prebtem1 or--. additional bulk.

A lot of guy are using It; t. are going to have the whet league took Bennett hope to have three models youth league, collegiate and profoMional. "We haven't figured out price yet," lays Bennett, "We are going to call it tha Bennett 34 but If actually a body guard." Stat who was the 19 and 199 Olympic 400-meter hurdle Gold Medalist; Richmond Flowers of Dallas (199-71), New Moa Good Through 0c. 23, 1S3 Or UnU Sup If ErauM. Hurnm I iuguhg Tine D1GT.

York Glantr (17173) and Tennessee; Huak McElhenny notably of San Francisco (19520) and the University of Washington; Mel Rentro of Dallas (194-.