The Project Gutenberg EBook of Football Days, by William H. Edwards

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Title: Football Days
Memories of the Game and of the Men behind the Ball

Author: William H. Edwards

Release Date: March 25, 2006 [EBook #18048]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: THREE VICTORIOUS PRINCETON CAPTAINS
HILLEBRAND, COCHRAN, EDWARDS]

FOOTBALL DAYS

MEMORIES OF THE GAME AND
OF THE MEN BEHIND THE BALL

BY

WILLIAM H. EDWARDS
PRINCETON 1900

WITH INTRODUCTION BY
WALTER CAMP
YALE 1880

MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY
NEW YORK
1916

Copyright, 1916, By
MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY
NEW YORK

Dedicated to John P. Poe, Jr.
Princeton '95

HONORED AND BELOVED BY HOSTS OF FRIENDS, HE REPRESENTED THE HIGHEST
IDEALS OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL, NOT ONLY IN LIFE, BUT IN HIS DEATH UPON THE
BATTLEFIELD IN FRANCE.

AS I THINK OF HIM, THE STIRRING LINES OF HENRY NEWBOLDT COME TO ME AS A
FITTING EULOGY:

VITA LAMPADA

There's a breathless hush in the Close to-night--
Ten to make and the match to win--
A bumping pitch and a blinding light,
An hour to play and the last man in.

And it's not for the sake of a ribboned-coat
Or the selfish hope of a season's fame,
But his captain's hand on his shoulder smote,
"Play up! play up! and play the game!"

The sand of the desert is sodden red--
Red with the wreck of a square that broke,
The gatling jammed and the Colonel dead
And the Regiment blind with dust and smoke.

The river of death has brimmed its banks,
And England's far, and honor a name--
But the voice of a school boy rallies the ranks,
"Play up! play up! and play the game!"

This is the word that year by year
While in her place the school is set
Every one of the sons must hear,
And none that hears it dares forget.

Thus they all with a joyful mind--
Bear their life like a torch in flame--
And failing, fling to the host be