The Troops Up Front

In modern football a guard or center must be more than just big, strong and mean. Tackles are anchor men, expected to pile up anything coming their way, restrict themselves to a relatively limited playing area. But interior linemen must range farther afield. They must fire quickly enough from a standing start to get the vital extra step that provides blocking momentum, be fast enough to pull out of the line and lead interference. They must be canny enough to diagnose enemy plays as they get under way, ready to charge if the quarterback retreats to pass, but wary of a trap or draw situation set up to suck them in.

This year, as every year, the linemen are overshadowed by the backs and unnoticed in the headlines. But the 1958 season has produced an extraordinary crop of them. Perhaps the best of them all is Auburn's Roger Duane ("Zeke") Smith, 21, a solidly built (6 ft. 2 in., 215 Ibs.) guard who is the linchpin of one of the U.S.'s most impenetrable lines, yielding only 78.2 yards a game. Smith crashes so fast on defense that opposing quarterbacks are sometimes tackled before they can hand off. On offense, he blocks ferociously straight ahead and downfield. Says Coach Ralph Jordan: "He's the best guard I ever coached."

There are other fine guards. Army's Bob Novogratz (6 ft. 2 in., 210 Ibs.) makes between 20 and 25 tackles a game, is rated one of the best linebackers anywhere. Pittsburgh's nimble, massive (6 ft. 3 in., 223 Ibs.) John Guzik was so good as a junior last year that the Los Angeles Rams drafted him as their fourth-round choice. Vanderbilt's George Diederich (6 ft. 1 in., 199 Ibs.), a converted fullback, keys a strong defense that has allowed fewer than seven points a game. Montana's Stan Renning (6 ft., 198 lbs.), playing for a team that has won only three of its last 28 games, has made 331 tackles in three seasons as a varsity guard, has attracted the interest of nine pro teams. Tom Koenig (6 ft. 1 in., 200 lbs.) of Southern Methodist ranges all over the field from his linebacker spot, made 14 tackles against powerful Ohio State earlier this season.

Oklahoma, long famed for its great centers, has another topnotch one in Bob Harrison (6 ft. 2 in., 206 Ibs.). Colorado Coach Dallas Ward paid Harrison the supreme compliment after Oklahoma beat his team 23-7. He sought out the boy who had bedeviled him all afternoon, blurted admiringly: "Harrison, you're a helluva ballplayer." Two other centers rank with him: Auburn's Jackie Burkett (6 ft. 4 in., 220 lbs.) and Louisiana State's Max Fugler (6 ft. 1 in., 202 lbs.). Burkett was named to some All-Americas as a raw sophomore last season, is just as good this season despite a chronic shoulder injury. The fastest man on the squad for 50 yards, he excels at offensive blocking, is fast enough to throw multiple blocks in different parts of the field on the same play. Of Fugler, L.S.U. Coach Paul Dietzel says: "He has shown the consistent ability to make the big play--the game-saving tackle or the extra effort to recover a fumble. He is the finest linebacker I ever saw."

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