WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1968 They Learned New Spots Quickly By DON MeKEE Assistant Sports Editor People who watch Penn State football never tire of noting that the Lions have a lot of fine players who are no -longer in their original positions. Last season the talk centered on the number of former quarterbacks who helped the Lions roll to an 8-2 record and the Qator Bowl. This season a new bunch of position switches has come to prominence, along with the men who are out of position. Penn State’s defensive secondary has made seven inter ceptions this season, four of them in the shutout win at Boston College. The secondary has helped make the Lions’ defense one of the best in the country. But, strange as it may seem, none of the three men in the defensive back field is in his original posi tion, and only one had played there before last Spring. For one of the newest Lion stars, football wasn’t even his first sport. Mike Smith is one of the rare players who can move into a starting spot with an es tablished team in his sopho more year. But Smith didn’t always want to play foot ball. No Desire "When I was in 'high school.” Smith said with a grin, “I didn’t even want to go out for the team. I only did because my father made me. I only wanted to play baseball.” Smith’s father is prob ably Lebanon Catholic High’s favorite parent now, since his son put the school on the football map. Leba non Catholic won the Tri- County Conference title when Mike was a soph and junior and tied for second the following fall, Lebanon Catholic's failure to win the title his senior year wasn’t Smith’s fault. Running from the quarterback .slot, he tallied 26 touchdowns to,lead the state in scoring. That performance earned Smith over 50 scholarship offers from colleges wanting his talents as a running back. He chose Penn State and wound up on defense. “I did play defense in high school,” Smith said, “and I got three interceptions in the Big 33 game, but they didn’t switch me' there 'til last spring. La Salle Put on Probation I ST. LOUIS (AP) The Na- put on probation for two years, formances. tional Collegiate Athletic Asso- Florida State and St. Bonaven- Bergstrom said in six cases ciation placed the basketball ture for one year each. athletes working off campus teams of La Salle College, La Salle was penalized, were paid for hours they did Florida State University and Bergstrom said, for improper- not work. St. Bonaventure on probation ly terminating athletic scholar- “The income from this out yesterday for NCAA rules ships, for a threat to terminate side source, when coupled with Violations. scholarships for poor per- institutional financial as- Arlhur J. Bergstrom of Kan- formances and for permitting sistance, exceeded the sas City, assistant executive the freshman coach to make student s-athletes normal director of the NCAA Council, -token cash payments to educational expenses,” Bergs said the teams may not play in- players for outstanding per- trom said. ->st - ~ while " post season games while on : probation. ;^lllllflIIfIIIIfIIflIllltIltIIIIIIIIflIIIIIIIIllHIIlHIIIIUIIlllimilIllllUlllllll1±; La Salle of Philadelphia was = U IV 2 1 a3arppz.il = People Read . iS Small Ads | 1“ You're Reading One Now! COME TO THE KEY CLUB EAST STEVE BARON QUARTET Appearing Two Shows Nightly Each Show 90 min. with an Intermission Between Each 45 min. set. TUES., THUR., SAT. . . . 7 to 9 P.M. Of,T. 29 to NOV. 2 Admission 25c Free Refreshments Smith, Johnson and Smith Switched, But... MIKE SMl7> . liked baseball featuring Wednesday & Thursday Night- Barefoot in Athens Saturday— Friday— Terry & Sherry § imiimii STUDENT, ART WORK ON DISPLAY £ “Coach Paterno explained that with Charlie Pittman and Bob Campbell it wolud be pretty hard to break into the backfield, and I’d just be wasted on offense.” Smith ’ didn’t find the switch too hard. “I did need Spring ball, though.” he said. “I won’t be coming to spring practice this year. I’ll be playing baseball.” When Smith graduated from high school the Pitts burgh Pirates tried to sign him to a baseball contract. Happily, Penn State won out, but going from shortstop to defensive halfback is as big a switch as you can make. Despite the name similarities, Neal Smith is a much different case from Mike. It’s practically a cliche by now that he didn’t get a scholarship to Penn State and that he went out for football anyway. <4 I just .went out to see if I could make it,” Smith said. “I was just out' there for the varsity to practice on, but I did pretty well and they decided to give me a shot.” Penn State’s starting , safety played tight end and linebacker as a 150-pounder , in high school and was at ' j those spots' during his fresh man year. “I was too small for a linebacker,” Smith said. “They tried me at split end for a while but that didn’t work out. In 'the spring of my freshman year I was changed to defensive half back.” He played there last year, starting on occasion. Now a 5-11, 180-pound junior, SmitlT credits Tim Montgomery, an All-East se lection at safety last year, with helping him make the change. “My first spring I was at halfback,” Smith said. “Tim was a safety and he called all the plays. Now I have to make them and I sort of patterned myself after him. He was out to some practices last spring too, and he helped me then ” Montgomery's tutelage and Smith’s dedication have turned him into a fine safety. Oh yeah, he has that scholar ship now. Since Smith and Johnson are the two most common names in the United States, it’s only right to include a Johnson with the two Smiths. Paul Johnson doesn’t have -&*Ma4rW — TAVERN Dixieland Johnston Key Room East Halls THE DAILY COLLEGIAN, UNIVERSITY PARK, PENNSYLVANIA PAUL JOHNSON . jound new pressure Only Right the same name, but otherwise,. he fits into the defensive backfield perfectly. Like Mike Smith, Johnson was a great running back in high school. He was a three-tiine All Stater at Caze novia, N.Y., and in his senior year was an All-American. In 21 games through his junior and senior years, Johnson scored 50 touchdowns. Last season it looked like Johnson would be a great back at Penn State. He broke into the lineup as a soph, playing wxngback, and scored the Lions’ longest touchdown of the year, an 80-yarder at Maryland. Then Paierno decided to shuffle the lineup before the Gator Bowl. ‘'They thought I might be able to co»ver some of Florida State’s backs,” Johnson said, “so I was moved to defensive halfback.” That one-game apprenticeship acquainted Johnson with the position, but it wasn’t until this spring that he really got the feel of it. / “I had to learn to run backward and sideways,” John son said, "I hadn’t had to ;do that at running back.” Johnson learned another thing at spring ball. “The biggest difference between offense and defense, and I didn't notice it until spring/' Johnson said, “is that there’s more pressure on the de fense. If you make a mis take back there it can really be costly " So far; Johnson has played without any costly errors. While all three players have different attitudes to playing in the defensive secondary, they agree on one thing—they can't $o it alone. “Without the line, we’d really be in trouble," Mike Smith said. "The line helps us a great deal," Johnson said. "If the quarterback has to throw the ball sooner, he may throw a little high and that gives us a chance." "If the line doesn’t get the passer," Neal Smith said, "somebody’s going to get open." Even with the tremen dous rush State’s line puts on a quarterback, receivers still get free. Then it’s up to the guys with the common names—and they usually make the uncommon, extra ordinary plays. NEAL SMITH . wanted to play Marketing at IBM “You help company presidents solve their information handling problems.” Picked i <Dn East Team V. Ted. Kwalick became the fifth Penn State football ’ player named to the weekly All-East team, when he was picked yesterday for his play at Boston College. 'j Kwalick caught five passes for 75 yards and one touchdown, leading State to a 29-0 victory. Other Lions named to the All-East squad this year are Dennis Onkotz, Jim Kates, Charlie Pittman and '■ Mike Reid. -« Also nominated for All-East honors were Pittman, ", Paul Johnson and Jack Haro. Pittman carried 16 times for 89 yards, Johnson made two pass interceptions for 39 yards and Ham blocked ' a punt. Meanwhile, guard Bob Holuba will miss the Army game because of a back injury suffered at Boston Col lege last Saturday. Holuba alternated at starting left guard with Tom ; Jackson. Both were used to bring in plays from the bench. Holuba is a sophomore. Ah, Wilderness! Eugene O'Neill OPENS THURSDAY Buy Season Tickets Now University Theatre 1968-69 “It's a lot of responsibility. And if you need help, you always get it,” says Earl Andrews, "Because your success is the company’s success." Earl earned his B.A. in Political Science in 1967. Today, he’s a Marketing Repre sentative with IBM, involved in the planning, selling and installation of data processing systems. Earl joined IBM because he felt the career paths were very clearly marked. “You don’t have to be a technical genius to fit the job. You get the training. Then on-the-job experience. Before you know it, you’re out onyourown.” Works with top management Earl works mainly with small companies— distribution houses, manufacturers, printers, warehouses, electrical supply houses and similar organizations. “I deal with top management,” he says. “It gives • me a lot of satisfaction to real ize that I’m ■ trained to know what this president or that vice-president is trying to learn. I help him solve his information handling problems.” Earl’s experience isn’t unusual at IBM. jThere are many marketing and sales repre sentatives who could tell you similar , experiences. And they have many kinds of academic backgrounds: business, engi neering, liberal arts, science. They not only market data processing equip ment as Earl does, but also IBM office products and Information records systems. Many of the more technically inclined are data processing Systems Engineers. Visit your placement office Sign up at your place ment office for an inter view with IBM. Or send a letter or resume to Irv Pfeiffer, IBM, Dept. C, 100 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. An Equal Opportunity Employer IBM. PAGE FIVE 'T v :; ON CAMPUS NOV. 20,21
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers