Sprint Football Memories

Re “Sprint Football: One Final Defeat” (sports, May 11): It is a sad decision that Princeton has made, though completely understandable. I hark back to my days as an undergraduate when sprint football was called 150-pound football. We had to weigh in at 155 pounds or less a couple of hours before game time. Often one or two of my teammates would have to don “rubber” suits and exercise to drop a pound or two to stay eligible. 

Back in those days there was very limited substitution, so almost all of us played both offense and defense. In 1953 our team had 24 members and lost only one game, to Navy, which had not lost a game, to the best of my recollection. That team was captained by Don Rumsfeld ’54, center and linebacker. The next year, with 23 players, we went undefeated, completing the season by beating Navy 34–21. My stint at wingback (single wing in those days) and defensive back ended abruptly in the third quarter, when my tibia was broken as I made a “spectacular” tackle for a 10-yard loss on the Navy runner. 

Ah, the memories will last. We all received a miniature silver football with the orange and black “P,” and were able to have our letter sweater adorned with the large varsity “P.” The sweater still fits, and the “P” hangs on.