again has it been proved, then there is no more fitting dedication to a
book dealing with the gridiron heroes of the past than to a man like
Johnny Poe. For football is the abandon of body and mind to the
obsession of the spirit that knows no obstacle, counts no danger and for
the time being is dull and callous to physical pain or exhaustion. It is
a something that makes one see visions as Johnny saw them!

There is no sport in the world that brings out unselfishness as does
this great gridiron game of ours. Every fall, second and scrub teams
throughout the country sacrifice themselves only to let others enter the
promised land of victory. It is a strange thing but one almost never
hears any real football player criticise another's making the team,
either his own or an All America. Although the player in this sport
appreciates the loyal support of the thousands on the stands, every man
realizes that his checks on the Bank of Cheers can never be cashed
unless there is a deposit of hard work and practice. Perhaps all this in
an indistinct and indefinite way explains why football players, the
country over, understand each other and that when the game is attacked
for any reason they stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of what they
know down in the bottom of their hearts has such an influence on
character building. And there is no one better fitted to tell the story
of this and of the gridiron heroes than Big Bill Edwards, known not only
as a player but far and wide as one of the best officials that ever
handled the game. "A square deal and no roughing" was his motto, and
every one realized it and accepted every decision unquestioningly. His
association with players in so many angles has given him a particular
insight into the sport and has enabled him to tell this story as no one
else could.

And what names to conjure with! The whistle blows and a shadowy host