Varied Chain of Command Operates at Soldiers Field

They used to tell you during the war it took 121 men on the ground to put one fighter plane in the air. Anyone who watches the behind the scenes activity at Soldiers Field on Saturday afternoons gets the same impression about fielding the Harvard football team.

The most vital link in the chain of command is the roof telephone. Since the coaches on the field can get only a very general idea of what's going right or wrong, backfield coach Steve Sebo is posted in the press box, with a direct wire leading to the bench.

Strategy

On the other end of the line sit line coach, Butch Jordan and assistant coach Sam Adams. They keep up a steady flow of conversation, largely concerned with the opponents' defensive weaknesses.

Whenever Bill Henry comes off the field he goes directly to the strategy table, where Jordan relays information to him. Whenever Henry has questions of his own, he talks directly to Sebo.

Art Valpey sometimes joins in these jiffy conferences, but he has plenty of other things to occupy his mind. It's a full time job just to figure out what's happening on the field, but since he is the man with the game plan he must derive from the jumble in front of him the overall situation and needed remedies.

Search for Right Subs

He also has to decide what substitutes should go in, a difficult task in view of the fact that players are constantly streaming on and off the field. After the game, he is fond of parrying newsmen's questions with "I can't answer that one--I have trouble enough keeping 11 men on the field."

With all this on his mind, he still has to prepare some analysis and advice for half-time.

Summarizes Plight

In the meantime, Valpey, Jordan, and Sebo confer outside, condensing their observations so that Valpey can give the players a quick summary before the intermission ends.

It is a very high-pressure period for all concerned. Managers constantly check the time remaining both for the benefit of the coaches and the band. Valpey has to talk fast and say a lot, and he does so by minimizing the "do-or-die" aspects of his message and concentrating on the facts.

The intensity of his voice, plus the noises of the crowd and the band outside, convey his meaning.