When The Kentucky School for the Blind Played Football

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In a weekly visit from author and gridiron historian Timothy P. Brown, he enlightens us about a team of unique individuals that loved the game of football and, despite obstacles, played the game and won. This group was from the Kentucky School of the Blind in the early 20th century, as yes, even though their sight was impaired, these fellas had a great time and won some ball games.

-Transcription of the Kent School for the Blind with Timothy Brown

Hello, my football friends. This is Darin Hayes of PigskinDispatch.com. Welcome once again to The Pig Pen, your portal to positive football history. And we are going to portal back in time to football archaeology and Timothy P. Brown because it's Tuesday and Tim's going to talk about a very interesting and unique school that played football so many years ago. Tim, welcome back to The Pig Pen.

Hey Darin, thank you once again. Glad to be here and like we have a pretty cool story to talk about today.

Yeah, I had never heard of this one until I read your tidbit back on November 20th. And your title of that tidbit was really a high catcher, football at the Kentucky School for the Blind. And I said, okay, he's got to have some kind of an angle on this, literally mean, you know, this is a school for the Blind, but I guess it was.

So I'll let you explain it. Yeah. Yeah.

I mean, so that was just the first thing I could even think about when because this actually involved young men playing football who were blind. I mean, I think it's just a story of courage, you know, it's just, but it's also just, it's such a cool, cool thing that these kids just wanted to play, you know, and so they found a way, you know, they found a way to play and, and, you know, then obviously they had opponents, and all of their opponents were sighted teams. And so anyways, it's just, you know, kind of a cool thing.

And so it's just, you know, it's one of those, I mean, I remember, you know, as a kid, you know, I started playing football, and I guess, you know, organized like sixth grade, you know, we had a grade school team and then high school and dah, dah, dah. And so, you know, and there, there were times, you know, if you're going, you know, I was a late developer. And so, you know, there are times when you're, you know, you're kind of intimidated, you're scared, you know, in playing, you know, or you're just, you know, you just happen to be positioned against some 4,000-pound mammoth, you know.

And so, so it just takes guts to play the game. Right. And absolutely.

These, these kids were out there playing, and they couldn't even see their opponents, you know. And so it's just, I just think it's, you know, it's remarkable that they were still willing to get out there and play, you know. And so, you know, I guess the other thing for me as I think about it, you know, tend to think about like accommodations for people with, you know, various types of, of, you know, disabilities or limitations of whatever sort.

But they, you know, it just, this story tells you that there were accommodations made back then, too. So, and, you know, these may have, I think I, in some of the newspaper articles, it's clear that you know, they did things like, you know, the, the team, the opponent had to run between the tackles or between the ends when they were on offense. Tim, if you don't mind, I'm not sure if we mentioned to the listener what timeframe we're talking about; we're talking 1904 to 1912.

So this is 130, 120 years ago. So this is a, you know, so really fascinating that you know, it'd be remarkable in today's age, but this is really incredible for the game that they were playing back then, too. Yeah.

Yeah. I apologize for not mentioning that. I kind of had the picture of the players in my, in my mind, but you know, if you're just listening to the podcast, you don't see those pictures, but yeah, yeah.

So, I mean, these kids are, so like, you know, what they had the, the opposing team had to run between the tackles. They were, they, if they were going to run the ball, then they made out a certain call. I think they just said hike, but if they were going to punt the ball, then they yelled punt.

And so the, you know, the kids on defense would know, you know, what was going on, but you know, and so it's kind of like, okay, well, how did these kids play? And the report suggests they kind of had a certain sense, right? That, you know, just as like, defensive linemen, for instance, you know, are taught to react to the pressure coming from the right or to the left, you know, kind of, you resist the pressure, whatever direction it's coming from. And I'm sure they had developed a lot of that sense themselves, probably even before they started playing football.

But so that was one of the things, you know, that they were able to just, you know, sense pressure. The other, I think, is as long as the ball had to be run between the tackles or between the ends, you know when these guys were on defense, then it's kind of more like, you know, it's a little bit more like wrestling, you know. So, like, you know, I wrestled when I was younger.

And so I, you know, I can see that being, you know, it's easier to think of a blind wrestler being successful, right? Just because it's a, you know, sport of close quarters and very technique oriented, you know, and you're physically grabbing one another, you know, all the time. And so that makes sense to me. But football still just seems like crazy.

You know, it's like, how do you? You don't even know if somebody's coming at you until they come at you, right? And just tackling the ball player or the ball carrier, you know, you know, it's kind of like they must have just grabbed anybody that was coming, right? And yet they apparently were, I mean, they won a bunch of games, like half of them. It might be friendly fire, or it might be your teammate going down. Yeah, that's right.

You know, you have a really interesting photo on footballarchaeology.com on this is one of the challenges and I, you've got me. So I'm looking at these photos a lot closer and trying to pick up things. And one thing I looked at is it had to be like challenge.

Number one is they're lining up. There's sort of a line on the field where these guys are lined up, and there's the far left end, which has his hands beyond the line. The ball's probably, I don't know, a quarter of a yard shy of the line, and the right end is probably almost two yards deep off the line.

So they're sort of cattywampus to the line. So, probably staying on the side. And I'm sure maybe, you know, I always look at it from an officiating lens for something, but I'm trying to get these guys to line up so that they're legal, legal formation.

Yeah. They just had some challenges there. I'm sure.

Yeah. So, I mean, you know, I noticed that in that image too. I just was like, I'm not going to write anything about that.

I'll leave that one alone. Just let everybody pick that pick up on themselves. But, you know, so I think this is some of the accommodations I think was probably like when you were a kid, and you were on the playground at the park half the time, there'd be one team had six guys and the other guy, other team had five or someone team had the best kid, and everybody else stunk or, you know, whatever.

So that's why you have all the time quarterback, Tim. Yeah. And he was out the sides.

Yeah. But, but then there were but these, so I just have to imagine there were things like where, like when you're a kid, you negotiated that stuff with the other kids because you wanted it to be fair and competitive. Otherwise it wasn't fun to play.

Right. So, you know, they probably had something where there was a process where these guys got lined up correctly, you know, so they're on side and, you know, then they went from there, but still just, you know, yeah, I think it's just kind of an incredible story for these kids. And I think we mentioned it briefly on another previous podcast, but the Kentucky School for the Blind completed at least one forward pass in one of their games, which is just nuts to think about.

That's amazing. Now, in one part of this tidbit, you explain how they would kick extra points, and maybe you could talk about that a little bit because I thought that was really interesting. Yeah.

So what they did was they had, so back then, extra points were a free kick. Right. So, so what? That meant there was no snap, nothing.

It was just, you know, like, so, so the one guy. What we call a kickoff today is a free kick. Yes.

Start each half, and after a score, there is a free kick. Just a, yeah. Or like, you know, somebody, it's still part of the game.

If you catch a, if you fair catch a punt, you have the legal right to kick the ball from there to try to get a field goal. Correct. And so, uh, so back then the, the, the team that just scored, um, assuming they had scored near the middle of the field or near the goalpost, they could basically just walk it straight out as far back as they wanted to.

And then they then kick it from there. So then once they would get the kicker, and the holder lined up, then the, um, there was one of the teammates would stand between the goalposts and get, and then, you know, behind them, and he would, uh, yell towards the kicker and then two other teammates with sticks would hit the goalposts and that the combination of those noises would allow the kicker to kind of center where he's trying to kick the ball. And apparently, they made about half their field goals, too.

So, or extra points. So, you know, I mean, it's just, again, I mean, it cited people didn't do that well, uh, with, with, uh, you know, kicking accuracy back then. So, it's actually, you know, pretty darn amazing what they did.

Definitely is. I thought that was great. It was a great story.

Especially like you said, the, the part where they completed a forward pass, I mean, that, that had to be so well-timed when we talk about timing between a quarterback and a receiver. Now, you, you would have to put it right where a guy's expecting it or at the right time or, you know, it had to be like a basket catch, you know, you gotta, gotta believe. Right.

Yeah. That's, that's great stuff. This is, is that's what makes these tidbits so interesting because they're just such off-the-wall topics sometimes that, uh, you know, you, you grab from an old newspaper or book or the postcards or whatever, and, uh, really makes for some interesting reading and, and makes you scratch your head sometimes and sit there in amazement like this one is because these, uh, these guys really did some amazing things.

So really appreciate you chatting about that and, uh, and sharing this with us. So it's a good story. Yeah, definitely is.

And Tim, uh, maybe if you could share with the listeners where they too can, uh, pick up on some of the tidbits that you have each and every day, that'd be a great thing. Yeah. So, uh, footballarchaeology.com is my website.

I post a new story or what I call a tidbit every day at seven o'clock Eastern. Periodically I post other, you know, longer form stories as well. I also post it on, on Facebook or not Facebook, but Twitter.

And so, you know, just a reminder, if you're, um, if you go find the site, you know, you can, you know, now there are, I don't know, 400 some different articles sitting out there. So, um, you know, just use a little magnifying glass to search, uh, search whatever topic you want and see what's out there and, um, have at it. I mean, if you like it, then sign up, subscribe, and, uh, you get the email every night at seven o'clock.

It's great stuff and, uh, really makes your football brain work each and every night and, uh, really enjoyable. So, uh, Tim Brown, thank you very much. footballarchaeology.com is the site, and we'll talk to you again next Tuesday.

Okay. Very good. Thank you, sir.

Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai.