University of Arkansas Monticello - Boll Weevil Yearbook (Monticello, AR)

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170 Athletics THE WANDERING WEEVILS “YOU CAN'T LOSE THEM ALLY It's hard to imagine a football team trying to lose. But that’s just what the Arkansas A M Wandering Weevils did during their 3-year existence (1939-41). Under the direction of Dr. Stewart Ferguson, the Wan- dering Weevils traveled around the United States and made a habit of losing. They weren’t successful in all three years, however, as the squad ma naged to win three times in 33 games. A M became nationally known and drew crowds of large sizes at every contest. The Weevils played from coast to coast and audited classes at schools such as Southern Cal, Yale and Notre Dame while on the road. In toll, there were only five home games. Ferguson took over as football coach with the under- standing that his teams would not have to win a single game and would not have to play at home. He had been a successful winning coach at another college, but he was tired of the so-called high pressure college football. The Wandering Weevils didn’t set out with the intent to purposely try to lose, though some sports writers and opposing teams would argue. They just wanted to have fun and give some laughs. They were the Harlem Globe- trotters of football. Among the team members were a preacher, a barber and a former cheerleader. There were also some natural athletes, a couple of acrobats, gymnasts, and a pair of former collegiate wrestlers. They were good enough to win most of their 33 games, but they weren’t concerned with such. A M had to work hard to lose some of the games. Just when it looked as if the Weevils might score, the team would go into formation in which the punter would whirl around and kick the ball back downfield. The team could and did score touchdowns at times. In one of their plays, J.P. Leveritt, an acrobat turned half- back, walked on his hands, with the ball clutched be- tween his legs across the goal line. The team stooped to score occasionally but, as this incident indicates, it was all in fun. Another favorite antic dealt with substitutions, which took place whenever a different player wanted to play. Mss ate aA : L B a, ° sii Je eons fumesesemah |) eee The substitute would usually ride a bicycle onto the field and the replaced player would ride it off. The Weevils had one play that consisted of many laterals. Once they lateraled 19 times for a minus 80 yards. Sometimes, when it rained, the players even carried umbrellas onto the turf. On field goal or extra point attempts, the A M kicker would purposely miss the ball and appear to kick the holder. He, in turn, would turn somersaults to the side- - line, still holding the football. Opponents would often miss extra points against the Weevils, as the kicker would become bewildered when A M players would go into their ‘‘London Bridge Is Falling Down”’ play and all fall down on the snap. Though the team wore green or white at most of the games, it wasn’t unheard of for,them to dress in differ- ent colors, varying from purple to red to yellow. The Weevils would often cause confusion and infiltrate the opposition’s huddle by coming out after halftime wear- ing identical color jerseys as the opposition. The team would sometimes be gone for a month, but the players held class in their bus and gained cultural knowledge by visiting museums and art galleries. Fergu- son was a professor of biology, psychology, medieval history and physical education. He believed that the players ought to gain an education, and gain an educa- tion they did. The team won a game once in the first season against Northwest Mississippi College and embarassed them- selves by winning twice the following year, beating Northwest Mississippi again as well as the South Dakota School of Mines. Ferguson was able to achieve his goal of a perfect season, 0-12, in 1941 after adjusting his schedule, scratching both Northwest Mississippi and South Dakota. The team made money for the college, which is one of the hardest things to do as a football team. Ferguson's philosophy didn’t necessarily include losing, he just wanted his team to have fun acquiring an education. He wanted them to be entertained instead of having to face the usual ‘‘win or else’’ pressure. 14 1 f 1} ' |