PACKERS SIGN UP FAST FULLBACK
JUL 20 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - From down south in the "Cotton state" that bred such football stars as Bruce Jones and Claude Perry, will come another gridiron hero to play with the Packers this fall. He is John "Slick" Lollar, a fullback, and former teammate of the two Packers from Alabama. He was signed up this week by Capt. Lambeau, who has just returned from the league meeting at Providence. The trio - Jones, Perry and Lollar - played high school football together with the Walker county high school team for three years at Jasper, Ala. Lollar was a fast, rangy boy at that time and was known for his ability to cover a lot of ground on the offense. He also was a great defensive backfield man...GOES TO HOWARD: After his high school days, Lollar went to Howard college at Auburn, Ala., where he played fullback for that team for three years, while his former teammates went to other institutes of learning. During his college days, Lollar was little heard of as Howard was a small denominational school and got very little publicity. Scattered accounts of the Howard teams' conquests were rendered from time to time, however, with Lollar's name mentioned prominently in accounts of the eleven's contests. Walter Eckersall, one of the foremost
authorities on football in the middle west, saw him play a few years ago in an intersectional game, and remarked in an account of the contest, that if Lollar was with a larger school eleven, he would be of All-America caliber. Providence also had been trying to get Lollar before he was signed by the Packers. He is about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 190 pounds...TINY SIGNS CONTRACT: Ivan H. Cahoon, better known as Tiny, is the first member of last year's squad to sign his football contract for the coming season. This will be his third year with the Bays. Cahoon joined the Green Bay eleven in 1925. He came here from Gonzaga university where he had played three years of varsity football. It didn't take Tiny very long to make the grade at a tackle position and before the end of the season he was rated as one of the best linemen in the NFL. The big tackle was very much in evidence again last fall. He suffered an injured knee about midseason but after a few weeks on the hospital list came back and played remarkable football. Several of the experts placed him on the second all-American pro eleven. Cahoon likes Green Bay so well when he first came here to play football that he has stayed here ever since and is a year round resident. He served as athletic director at the Columbus club for more than a year and a short time ago accepted a post on the faculty of West De Pere high school where he will coach football and act as assistant basketball mentor. Tiny is now attending the summer school at Ripon while his wife and daughter are visiting with Cahoon's parents at Baraboo, Wis...IS WELL LIKED: Cahoon is well like by the Packer fans for his aggressiveness. He is always moving from first to last whistle. Last season, Cahoon blocked several punts, one of which in the Cleveland game was converted into a touchdown that spelled victory for Capt. Lambeau's eleven. The addition of Lollar and Ashmore, who signed last week, are but a few of the steps being taken to make the 1928 Packer team the best that ever represented Green Bay, Manager Lambeau stated. The Packer helmsman is dickering with several prominent football men, who he hopes to bring into the fold before the season gets underway. Every indication at the recent meeting at Providence pointed to the best year in the history of professional football, according to Lambeau. The managers of every eleven in the league are strengthening their lineups considerably, he said, insuring some of the stiffest competition ever seen on the chalked field. Final arrangements for the league year will be made at the meeting at Detroit next month. It is expected that ten or twelve teams will be represented at the session when the playing schedule will be drafted and other details ironed out for the opening of the season in September.
BRUCE JONES SIGNS HIS 1928 CONTRACT WITH BAY PACKERS
JUL 26 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - When the Packers swing into action in their opening game on Sunday, Sept. 16, Bruce Jones again will be on the job at right guard. He was the fourth members of the 1928 squad to sign his contract. This will be Jones' second year with the Big Bay Blues. He joined the team last fall, coming here from Alabama university where he played during 1923-25 and coached in 1926. During his collegiate football days, Jones was rated as one of the best guards in the south and twice was placed on all-Dixie selections. While at Alabama, he was a teammate of Buckler, who for the past two years has starred with the Chicago Bears. It didn't take Jones long to win a home with the Packer fans. In 1927, he broke into the limelight and stayed there throughout the season. Teams that faced the Packers last season claimed that Jones was one of the ace center flankers in the National league. He ran interference nicely and is always on top of the ball. Jones now is a resident of Green Bay. After the 1927 football season, he hurried home to Alabama and got married. This spring Jones and his bride returned to the Bay. He is employed by an automobile concern here. Aside from the former Alabama star, the other players now under contract are Ashmore, Gonzaga; Lollar, Howard, fullback, and Tiny Cahoon, tackle, who was a member of last year's team. Capt. Lambeau is speeding up negotiations with his gridders and some important announcements can be expected within the next two weeks.
JUG EARPE WILL BE ON PACKERS' ELEVEN AGAIN THIS SEASON
JUL 28 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - About midseason in 1922, the football fans of Green Bay welcomed the news that Jug Earpe has been secured from the Rock Island Independents to play with the Bay. Today there probably is just as much good news in the announcement that Earpe has signed his 1928 Packer contract. This will be Jug's seventh season with the Packers. In the point of service, Earpe is the oldest man on the squad aside from Captain Lambeau. Earpe made good here back in the days of Jab Murray, Regnier, Wally Nieman, Gardella, Cub Buck and other gridiron luminaries. He had a banner season last fall. He has alternated at tackle and center with equal success. In 1927, he was snapping the ball for the Packers and, when loaned to the New York Yankees at the close of the Bays' schedule, turned in a banner game at tackle for Charlie Pyle's expensive outfit. The husky lineman knows football and there probably isn't a steadier center in the pro game. Others may bask more frequently in the limelight but Earpe always is in there playing the same consistent game that wrecks havoc with the opposition. The Packers now have the backbone of another sturdy front wall. Aside from Earpe, Tiny Cahoon, Ashmore and Bruce Jones are the other linemen under contract. However, the Packers' 1928 family will have several more additions next week if negotiations now underway are completed.
CLAUDE PERRY SIGNS CONTRACT TO PLAY WITH 1928 PACKERS
JUL 31 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Claude Perry, one of the most aggressive linemen who ever wore the golden helmet of the Green Bay Packers, has signed his contract for the 1928 football season, it was announced today by Captain Lambeau. This will be Perry's second year with the Packer eleven. Before coming to Green Bay, he played for three years on the famous Alabama team with Bruce Jones and John "Slick" Lollar, who also will be seen in the uniform of the Packer squad this season. Perry is one of the best tackles in professional football. He weighs over 200 pounds and is very aggressive his main threat is his ability to cover punts and get thru the line to break up plays. With Cahoon, Ashmore, Jones and Perry already signed up for the line of this year's Packers, Capt. Lambeau is confident he has the backbone of one of the sturdiest forward walls in the professional game. Several more linemen and backfield players are expected to be signed by Capt. Lambeau before he calls the first practice session in a few weeks.
RED HEARDEN TO PLAY WITH PACKER TEAM THIS SEASON
AUG 2 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Several years ago, a "carrot topped" freshman at East High sat along the sidelines at a Green Bay Packer training session and thought of the days when he would be able to perform with such a team. Today that same freshman, now grown to manhood, put his signature on a contract to perform in the backfield for the Packer team. He is Tom "Red" Hearden. Several things have happened since that day in 1919 when Hearden watched the Packers practice and longed for an opportunity to play with them. He has had six years of brilliant high school and college football since that time and one year of the professional game. Hearden played with the East High tram in 1920, '21 and '22, captaining the squad in his last year. In 1923 he went to Notre Dame. The following year Hearden was playing with Rockne's "Shock Troops". It was during the regime of the Four Horsemen and Red playing for the first time on the varsity wasn't given much of an opportunity to show what he could do. In 1925 and 1926, Hearden played regularly with the Irishmen from Notre Dame. In his last year, 1926, he was elected captain of the squad. After his college days, Hearden returned to Green Bay and last year played his first game of professional football. That first game was disastrous to him, however, as he was injured and unable to play for several weeks. He got in a few games near the end of the season, however, and performed brilliantly. Hearden is a fast halfback, equally as good on the defense as he is on offense. He is a good receiver of forward passes, runs the ends well and is able to go through the line when called on for a few extra yards. With Hearden and Lollar already signed up for backfield positions, Capt. Lambeau rapidly is rounding his '28 Packer squad into shape, and before the first game here in September, will have what probably will be the strongest team that ever played on a local gridiron.
NOTRE DAME GUARD SIGNED BY PACKERS FOR FOOTBALL TEAM
AUG 8 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Another of Knute Rockne's famous front linemen has been signed to wear the uniform of the Green Bay Packers when the season gets underway next month. He is Ray Marelli, a guard in the 200 pound class. This will be Marelli's first year in the pro game as he comes here direct from Notre Dame where he played three years on the varsity squad. He completed his course at the Indiana school this spring. Marelli has a reputation of being particularly fast for a lineman, is good at opening holes on the offense and has had considerable success in breaking up plays. He is of the type that make good professional football players, as he is known as a smart player who seldomly gets injured. With the addition of Marelli and other linemen who already have signed up, Capt. Lambeau reports that his front wall will be one of the best in the conference this year. Several other linemen and backfield men are expected to send in their contracts within the next few days assuring a powerful squad, Lambeau said. Capt. Lambeau and Pres. Ray Evrard of the Packer corporation will leave for Detroit this weekend where the playing schedule for the National league will be drawn up for the opening of the season next month.
RED DUNN SIGNS CONTRACT TO PLAY WITH '28 PACKERS
AUG 9 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Another of the brilliant backfield performers on the 1927 Packer football team has signed his contract to play with the squad this coming season. He is Joseph "Red" Dunn, quarterback. Dunn was the first string backfield leader last year and was one of the most aggressive quarterbacks ever seen in action here. He is of the fiery type of field generals and can be counted on to have his team in there fighting every moment of the game. Red came here from Milwaukee last year. He was named on the mythical All-American team for his prowess in the backfield at Marquette. Last season was his third year in the professional game. On the defensive, Red also displayed good form last year, and was regarded as one of the best safety men in the conference. He also can be counted on to go through the line or run the ends and is a good forward passer. He weighs about 170 pounds. Several other brilliant backfield men are expected to send in their contracts this week, according to Capt. Lambeau, who predicts one of the greatest teams ever seen in action here