Tough to Tackle Read Online Free PDF Page A

only guys playing.
    Even playing halfback or fullback wouldbe okay, reflected Boots. I’d have a chance to carry the ball, then. I’d feel as if I’m really doing something. I don’t have
     that feeling playing on the line. I’m just there to fill a space, get banged up and yelled at. Anybody can do the same thing.
    He started the second half. He didn’t care whether he did or not. The Starbirds had a pretty fat lead and the Apollos would
     need at least three touchdowns, or two touchdowns and a field goal, to beat them. But the Starbirds weren’t just going to
     sit out there on the field, grooming their feathers. They’d want to score more touchdowns.
    “Back again?” asked Nick Sarino as he faced Boots on the scrimmage line. “I thought you went home for lunch.”
    “Wish I had,” grumbled Boots.
    The Apollos had kicked off and it was the Starbirds’ ball on their own thirty-two. First down and ten.
    Charlie Haring took the handoff and started to plunge through the left side of his line. Nick bucked Boots with his head and
     shoulders, knocking Boots back a couple of feet. Boots saw Charlie bursting through the hole Nick had opened up for him. Mustering
     all the strength he could, Boots brushed Nick aside and tore after the oncoming fullback. He stopped Charlie cold directly
     on the line of scrimmage.
    “Nice tackle, Boots!” praised Bud Davis.
    Duck slapped him on the rear and laughed. “Yeah! Keep it up and you might become a tackle!”
    Second and ten. Jerry tried a forward pass to his left end. Pete Ellis knocked it down. A second try succeeded for a five-yard
     gain. The Starbirds then punted. Leo caught the spiraling kick and carried it back to his forty-three.
    The Apollos crossed midfield and wentdeep into Starbird territory, but couldn’t score. The Starbirds took over the ball and were on the Apollos’ thirty-one when
     the third quarter ended.
    The teams changed goals and the Star-birds started off with a long pass by Jerry Malley to his right end. The pass clicked
     and the end ran to the eleven before he was pulled down.
    “We’ve got to stop them,” said Bud Davis in the huddle. “Want to try a blitz?”
    “Why not?” said Leo. “Maybe we can make them fumble.”
    “Okay. Leo and I will hang back in case Jerry passes. The rest of you bust through the line.”
    Oh, sure, thought Boots. Just like that. I can see you’ve never played on the line, Bud, old boy.
    Boots looked at Nick eye to eye. At the snap he bucked Nick with his shoulder, thenbrushed past him and tore after the quarterback. Jerry was fading back, both hands on the ball, looking for a receiver. Suddenly
     his right hand lifted to his shoulder. The hand came forward.
    Boots’s head struck Jerry. At the same time he wrapped his arms around Jerry’s waist and pulled him to the ground.
    He felt the hard thump as both of them hit the turf. A few seconds later he heard the blast of a whistle. When he lifted himself
     from Jerry he saw a red flag on the ground near him and the ref pointing an accusing finger at him.
    “Unnecessary roughness, kid!”
    Boots stared at him, then at Bud Davis standing in the end zone, holding the football. A sad, depressed look was on the safety
     man’s face.
    “What happened?” asked Boots perplexedly.
    “Bud intercepted the pass,” answered Duck Farrell grimly. “That’s what happened. But you goofed it up by tackling Malley
after
he had thrown the ball.”
    “So the ball is still theirs,” added Leo gloomily. “Except that it’s a lot closer to our goal than it was before.”

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    T he Starbirds accepted the penalty. Naturally. The ref spotted the ball half the distance to the goal line. Since it was originally
     on the eleven, this put the ball on the five-and-a-half-yard line.
    In a quick huddle Bud said, “Blitz ’em again! Just watch it this time, will you, Boots?”
    Boots nodded.
    The blitz didn’t work. Jerry handed off to Charlie Haring, who broke around left end for