Mr. All-Around

One by one, in order of their standing in the class, the graduating West Point cadets stepped forward to get their diplomas. No. 296 was burly Felix ("Mr. Inside") Blanchard, still looking like a terrifying fullback imperfectly disguised in full-dress uniform. A roar filled the hall. Then, 305th in the line of 310, came his boyish sidekick, Glenn ("Mr. Outside") Davis. His ovation was the noisiest ever heard in the West Point field house.

Before reporting for duty as an infantry second lieutenant Davis was off to Hollywood to make a movie with Blanchard for $50,000 each. They would play their last game together at Manhattan's Polo Grounds in September, with the College All-Stars against New York's professional Giants. West Point--and the U.S. at large--would not soon forget Army's invincible eleven, unbeaten in three years, and Blanchard and Davis, who made it go.

But Junior Davis was more than just a crack football back. In West Point's difficult Master of the Sword test (it includes chin-ups, rope-climb, vertical jump, softball throw) he broke the Academy record with 926 1/2 points. In basketball, Davis was a good forward; in baseball, a talented centerfielder. Wise Branch Rickey has said that Davis was worth $75,000 to any big-league baseball club. Two weeks ago, after finishing a baseball game against Navy, Davis hurried across the campus to help out Army's track team (he broke the 220-yd. Army and meet record in 20.9 seconds, won the 100-yd. dash in 9.7).

Junior Davis was easily the best collegiate athlete since Jim Thorpe, the Carlisle Indian--and possibly the greatest of them all. Said Army's Coach Earl ("Red") Blaik last week: "You take Thorpe . . . I'll take Davis."

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