Editor’s note: The article below is a fully republished column from Nov. 23, 1953. All errors and AP style mistakes are from the original copy. 

By the time this column hits the streets the 1953 football season at Syracuse university will be over. Those moleskins and helmets will become athletic custodian Al Zaks’ friends once more and another season will be part of the past. Sixteen seniors will have played their final game for Bill Orange. And to one of these departing sixteen this column is dedicated.

You have to admit that there have been quite a few Syracuse gridders mentioned for all this and all that over the past few days. Bobby Fleck, Ted Kukowski, Pat Stark, Les McClelland and Bob Leberman have all been asked to participate in post season contests. And it looks like some of the boys may be in for some more surprises later on.

Today we are taking time out to talk about a fellow who has been the most consistent of all Hill gridders this year. Once in a while he has gotten headlines in the Sunday papers but his actual value to the team has never been really publicized. That, of course, is Bob Leberman.

Bob Leberman is not only a leader on the field but also when out of football uniform. On the ROTC drill days it’s Major Leberman, the same guy who takes the handoff from Stark on Saturdays and heads through right tackle. The same guy who week in and week out has relped put Syracuse on the national football map. For the last three years he has done this with the utmost of success.

It’s too bad the average fan can’t look into the statistics up in Arnie Burdick’s office. There he would find the name of Leberman way up their on top in practically every category in which his name is listed. That’s why Bob is such a valuable asset to the team. He can either catch the pass, hit the opposing defensive man, run the ends, shoot between the guards or move back into safety to receive the kick. Enough said?

And when it comes to the books Bob is no slouch. He has a fine scholastic average and is a member of many of the leading honoraries on campus. And besides all this he has time to work on his ROTC duties which do take up a lot of his time.

The past two seasons have seen a great improvement in all-around play of galloping Mr. Leberman. Moving into the starting halfback position last year Bob proved to be one of the outstanding runners in central New York state. His amazing galloping stride reminds many fans of a stallion running through the fields. Ask enemy defenders, they’ll remember him for a long time.

He was one of the main reasons why the Orange suddenly vaulted into the lead for the Lambert Trophy honors and certainly why they captured it. This season has been his finest on the Hill. Flashing speed and aggressiveness in every contest he has played, the Hamburg, N. Y., senior slowly turned into Syracuse’s leading ground weapon after Bill Wetzel hurt his knee.

A lot of things have been written about this year’s Orange eleven. Some call it the greatest club we have ever had. Others say it is the team that should be going to a bowl. Although they didn’t mean to do it, many writers have just slipped over the name of Bob Leberman when praising the club. It’s too bad because he is a fine ball player and competitor.

And don’t kid yourself, we’re really going to miss Major Bob. No matter who is out there at the left halfback slot next fall, it’s going to be quite different from the stands. When the quarterback leans down for the snap and hands it to his left half, that sudden gallop around the end or off the tackle towards paydirt will have completely disappeared. They’re going to be mighty big shoes to fill next fall. And we doubt if they fill them.

Yes, they’re going to miss Bob Leberman quite a bit.

Published on August 28, 2014 at 10:50 am