STL All Sports

Lou Kusserow, one of Lou Little's greatest backs, made the Columbia team as a freshman, along with Gene Rossides. Before his first game, Lou Little warned Kusserow not to try to run back kick-offs if they went over the goal line, but to down the ball in the end zone.

The opening kick-off went to Kusserow over the goal line. Lou fumbled, recovered, fumbled again, grabbed the ball and started to run.

On the bench, Little sprang to his feet, his face red with anger. "Get that fool kid out of there!" he yelled to his assistant. Kusserow had reached his own ten-yard line and seemed trapped by a host of tacklers. Somehow, he squirmed away and wasn't caught until he had reached the enemy eight-yard line.

Little stuck out a hand to stop his assistant from carrying out the instruction he had just given.

"Let the kid stay in," Lou Little growled. "After all, he's only seventeen years old. You wouldn't want to shake his self-confidence, would you?"