<Begin Segment 20>

AH: Talk a little bit about that first year before you get to Hawaii.

WY: Oh, okay. When I was, the first year there, see, the first year you go to camp, they give you about almost a hundred plays that you have to study. And the veterans, they have two practice, morning and afternoon. Like us rookies, we have to practice, study our plays, so after the morning session we go back to our room, we have to study our plays because you can't, when they have scrimmages, you can't make mistake. You have to... and I remember one time, Frankie Albert would call a play in the huddle and we go in line of scrimmage and he would look at the defense and he'd think that this play's not going to work, right in our line of scrimmage, he says, "Watch the count." When you say, "watch the count," the play in the huddle is all forgotten now. New play coming up. So right in the line of scrimmage, he start counting, "22, 65, 33." And in a matter of seconds, the play's going. I remember, me, I was a right half, and there was another boy, I mean, he was twenty-two years just like me. And he was left halfback. So when Frankie Albert, called the play, he says, "Hike!" he and I didn't move at all. We didn't know were to go. [Laughs] But that's just experience. If you, so after that, as soon as you get used to it, you know what to do. But at that time...

AH: But that was the first time you ever played T-formation, too, wasn't it?

WY: No, when I came to Farrington, Farrington had T-formation, so I played there. But then, when I was with the 49ers, they give you, like, it's altogether different from semi-pro, high school ball because when you play with a professional team, see, they give you six numbers, and huddle and all these numbers, what to do. And then, then, see, our days, we play offense and defense. So, when you go defense, now they have numbers X, Y, Z, and all that. So you got to learn all those plays. If you don't learn those plays, you're not going to do it. And on top of that, you have these guys, 250, 270-80 pounds, and they're coming in full speed and you have to block them. You got to protect Frankie Albert, he's the quarterback. And they roll you right over, you know, hit you so hard.

AH: Well, I read that you had, 'cause there's not a lot written about that year of yours with the 49ers, they skip over that into your injury and then started talking about why you go to, into baseball and things. But, you averaged 3.9 yards a carry from what I could see. And you also caught some passes and made an interception during the year where you started three games. So did you have a good exhibition season? Were you touted as being a coming star, or how did that...?

WY: Well, I had a good exhibition game. I know even one play I had, I ran the ball 98 yards for a touchdown. On a kickoff, you know, I ran 98 yards for a touchdown. But as soon as the season started, they go with the veterans; they don't go with the young guys. So, and lot of times, Buck Shaw would call me a, call a play and I would go in and tell Frankie Albert. And those days, Frankie Albert was the king, see. So I would go in, he would not call my play. Buck Shaw would go and say, "Call this play," and Albert would not call the play. But lot of times, the plays that you think have a chance doing well, but didn't dare to do it.

<End Segment 20> - Copyright © 2003 Japanese American National Museum. All Rights Reserved.