Put men in uniforms. Give them a helmet and they all start speaking alike. At least that’s what all of our football sources claimed. Pat Harmon, historian at the College Football hall of fame, was typical when he said: “In Army drills, the drill sergeant counts off: “Hut 2-3-4.” He repeats “hut 2-3-4” until the men get in right. Football language has copied the drill sergeant. You will have to believe the football authorities, since no evidence exists. The “hut” barked by quarterbacks has anything do with little thatched houses. In fact, “hut” wasn’t always used as the signal. Joe Horrigan, of the Pro Football hall of Fame, says he has a photocopy of a section of the 1921 Spalding’s How to play Football manual that indicates that perhaps we aren’t as hip as our forbears: When shift formations are tried, the quarter-back should give his signal when the men are in the original places. Then after calling the signal (he) can use the word “hip” for the first shift and then repeat for the players to take up their new positions on the line of scrimmage. Our guess is that the only important virtue of “hut” is that it contains only one syllable.
Submitted by Paul Ruggiero of Blacksburg, Virginia |
