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Caroline, Illinois Grid Star, May Face Draft Call All-American Back Reclassified; Says Studies Prevent Practicing COLUMBIA, S. C, May 10 UP. J. C. Caroline, who rewrote Big Ten rushing records to earn AH-American honors as a sophomore last year at Illinois, today faces the prospect of being drafted before the 1954 college football season. Selective service classifications posted at Richland County Draft Boad No. 40 showed Caroline was reclassified from 1-A to 1-SC on April 28. That means he will be deferred at least until the end of the current school year. The star halfback apparently had been reclassified 1-A earlier this year after running into scholastic difficulty. He reportedly was dropped from the ROTC unit at Illinois after falling behind in his studies. Col. James Hunter, South Carolina director of selective service, said anyone dropped from an ROTC unit automatically is classified 1-A. However, the change in classification to l-SC. two weeks ago means Caroline currently is maintaining passing grades and cannot be called for induction until the end of the academic year. Since he is a sophomore, Caroline would be eligible for classification 2-S if -he completes the year in the upper two-thirds of his class. This would make him eligible for further deferment. But a draft board ofifcial said that even if Caroline were classified 1-A, it would "not indicate" that he definitely would be drafted. The spokesman said his case would be considered on its merits for possible additional deferment. Questions concerning Carolines status arose Saturday when he was not in uniform as Illinois ended its spring practice with the annual intra-squad game. At Champaign, 111., Ray Eliot, Illinois head coach, said Caroline didnt play because he has been studying to maintain his eligibility. Eliot said he knew nothing about reports that Caroline was dropped from the ROTC unit at the university for failure to maintain his grades. "J. C. has just been studying extra hard and thats the reason he couldnt play Saturday," Eliot said. He added that his star halfback has been doing "satisfactory" scholastic work.
