Thursday, March 28, 2013

TEXAS COACH MACK BROWN TO RECEIVE THE NEYLAND TROPHY

TEXAS COACH MACK BROWN TO RECEIVE THE NEYLAND TROPHY

Knoxville, Tennessee  (HOUSEOFNEYLAND) The Knoxville News-Sentinel reported today that football coach Mack Brown* of the Texas Longhorns has been named the recipient of the NEYLAND TROPHY**.

Coach Brown will accept the award from the Knoxville Quarterback Club on April 20, 2013 at the East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation & Hall of Fame brunch at The Foundry here in Knoxville.

The KQBC also will be presenting the Lindsey Nelson Broadcasting Award at the same time to ESPN college football analyst Lee Corso.

In response to the news of this honor, Coach Brown said...

"Having grown up in Middle Tennessee, the legend of General Neyland has been with me all my life.  I came to respect not only what he meant to the game of college football & to our state...but also what his military service meant to America." 

SOURCE

"Knoxville QB Club to honor Brown, Corso," The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Thursday, March 28, 2013.


                                                    Coach Mack Brown
                                                       Texas Longhorns
                                                   Photo by Andreanna 
                                                           Austin, USA
                                                      Crop by Johntex

*William Mack Brown was born on August 27, 1951 in Cookeville, TN & attended Putnam County High School.  His grandfather, Eddie Watson, was an athlete at Tennessee Tech & coach at PCHS for 30+ years.  Mack's father, Melvin, was also a coach & his older brother, Watson, is current head football coach at TT.  

Mack Brown graduated from Florida State in 1974 & earned a grad degree at Southern Miss.  He became head football coach at Texas in 1998 & his team won the National Championship in 2005 while he earned NCAA Coach of the Year honors.

**The Neyland Trophy was established in 1967 by the KQBC to honor Tennessee's legendary football coach Robert R. Neyland.  The 1st award winner was Nathan B. Dougherty of Tennessee.

Other award winners include Bud Wilkinson of Oklahoma (1973), Paul 'Bear' Bryant of Alabama (1983), Bob Woodruff of Tennessee (1986), Doug Dickey of Tennessee (2001), & Johnny Majors of Tennessee (2003).


                                       Statue of General RR Neyland
                                                  Neyland Stadium
                                              Knoxville, Tennessee
                                        Photo by John White (2011)

Thursday, March 21, 2013

UT SAFETY BOBBY PETRELLA WRITES A LETTER OF THANKS FOR PIC OF INTERCEPTION

UT SAFETY BOBBY PETRELLA WRITES A LETTER OF THANKS FOR PIC OF INTERCEPTION

Knoxville, Tennessee  (HOUSEOFNEYLAND) My mom was going through some of her old boxes several weeks ago & came across a letter written to me on November 30, 1965 by TENNESSEE VOL safety Bobby Petrella.*

I had made a photograph of Bobby intercepting a Georgia Tech pass in the South end zone at Neyland Stadium & sent him a copy.

I was using my dad's 35mm camera which had a fast shutter speed & captured the interception just as the ball was about to fall into Petrella's hands.

I am unable to find the original 35mm slide, but while going through some of my Mom's photos I found a print of the slide.  Here it is!



                                                 Bobby Petrella Interception
                                                                      Neyland Stadium
                                                                    Knoxville, Tennessee
                                                                      November 6, 1965
                                                                    Photo by John White

The letter from Mr. Petrella was very neatly written on "The University of Tennessee" stationery with the seal of the university included.

The text of the letter reads as follows...

November 30, 1965

Dear John, 

I want to thank you very much for the fine picture you sent me.  It's a wonderful shot & must have taken just perfect timing to come up with the action you captured.  Thank you for thinking of sending it to me, for this is something I will never forget & now you really made it a remembrance with this snap shot.

I'll tell all my teammates that you send your congratulations & that we'll always have a good loyal fan.  Fans are important & believe me everybody on that field loves them.  We'll do our best to whip that West Coast team this week.  Sorry my answer is late, but I just received your letter today.  

If you could, I'd sure like to have a larger shot of the picture.  Thank you again.

Sincerely yours,

Bob Petrella

The letter was mailed with a 5 cent stamp postmarked December 2, 1965.  Mr. Petrella's return address was listed as Gibbs Hall.

And we did have an enlarged copy, I think 8x10, & sent it to Bobby Petrella as he requested.

*Robert Francis Petrella was born on November 7, 1944 in Philadelphia.  He played at UT from 1962-1966 & was drafted in the 8th round by the Miami Dolphins.  His career, 1966-1971, was with the Dolphins where he played in 61 games & had 5 interceptions.

HOUSE OF NEYLAND UPDATE

The game played between the Volunteers & Yellowjackets took place on Saturday, November 6, 1965.

December 4, 1965

PETRELLA SLUGGED ON LAST PLAY OF UCLA GAME IN MEMPHIS

Memphis, Tennessee (HOUSEOFNEYLAND) The Tennessee Volunteers pulled out a nip & tuck 37-34 victory over the UCLA Bruins here in Memphis but not before Vol safety Bobby Petrella was slugged on the last play of the game.**

Adding insult to injury, Bruin coach Tommy Prothro criticized the officiating of the game.

Tennessee athletic director Bob Woodruff*** reportedly will ask for an apology.

**An Associated Press photo shown with an article published in the Sarasota Herald Tribune showed Bobby Petrella being led from the field with cuts on his forehead by trainer Mickey O'Brien & teammate Albert Dorsey.

***Woodruff & UCLA AD J.D.Morgan had scheduled the game at the new Memphis stadium which Bob Woodruff called 'a neutral site.'  Morgan, however, disagreed.  He said:

'Playing Tennessee in Memphis is like playing Notre Dame in Rome.'

Tennessee QB Dewey 'Swamp Rat' Warren scored in the last minutes of the game, just barely making it into the end zone on a 4th down, 1 yard run.




Tuesday, March 5, 2013

LEWIS NEYLAND, SON OF UT'S LEGENDARY COACH, DIES AT 79


LEWIS NEYLAND, SON OF UT'S LEGENDARY COACH, DIES AT 79

Chattanooga, TN  (HOUSEOFNEYLAND) Lewis Neyland, son of General Robert R. Neyland & Ada Fitch Neyland, passed away here in Chattanooga on March 2, 2013.



                                      Robert R. Neyland
                            1940 "Volunteer" Yearbook

Lewis Neyland attended Knoxville High School, where he was a student athlete, & Castle Heights Military Academy in Lebanon.

At UT, Mr. Neyland lettered in basketball,  golf & tennis from 1954-1956.

He averaged 7 points per game in his VOL basketball career playing for Coach Emmett Lowery.

Lewis Neyland graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1957 with a degree in business.

He founded Neyland Packaging Company & owned it until closing in 1995.

Mr. Neyland is survived by wife Elizabeth "Libby" Parsons Neyland & daughter, Kim Gleckler.

Funeral services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, March 7, 2013 in Chattanooga.

SOURCE

The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Obituary by Tom Mattingly, March 4, 2013.