Bill Neely (American football)
American football player (1887–1965)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Daniel Neely Jr. (June 22, 1887 – May 16, 1965) was a college football player.
Smyrna, Tennessee, U.S.
Smyrna, Tennessee, U.S.
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| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | End/Halfback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 22, 1887 Smyrna, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | May 16, 1965 (aged 77) Smyrna, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Listed weight | 156 lb (71 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Vanderbilt (1908–1910) |
| Awards and highlights | |
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Early years
William, Jr. was born on June 22, 1887, in Smyrna, Tennessee, to William Daniel Neely, Sr. and Mary Elizabeth Gooch.[1] His father William died of sunstroke in 1900. His brother Jess Neely was a College Football Hall of Fame coach and captain of the undefeated 1922 Vanderbilt Commodores football team.
Vanderbilt University
He was a prominent end and halfback for Dan McGugin's Vanderbilt Commodores football teams. Bill also lettered for the Vanderbilt basketball team.[2]
Football
1910
He was captain of the undefeated and SIAA champion 1910 team, led as well by the likes of W. E. Metzger and Ray Morrison. That team managed a scoreless tie with defending national champion Yale. Neely recalled the event: "The score tells the story a good deal better than I can. All I want to say is that I never saw a football team fight any harder at every point than Vanderbilt fought today – line, ends, and backfield. We went in to give Yale the best we had and I think we about did it."[3] Neely was selected for the College Football All-Southern team.[4][5]
Later years
He was a schoolteacher, a member of the board of directors of the Rutherford County Creamery and manager of the Production Credit Association of Springfield.[6]
