Filed by Darren Epps
For space reasons, I couldn't include every story the effervescent Dick Nowling, brother of former Tennessee star fullback and World War II veteran Bill Nowling, told me for my Saturday column on the four former players who died in World War II. Nowling's No. 32 is retired.
I'll use this space to throw in a couple of more stories from Dick Nowling ...
Using his white cane with a red tip to get around the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center, Nowling visited Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer in his office during Tennessee-Florida week several years ago just to say hello. Fulmer was walking out of his office to attend a staff meeting.
"Follow me," Fulmer said.
Remember, Nowling is blind. So Fulmer led Nowling into the meeting room and introduced him to the staff.
"I want you guys to understand how dumb Steve Spurrier is," Fulmer told his staff. "He sent a blind guy here to scout us!"
And one more ...
Defensive lineman Bob Suffridge is the only three-time All-American in Tennessee football history, earning the honor in 1938, 1939 and 1940. The Vols were 30-0 during the regular season with Suffridge on the roster. So yeah, he was pretty good.
Like I wrote in the column, Bill Nowling won the starting fullback job in his first year of eligibility. Back then, freshmen couldn't play on the varsity squad and had their own team. So one day, UT coach Robert Neyland — then Major Neyland — practiced a goal-line situation by lining up the freshman team against the varsity squad.
On the first play, Bill Nowling took a handoff and flattened the veteran Suffridge. A stunned Neyland called the same play, and again, Nowling ran over the All-American. Intrigued, Neyland called the same fullback dive again. This time, instead of trying to tackle Nowling, Suffridge started swinging with his fists.
Neyland kicked Suffridge out of practice but told an assistant to make sure his star defensive lineman didn't leave school. But Suffridge wasn't leaving campus. He was going to settle his feud with Nowling.
Later that day, Suffridge found Nowling in the library, which was in an old five-story dormitory back then. Suffridge put his books down and the two brawled.
"They went round and round and round," Dick Nowland said between chuckles.
At practice the next day, Neyland noticed Suffridge looked banged-up and pulled an assistant aside.
"I didn't know Bill Suffridge lost teeth in practice," he said.
Dick Nowling still howls at that story.
"Bill got his licks in," he said.
