New Al Wilson Documentary!

#26
#26
My son ran into him in a shop in Gatlinburg right before move in this fall at UT. My son had on a UT shirt as did his roommate. These guys are 18 and have no idea who Al Wilson is but lo and behold, Al was in the same shop and said “Go Vols!” Al proceeds to introduce himself and took pics with them and signed some stuff. My son texted me a pic and I said holy chit, that’s Al Wilson! He said yeah, he told us to have a good time and don’t waste too much of my parents money!
 
#27
#27
I finally got to meet Al Wilson in person before a UT home game during the Butch years. He was both so "down to earth" and "intimidating" at the same time. He seemed to enjoy mingling with the fans, but you also knew that he wasn't going to put up with any nonsense! -- Great player; Great guy; and Always a GREAT VFL!!!!
I would love to meet the guy, I know he visits knoxville every now and then for the games. That is so cool! Seems the guys from that 98 class all come back and meet up, they are all legends in my eyes!
 
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#28
#28
The most brutal LB in SEC history. Forced 3 fumbles in the Flarda game alone in our Championship season. Opposing players were scared of him. Some of our players were scared of him too. Just an absolute animal on the field. Thanks for posting this video. We just signed the best LB class in 20 years on Wednesday. They should watch this video too.

GBO. BELIEVE 2024
Kind of hoping Spillman can turn into this guy somewhat.
 
#29
#29
That Halftime speech during the 1997 SEC Title Game vs Auburn was the best halftime speech Peyton Manning ever heard. Al Wilson wasnt a coach speak cartoon. That dude spoke from his soul when speaking to his teammates.

Peyton is a fired up guy, but playing and being a leader with Al Wilson amplified that.
 
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#30
#30
My son ran into him in a shop in Gatlinburg right before move in this fall at UT. My son had on a UT shirt as did his roommate. These guys are 18 and have no idea who Al Wilson is but lo and behold, Al was in the same shop and said “Go Vols!” Al proceeds to introduce himself and took pics with them and signed some stuff. My son texted me a pic and I said holy chit, that’s Al Wilson! He said yeah, he told us to have a good time and don’t waste too much of my parents money!
That is a awesome story! Hopefully the video will get around because all Vol fans need to know who he is and what he means to the University!
 
#32
#32
His performance against Florida in ‘98 was super human …. It remains the best single game defensive performance I’ve ever seen
He willed us to that win for sure, and honestly without that we don't go to the BCS national championship. So he may have single handedly saved our season with some of those forced fumbles
 
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#36
#36
Anecdote about Al Wilson that Mike Keith revealed on his talk show in the spring of 1998:

During an intramural basketball game, Al Wilson became angry over a foul call, and a player on the other team told him, "It's a shame you don't get this upset when you lose to Florida every year."

Al picked the guy up by his throat and held him way up in the air for several seconds until some teammates got him to put the guy down. Al was banned from playing intramural ball after the incident.
 
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#37
#37
Anecdote about Al Wilson that Mike Keith revealed on his talk show in the spring of 1998:

During an intramural basketball game, Al Wilson became angry over a foul call, and a player on the other team told him, "It's a shame you don't get this upset when you lose to Florida every year."

Al picked the guy up by his throat and held him way up in the air for several seconds until some teammates got him to put the guy down. Al was banned from playing intramural ball after the incident.
I do not doubt this one. Who in their right mind would say that to him? haha
 
#38
#38
I remember finishing my freshman season of high school ball and dressing out for the varsity’s remaining few games, just riding the pine for the experience. We went to Jackson Central Merry to face Al in the second round of the playoffs his senior year. He was the scariest player I ever saw play live. First play of the game he took a handoff and busted through the middle, ran over 3 of our guys in a straight line to the end zone and I could hear him breathing like a bull all the way over on the bench. He looked, sounded and played like a man possessed. He was basically the Incredible Hulk amongst a field of boys. He single-handedly whipped our a$$ 42-0, and probably made half the tackles and scored every touchdown.
Little Man Stewart did the same thing to my alma mater in the playoffs. Past my playing days, but I had the honor of being there. The guy literally never left the field. Starter on D and O, punter, kicker, punt return and kickoff return. 🤣

Never saw anything like it before or after.
 
#39
#39
Little Man Stewart did the same thing to my alma mater in the playoffs. Past my playing days, but I had the honor of being there. The guy literally never left the field. Starter on D and O, punter, kicker, punt return and kickoff return. 🤣

Never saw anything like it before or after.
A one man wrecking crew!! Now that you say that, I think Al might’ve been JCM’s punter too. Hard to remember b/c they probably only punted once the whole game.
 
#40
#40
This sums it up. Just would kick people's asses (on the football field of course) for no good reason and get pissed off at teammates that didn't have the same mentality.

He was dynamite in the NFL, too. Such a shame that he had an injury that did him in. Most certainly was well on his way to an NFL Hall of Fame career.

As far as toughness goes, it's Al Wilson 1a, Doug Atkins 1b at Tennessee. Al just had unmatched leadership
Al and Berry both likely go to Canton with better health. Especially Berry.
 
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#42
#42
This sums it up. Just would kick people's asses (on the football field of course) for no good reason and get pissed off at teammates that didn't have the same mentality.

He was dynamite in the NFL, too. Such a shame that he had an injury that did him in. Most certainly was well on his way to an NFL Hall of Fame career.

As far as toughness goes, it's Al Wilson 1a, Doug Atkins 1b at Tennessee. Al just had unmatched leadership

I agree with your observation concerning Al's stature as a war leader. With respect to toughness, that's a very fine line and I'm not sure that I would go that far. "Doug had a way of making people apprehensive," said Warren Ariail, the Saints' trainer in 1968-69. "He was so big and so strong and when he wanted to do something he did it. Johnny Unitas told me one time Doug was the only player he was afraid of. Dick Butkus said the same thing. Now if you can imagine Dick Butkus being afraid of someone, you get an idea of how Doug affected people."

Bill Curry (Colts center, 1967-72) on playing Doug Atkins: "This guy is not a regular human being. If we don't irritate him, he will not kill any of us today. So, don't you dare mess with him."

As Marvin West relates in his book, Tales of the Tennessee Vols, Atkins was once ejected from a game at Tennessee. When he refused to leave the field, the referee walked to the sideline and told Neyland that Tennessee would have to forfeit the game if the coach didn't get Atkins off the field. Neyland's response was, "YOU ejected him. YOU get him off the field!"


According to this story from Marvin West, Johnny Unitas wasn't exaggerating about throwing would-be blockers at the quarterback: "If Bofah, being a North Carolina man, had researched Atkins' magic moment as a Tennessee Volunteer, he would have gained understanding. It happened the first of November, 1952, Tar Heels at Shields-Watkins Field. Their fullback, leading a sweep, came at Doug with a cross-body block. Atkins caught this full-grown man with his hands and forearms and threw him, like a log, at the tailback. It was an awesome show of force." The Legendary Exploits of Doug Atkins: Must Reading for young Vol Fans
 
#45
#45
I agree with your observation concerning Al's stature as a war leader. With respect to toughness, that's a very fine line and I'm not sure that I would go that far. "Doug had a way of making people apprehensive," said Warren Ariail, the Saints' trainer in 1968-69. "He was so big and so strong and when he wanted to do something he did it. Johnny Unitas told me one time Doug was the only player he was afraid of. Dick Butkus said the same thing. Now if you can imagine Dick Butkus being afraid of someone, you get an idea of how Doug affected people."

Bill Curry (Colts center, 1967-72) on playing Doug Atkins: "This guy is not a regular human being. If we don't irritate him, he will not kill any of us today. So, don't you dare mess with him."

As Marvin West relates in his book, Tales of the Tennessee Vols, Atkins was once ejected from a game at Tennessee. When he refused to leave the field, the referee walked to the sideline and told Neyland that Tennessee would have to forfeit the game if the coach didn't get Atkins off the field. Neyland's response was, "YOU ejected him. YOU get him off the field!"


According to this story from Marvin West, Johnny Unitas wasn't exaggerating about throwing would-be blockers at the quarterback: "If Bofah, being a North Carolina man, had researched Atkins' magic moment as a Tennessee Volunteer, he would have gained understanding. It happened the first of November, 1952, Tar Heels at Shields-Watkins Field. Their fullback, leading a sweep, came at Doug with a cross-body block. Atkins caught this full-grown man with his hands and forearms and threw him, like a log, at the tailback. It was an awesome show of force." The Legendary Exploits of Doug Atkins: Must Reading for young Vol Fans
Thank you for sharing this! Gonna read it and familiarize myself with the great Doug Atkins cause I had no idea!
 

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