Talk to us about.....a defensive legend.

#27
#27
Reggie’s father was a great athlete also. Al White was a world class softball player in Chattanooga for many years. Played CF for some of the top teams that played all across the US when softball was big. Al would whistle the entire time he was in CF.
 
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#28
#28
Worked two summers with Reggie and Charles Morgan (construction). Was at UT with both of them, also
(Charles transferred after his Fr year). My Dad built Reggie a house in Maryville and we were friends until he passed. Very sincere and a good person. Good husband and father who passed way too soon.
 
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#29
#29
I remember a story told by I THINK Walter Lewis the QB at Alabama when Reggie played. I'm writing this from memory so the facts may be off just a bit but the moral is still there. Walter said Reggie broke through the line one game and just as Walter was releasing the ball Reggie hit him with a force that knocked him backwards to the ground, slamming his head back. Before he could gather himself Reggie picked him straight up by the underarms to eye level and said in a very loud and happy voice...."Walter....God loves you brother"!
 
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#30
#30
I actually saw Atkins play in 1950 when I was 3 but dont remember anything. In my 72 years since Reggie was the best DL(Vol or opponent) I have ever seen. He was in a league of his own.

The difference in Atkins and Regie was Reggie was playing against OL who weighted 300 pounds. Atkins was playing against OL who weighed 200 . Reggie was the best, but DA was the most dominant in his time. JMHO
 
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#31
#31
I also remember hearing Reggie say during an interview once when ask did he cry after a certain loss..."Cry? Over a ballgame? I cry sometimes but NEVER over a ballgame". I have never forgotten that. I have seen grown adult men (not even playing in the freakin game) cry after their team lost. PLEASE...NEVER do that...EVER!
 
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#32
#32
tennrich1 said:
I remember a story told by I THINK Walter Lewis the QB at Alabama when Reggie played. I'm writing this from memory so the facts may be off just a bit but the moral is still there. Walter said Reggie broke through the line one game and just as Walter was releasing the ball Reggie hit him with a force that knocked him backwards to the ground, slamming his head back. Before he could gather himself Reggie picked him straight up by the underarms to eye level and said in a very loud and happy voice...."Walter....God loves you brother"!
Click to expand...

Reggie was a true Christian with zero fake about him. Very few people like him.
 
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#33
#33
DeusExMachina said:
As stated in the initial thread: there are cultures that use word-of-mouth to not only remember their past, but also to inform and instruct their future. I'm positive that there have been stories of General Neyland, Beattie Feathers, and George Cafego passed down from grandparents to some on here, and those stories are passed down to younger generations even to this day. These threads are an attempt to remember our past players, with stories from those that have seen them in person. While not a true oral history, this (hopefully) will allow them to be seen and enjoyed by future generations of Volunteers, who may only know the name but not the full exploits......or as a gentleman by the name of Paul Harvey used to say: "now you know the rest of the story".

To date, there have been exactly eight former Volunteers who have had their number permanently (or semi-permanently in one case) retired. The names of Peyton Manning, Doug Atkins, and Johnny Majors are known, revered, and beloved by most, if not all, of Vol Nation. The four "Ultimate Volunteers" that gave their lives for our country (Bill Nowling, Clyde "Ig" Fuson, Rudy Klarer, and Willis Tucker) during World War II join the others, and their story has been told by a far greater author than I, in the personage of @OneManGang (OMG, I would be honored if you would link that particular thread).

This thread is to tell the story of the last number on that list. 16, 32, 45, 49, 61, 62 and 91 all have their own stories, but I can't seem to remember seeing much about a gentleman who had a sterling career on Rocky Top, and parlayed that into an even better NFL career, and a posthumous first-ballot Hall of Fame selection.

So, I ask of y'all that saw him play live, or met him in person: talk to us about Reggie White.


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BEAST!
 
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#36
#36
Savannahbayvol said:
I actually saw Atkins play in 1950 when I was 3 but dont remember anything. In my 72 years since Reggie was the best DL(Vol or opponent) I have ever seen. He was in a league of his own.

The difference in Atkins and Regie was Reggie was playing against OL who weighted 300 pounds. Atkins was playing against OL who weighed 200 . Reggie was the best, but DA was the most dominant in his time. JMHO
Click to expand...

NFL guys were much larger around 250-270 back then. Remember thou, they never lifted weights then either, it was natural strength from working in fields, factories. My dad worked as a machinist for 40 yrs and a lot of pro athletes worked in the foundry at his plant in their offseason.
 
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#37
#37
malibuvol said:
Why did Morgan leave after the Alabama game in 1980?
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Word was coaches chewed his butt for many of the plays he was out of position on that day so he quit. It was a futile effort by Tennessee that day so ABC had no choice but to name him POG.
 
#39
#39
malibuvol said:
Why did Morgan leave after the Alabama game in 1980?
Click to expand...

Reggie and Charles both loved the "U" and sorta flirted with going there. Charles didn't particularly like his position coach and had some run ins with him and ended up transferring there (maybe he was looking for a reason). He injured his back working out and never played much at the "U".
 
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#40
#40
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#41
#41
I played against Reggie in junior high,(middle school for you whipper snappers),watched Reggie,Charles Morgan and Anthony Strickland play basketball against Hixson high. It looked like grown men against 10 year olds.
 
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#42
#42
bigorangewildcat said:
I played against Reggie in junior high,(middle school for you whipper snappers),watched Reggie,Charles Morgan and Anthony Strickland play basketball against Hixson high. It looked like grown men against 10 year olds.
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Be careful with that kind of talk. We (Hixson) lost to Howard by 2 in the semifinals of the Region. We won our District and Howard got second in their District - lost to Brainerd. I may have been ahead of you as I graduated in 1979. Reggie, Charles and Stanford were juniors.
 
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#43
#43
I was at the LSU game in 1983, and heard Reggie meet Hilliard in the hole...I sat in JJ. Best hit I've ever seen. We lost, but I will never forget that hit. Hilliard still feels it.
 
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#44
#44
VOLED said:
Be careful with that kind of talk. We (Hixson) lost to Howard by 2 in the semifinals of the Region. We won our District and Howard got second in their District - lost to Brainerd. I may have been ahead of you as I graduated in 1979. Reggie, Charles and Stanford were juniors.
Click to expand...
. Was that game played in Cleveland if it was I was at that game. Wasn’t the final score under 25 points. Class of 80.
 
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#45
#45
bigorangewildcat said:
. Was that game played in Cleveland if it was I was at that game. Wasn’t the final score under 25 points. Class of 80.
Click to expand...

Yes, it was at Bradley High. Very low scoring game. We had lost by 20 points to Howard twice, and decided to stall. Howard then kept up the stalling. At halftime I walked over to get a ball off the rack and was stopped by a couple of older guys who had presumably made bets on the game. They weren't happy. Coach Faulk got death threats after that game. Good thing we didn't win.
 
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#49
#49
Reggie's last game at UT was the 1983 Citrus Bowl against Maryland. As a high school kid I was lucky enough to get to go. Reggie had probably the key play when he knocked the Terps QB Boomer Esiason out of the game, seems like he chased him down rolling out but I could be wrong about that. Anyway the Vols go on to win a hard fought game.
After it's over Reggie is running by the stands and the fans were whooping and cheering and chanting "Reggie,Reggie". He stops and pulls off an arm pad and throws it up in the crowd and everybody goes wild, he pulls off the other arm pad and throws it into the stands and people are scrambling to get it and cheering "Reggie", then he takes his helmet and rares back to throw it into the stands and there's a big shriek from the crowd and people are bracing and getting out of the way from this helmet that's about to be launched at them and Reggie starts like he's going to throw it then he just flashes that big Reggie grin, busts out laughing and jogs on toward the locker room.
About 10 or 12 years after that there's a knock at my now wife's apartment door. It was Reggie White. He and some other folks were going door to door in the apartment complex inviting folks to a new church that was opening in Knoxville. What a player, what a guy!
Plus he played for my two favorite teams- the Big Orange and the Memphis Showboats.
FullSizeR.jpgIMG_0286~2.jpg
 
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