Eugene Neely
 Neely from The New York Times, October 1916 | |
| Born: | February 9, 1896 Comanche, Texas, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Died: | December 2, 1949 (aged 53) Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Guard |
| College | Dartmouth |
| High school | Terrill Prep (TX) |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1916–1917 | Dartmouth |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Consensus All-American (1917) | |
Eugene Gentry "Guy" Neely (February 9, 1896[1][2] – December 2, 1949) was an American football player. Despite having only one arm, he played college football at the guard position for Dartmouth College and was a consensus first-team selection to the 1917 College Football All-America Team.
Early years[edit]
Neely was born in 1896 in Comanche, Texas,[2] and raised in Dallas, Texas.[3] His parents were Richard V. Neely and Opelia Gentry.[4] He lost his right arm in a hunting accident in approximately 1911.[3] His arm was cut off above the elbow.[5]
Dartmouth[edit]
Neely enrolled in Dartmouth College in 1915. Neely played football for Dartmouth's freshman team in 1915. It was reported at the time that he was probably "the only one-armed football player in the country."[5]
Neely then played for the Dartmouth Big Green football varsity team during the 1916 and 1917 football seasons. By October 1916, he had won a reputation as "the best man" in Dartmouth's line.[3] He reportedly used the stub of his severed right arm "with telling effect in blocking and straight arming."[6] Despite his handicap, he was also able to intercept and return a forward pass, later described by Life magazine as a "spectacular" play, during a game against West Virginia.[7][8] After the 1917 season, he was selected as a consensus first-team guard on the 1917 College Football All-America Team.[9]
Later years[edit]
After leaving Dartmouth, Neely returned to Texas and coached football at the Terrill School (now known as St. Mark's School of Texas).[10] He was married shortly after returning to Texas, and he and his wife Nell had two children, Stanley (born c. 1919) and Adele (born 1920).[11][12][13] In 1920, he was living in Comanche, Texas, working as an oil dealer.[11] In 1930, he was living in Dallas and working as a securities broker.[12] In 1940, he was living in Dallas and working as a loan agent for life insurance.[13] In 1942, he was employed by the Federal Housing Administration in Dallas.[2]
Neely died in Dallas on December 2, 1949, at the age of 53.[14][4]
Head coaching record[edit]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Kangaroos (Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1921) | |||||||||
| 1921 | Austin | 5–4 | |||||||
| Austin: | 5–4 | ||||||||
| Total: | 5–4 | ||||||||
References[edit]
- ^ Draft registration card for Eugene Gentry Neely, born Feb. 9, 1896, at Comanche, Texas, claim of exemption due to "one arm." Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918 [database on-line].
- ^ a b c World War II draft registration card for Eugene Gentry Neely, born Feb. 9, 1896, in Comanche, Texas.
- ^ a b c "Dartmouth Has One-Armed Player on 'Varsity Eleven" (PDF). The New York Times. October 8, 1916.
- ^ a b Death certificate for Eugene Gentry Neely, born Feb. 9, 1896, died Dec. 2, 1949. Ancestry.com. Texas, Death Certificates, 1903–1982 [database on-line].
- ^ a b "One-Armed Football Player at Dartmouth". The Pittsburgh Press. October 27, 1915. p. Sports.
- ^ "Crippled Athlete Often Makes Good". The Day. July 14, 1917. p. 10.
- ^ Jean Libman Block (December 2, 1946). "Doctor Football: Stomach specialist is expert on gridiron facts". Life. p. 20.
- ^ Horace Gibson Pender; Raymond Francis McPartlin (1923). Athletics at Dartmouth. Dartmouth College Athletic Council.(describing Neely's interception and "the ensuing run" as "spectacular")
- ^ "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 13, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
- ^ "Obituary-Dec-03-1949-2005134 | NewspaperArchive".
- ^ a b 1920 U.S. Census for Eugene G. Neely, age 23, born in Texas. Census Place: Comanche, Comanche, Texas; Roll: T625_1789; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 70; Image: 609. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line].
- ^ a b 1930 U.S. Census for E. G. Neely, age 34, born in Texas. Census Place: Dallas, Dallas, Texas; Roll: 2318; Page: 41A; Enumeration District: 0067; Image: 83.0; FHL microfilm: 2342052. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line].
- ^ a b 1940 U.S. Census entry for Eugene G. Neely, age 43, born in Texas. Census Place: Dallas, Dallas, Texas; Roll: T627_4172; Page: 61A; Enumeration District: 255-20. Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line].
- ^ "One-Arm All-American Football Star Dies". Wichita Daily Times. Wichita Falls, Texas. Associated Press. December 3, 1949. p. 2. Retrieved October 8, 2020 – via NewspaperArchive
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