Lee "Long Gone" Nalley Jr. (March 15, 1925 – September 14, 2003) was a college football player for the Vanderbilt Commodores football team from 1947 to 1949.[1] A prominent halfback and safety man, he broke an NCAA record with 791 punt return yards in 1948.[2][3][4] Nalley broke the record in the game against Maryland.[5] He also had the record for return yardage in a career.[6] He was chosen as the return man for an Associated Press Southeast Area All-Time football team 1920–1969 era.[7]
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| Vanderbilt Commodores – No. 25 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Halfback, safety |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | March 15, 1925 Nashville, Tennessee |
| Died: | September 14, 2003 (aged 78) Rocky Mount, North Carolina |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 161 lb (73 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | Vanderbilt (1947–1949) |
| High school | Central |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Nalley graduated from Nashville's Central High School in 1943. He then spent two years in the Navy due to World War II before entering Vanderbilt University in 1946.[8] Due to his small size, he had to make the football team as a walk-on. "I ran the 100 in 9.9 seconds, which was pretty fair for that time, and I had a good change of pace" recalled Nalley.[8]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Lee Nalley NFL Stats and Bio". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ "Vanderbilt Back Ready To Crack Punt Runback Mark". Ludington Daily News. November 12, 1948.
- ^ "Vanderbilt Ace May Set Punt Return Record". Ellensburg Daily Record. November 11, 1948.
- ^ "Nally Honored by Vanderbilt". St. Petersburg Times. May 19, 1949.
- ^ "Vanderbilt Romps Over Maryland". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. November 21, 1948.
- ^ "Vanderbilt Commodores Football, Basketball, and Recruiting Front Page". scout.com.
- ^ "All-Time Football Team Lists Greats Of Past, Present". Gadsden Times. July 27, 1969.
- ^ a b "Nalley perfected punt returns, shattered records". vucommodores.com.
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