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SCOTT ADCOX

VOTED AS ALL-TIME POSSUM B SIDE FLANKER

A HARD-CHARGING FORWARD, SCOTT ADCOX WAS A LONGTIME SERVANT FOR AREA RUGBY, FIRST WITH UT (1993-1996) , KNOXVILLE (1996-2008) AND AS A HIGH-SCHOOL COACH (2002-2003).

TOUGH PLAYER WHO GROUND OUT THE HARD YARDS AND LED BOTH BY EXAMPLE AND WORDS. NEVER ADVERSE TO PLAYING ON THE EDGE OF THE LAWS.

FULL NAME: AVERY SCOTT ADCOX

RUGBY NICKNAME: ADCOX

POSSUM CAREER: 1996-2008; 222 MATCHES; 44 7s MATCHES

POSSUM NUMBER: 173

HEIGHT: 6-0

WEIGHT: 190

POSITIONS PLAYED: #8/FLANKER

OFFICES HELD: MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS, MATCH SECRETARY, SECRETARY, PRESIDENT

TEAM HONORS:
 1998 MIDWEST DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP, PARTICIPATED IN BOTH DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE COURT MARTIALS IN POSSUM HISTORY - ONCE AS A DEFENDANT, AND ONCE ON THE COMMITTEE.

PERSONAL QUOTATIONS: "I'LL FIGHT EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THIS BUS."

MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: 1998

OTHER CLUBS: S.O.B.S, BREVARD COUNTY RUGBY CLUB

RESIDES: FLORIDA

OCCUPATION: COMPUTER GURU

STEVE AHILLEN

FULL NAME: STEVEN TODD AHILEEN

POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1981; 28 MATCHES

POSSUM NUMBER: 23

HEIGHT: 5-7

WEIGHT: 160

POSITIONS PLAYED: SCRUMHALF/FULLBACK

TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS: "HIGHLIGHT FOR ME WAS HITTING A DROP GOAL TO SEAL A WIN OVER VANDERBILT, BUT THAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED AT UT. OTHERWISE, TOO SLOW AND SMALL TO DO MUCH DAMAGE. BUT, I WAS PRETTY GOOD AT THE SONGS, PLAYED WITH VAL AND BOBBY H., SOME WITH ART REYNOLDS (BUT WHO DIDN'T?). ALSO, OF NOTE DURING MY STORIED CAREER WAS BITING A HOLE THROUGH MY TONGUE DURING A MATCH IN NASHVILLE AND SPENDING THE WHOLE SECOND HALF SPITTING OUT BLOOD."

MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS:

PERSONAL QUOTATIONS:

BIRTHDATE: 7-13-52

OTHER CLUBS: UT, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, LAMAR UNIVERSITY, SAN ANTONIO GARGOYLES, ST. LOUIS BLUES

OCCUPATION: FORMER EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR, KNOXVILLE NEWS-SENTINEL

MARK ALTOONIAN

MOVING FROM THE GREAT WHITE NORTH, MARK "TUNA" ALTOONIAN MADE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT AT WING AND HOOKER WITH HIS SPEED AND TOUGHNESS DESPITE HIS SLIM FRAME.

TUNA COULD ALSO BE FOUND AT A FLANK POSITION AT TIMES AND WAS ALSO ONE OF THOSE CRAZY POSSUMS WHO TRAINED OUTSIDE OF PRACTICE, PUTTING MANY A

MILE ON HIS JOGGING SHOES AS RYAN MILLER WOULD DO A FEW YEARS LATER.

"TRAINING OUTSIDE OF PRACTICE? THAT'S CRAZY TALK, MILLHOUSE," SAID PAT DORWIN. "BUT NOW THAT I AM RETIRED I CAN COME OUT OF THE CLOSET: THERE WERE A NUMBER OF YEARS I, TOO, TRAINED OUTSIDE OF PRACTICE.

"OF COURSE, I INEVITABLY TORE A HAMSTRING AND SPRAINED AN ANKLE. BUT I THINK IT HELPED GUYS LIKE TUNA AND RYAN MILLER STAY HEALTHIER THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. IT WAS FOOLING AROUND ON LADDERS THAT GOT RYAN IN TROUBLE."

BUT IT WAS ON THE PITCH THAT TUNA HAD HIS CAREER PRETTY MUCH SHUT DOWN.

"THIS BIG ASSHOLE NAMED CURT FROM CHATTANOOGA PICKED TUNA UP AND SLAMMED HIM ON HIS HEAD, HURTING TUNA'S NECK," DORWIN SAID. "I HOPE THAT DUMB PRICK CURT EVENTUALLY GOT A DOSE OF TREATMENT LIKE THAT, MAYBE A CAR WRECK. PIECE OF SHIT."

ALTOONIAN WOULD EVENTUALLY COME BACK TO PLAY (AND WITH THE HELP OF ORTHODICS IN HIS JOGGING SHOES) BUT THE NECK INJURY EFFECTIVELY ENDED HIS CAREER.

"LET ME REITERATE," DORWIN SAID. "CURT, YOU'RE A PIECE OF SHIT. DIE A PAINFUL DEATH."

FULL NAME: MARK DENNIS ALTOONIAN

RUGBY NICKNAME: TUNA

POSSUM CAREER: 1988-1997, 145 MATCHES; 27 7s MATCHES

POSSUM NUMBER: 63

HEIGHT: 5-7

WEIGHT: 155

POSITIONS PLAYED: WING/HOOKER/FLANKER

OFFICES HELD: TREASURER, YANKEE-SPEAK INTERPRETER

HARRISON AMBROSE

COMING TO THE POSSUMS FROM THE MILITARY, A FIT HARRISON AMBROSE WAS SLOTTED INTO WING AND WAS EFFECTIVE FOR A SEASON.

HOWEVER, TOO MUCH FOOD AND NOT ENOUGH FITNESS LED TO HIS SHIFT TO PROP, A MOVE LATER PERFECTED BY RON SILVER.

"HARRISON WAS FAST AND STRONG WHEN HE FIRST JOINED THE CLUB," SAID PAT DORWIN. "LATER, NOT SO FAST. 'H' WAS ALSO EFFECTIVE AT PROP BECAUSE HE WAS PRETTY STRONG."

A TRIP TO DAYTON FOR A MATCH PROVED FUNNY FOR A COUPLE OF POSSUMS. KNOXVILLE WAS READY TO PLAY WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE AND MANY POSSUMS HAD SPENT THE NIGHT AT A NEARBY HOTEL.

PAT DORWIN AND REX WOLFE WERE IN A ROOM GETING DRESSED WHEN H WALKED THROUGH THE CONNECTING DOOR. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THERE WAS A HUGE ROAR AS A MILITARY PLANE WHOOSHED BY THE AREA.

"HARRISON POINTS OUT THE WINDOW AND YELLS "JET!" AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS," WOLFE SAID. "PAT AND I LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND JUST CRACKED OUR ASSES UP. I THINK WE BOTH HAD TEARS RUNNING DOWN OUR FACES WE WERE LAUGHING SO HARD."

DORWIN ADDED BIT OF LEVITY FROM FULLBACK DURING THE MATCH WITH THE POSSUMS TRAILING BIG IN THE SECOND HALF.

"A HELICOPTER LOUDLY FLEW NEAR THE PITCH, SO I SHOUTED WAY DOWN FIELD TO REX AND POINTED TO THE SKY," DORWIN SAID. "REX IGNORES THE PLAY AND TURNS AROUND TO SEE ME YELL, 'HELICOPTER!!!!'

"WE BOTH WERE LAUGHING SO FREAKING HARD WE HAD TO BEND OVER, OUR BELLIES WERE HURTING SO MUCH."

FULL NAME: HARRISON AMBROSE IV

RUGBY NICKNAME: H, AND SINCE HE WAS THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE PERSON IN HIS FAMILY WITH THE NAME, HE JOKED HE WANTED TO GET A PERSONALIZED LICENSE PLATE THAT SAID "HIV."

POSSUM CAREER: 1991-1995, 64 MATCHES; 12 7s MATCHES

POSSUM NUMBER: 101

HEIGHT: 5-11

WEIGHT: 225

POSITIONS PLAYED: PROP/WING

PERSONAL QUOTATIONS: "SOMETHING SMELLS LIKE SHIT," HE SAID AS WE LOUNGED AROUND IN LAWN CHAIRS BETWEEN MATCHES AT A BLACKSBURG TOURNEY. SEEMS A DOG HAD TAKEN A DUMP ON THE PITCH AND SOME FOLKS HAD IT ON THEIR BOOTS.

NOT HARRISON.

"CHECK YOUR MUSTACHE," BRIAN NIEKERK TOLD HIM.

DAVE ARMSTRONG

POSSUM NUMBER: 136

ADAM ASHCRAFT

A RATHER LARGE MAN WITH RATHER LARGE FEET, ADAM ASHCRAFT COULD BE SEEN TRIPPING OVER POSSUM TOUCHLINES FOR SEVERAL SEASONS.

FULL NAME: ADAM ASHLEY ASHCRAFT

POSSUM CAREER: 1990-1993, 47 MATCHES

POSSUM NUMBER: 81

HEIGHT: 6-6

WEIGHT: 250

POSITIONS PLAYED: #8/LOCK