Z

Z

PAUL ZAWAL

A FRONT-ROW GRINDER, PAUL ZAWAL FIT RIGHT IN WITH THE POSSUM CREW IN THE MID-80s, MORE INTERESTED IN PARTYING, BUT STILL HAVING FUN WHEN ON THE PITCH.

THE GRUFF-VOICED NORTHERNER HUNG AROUND FOR A FEW SEASONS AND HASN'T BEEN SEEN SINCE.

FULL NAME: PAUL ARTHUR ZAWAL
RUGBY NICKNAME: PIRATE
POSSUM CAREER: 1987-1988
POSSUM NUMBER: 60
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: 221
POSITIONS PLAYED: FRONT ROW
OFFICES HELD: SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
OTHER CLUBS: DETROIT TRADESMEN
RESIDES: UNKNOWN
CUPATION: PIRATE

Y

Y

DESTRY YOUNG

AN ATHLETIC AND QUIET BUT ENTHUSIASTIC WING, DESTRY YOUNG PLAYED A SEASON OR SO AND SHOWED SOME PROMISE BUT DRIFTED AWAY FROM THE GAME - AND LIFE - LATER COMMITTING SUICIDE.

POSSUM CAREER: 1990
POSSUM NUMBER: 143
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: 175
POSITIONS: WING

W

W

MIKE WARD

MIKE WARD WAS A CAPABLE HOOKER FOR A COUPLE OF STOPS IN KNOXVILLE. HE ALSO PLAYED IN CHATTANOOGA.

POSSUM CAREER: 1989-1991; 1996

POSSUM NUMBER: 87
HEIGHT: 5-9
WEIGHT: 180
POSITIONS PLAYED: HOOKER
OTHER CLUBS: CHATTANOOGA

HOWARD WATSON

NOT THE BIGGEST OR FASTEST OF WINGS, HOWARD WATSON PLAYED IN HIS SHARE OF A SIDE MATCHES FOR EARLY POSSUM TEAMS.

ALSO HAD THE RATHER BIG JOB OF MENTORING TIM CHAMBERS.

POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1988
POSSUM NUMBER: 22
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: 165
POSITIONS PLAYED: WING
OCCUPATION: LAWYER

JIM WATSON

A TOP-NOTCH PROP FOR THE EARLY- AND MID-1980s POSSUMS.

POSSUM CAREER: 1983-1988

POSSUM NUMBER: 43

MIKE WELDON

SELECTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS B SIDE SCRUMHALF

GUTSY, GRITTY MIKE WELDON FOUND A SIDE SPOTS AT BOTH WING AND SCRUMHALF OVER HIS POSSUM YEARS.

"MIKE WAS AN EXCELLENT OPEN FIELD TACKLER," SAID SCOTT ADCOX. "WHAT HE LACKED IN SIZE HE MADE UP FOR IN DRIVE (DOUBLE ENTENDRE INTENDED)."

WELDON ALSO COACHED SEVERAL HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS.


FULL NAME: MICHAEL WELDON
RUGBY NICKNAME: MICKEY/MIKEY
POSSUM CAREER: 1993-2010
POSSUM NUMBER: 143; STARTED SOMETIME IN COLLEGE (DON'T TELL BUTCH), CIRCA 1995-2010
HEIGHT: 5-7
WEIGHT: 180
POSITIONS PLAYED: BACK, EXCEPT FOR INSIDE CENTER
PERSONAL HONORS: MOST RETIRED COMEBACKS

MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: SCORED A TRY IN A WIN OVER NASHVILLE, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER MOST SEASONS.

PERSONAL QOUTATIONS: "I'M RETIRING ... THIS IS MY LAST GAME."

OTHER CLUBS: UT, CHATTANOOGA, MEMPHIS
BIRTHDATE: 7-20-74
BIRTHPLACE: ATLANTA

FAMILY: WIFE, JENNY; SON, GRAY

RESIDES: KNOXVILLE

OCCUPATION: ENGLISH TEACHER/WRESTLING COACH/RUGBY COACH

GREG WENDT

AN EXCELLENT ATHLETE IN GOOD SHAPE, GREG WENDT WAS AN A SIDE CENTER FOR MOST OF HIS CAREER AS AN EARLY POSSUM.

POSSUM CAREER: 1982-1987
POSSUM NUMBER: 40
HEIGHT: 6-3
WEIGHT: 190
POSITIONS PLAYED: CENTER

BRENT WILLIE

FOUNDING POSSUM.

POSSUM NUMBER: 9

TOM WILSON

SELECTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS A SIDE FULLBACK

TRAINING NON-TRADITIONALLY (MEANING HE TRAINED OUTSIDE OF PRACTICE) AND PLAYING WITH A DIFFERENT STYLE (HE USED HIS IMAGINATION WHEN ON THE PITCH) TOM WILSON MAY NOT HAVE BEEN A FAVORITE OF A FEW OF THE OLDER OR RETIRED POSSUMS, BUT HE INJECTED NEEDED PACE AND ATHLETICISM INTO A STAID POSSUM SQUAD.

"IT WAS SIMPLE, REALLY," SAID PAT DORWIN "IF YOU WERE'NT EXPECTING A PASS FROM TOM, YOU GOT ONE, NO MATTER THE ANGLE OR THE WAY HE PASSED IT."

WILSON, A COLLEGIATE ALL-AMERICAN AT FULLBACK UNDER BUTCH ROBERTSON AT UT, ALSO FOUND A HOME AT OUTSIDE CENTER FOR THE POSSUMS AND WAS A DEADLY DROP-KICKER FOR SOME STRONG KARS 7s TEAMS.

"TOM HAD A HELLUVA A 1995 RUN AT CAPE FEAR," SAID DORWIN. "AFTER WE WERE SHUT OUT IN OUR FIRST MATCH, HE CONVERTED 16-OF-18 TRIES OVER THE NEXT FIVE MATCHES."

THE POSSUMS, SEEDED EIGHTH IN THE TOP FLIGHT OF THE CLUB DIVISION, STOPPED TOP-SEED ECU TO START SUNDAY, THEN DRUBBED NEMESIS LOUISVILLE IN THE SEMI-FINALS BEFORE EDGING THE PHILADELEPHIA MAVERICKS 14-10 IN THE FINAL.

WILSON AND MIKE GARMAN WERE ALSO MIDWEST RFU SELECT SIDE 7s PLAYERS.


FULL NAME: THOMAS JEFFERSON WILSON
RUGBY NICKNAME:
POSSUM CAREER: 1989-1997
POSSUM NUMBER: 71
HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 205
POSITIONS PLAYED: FULLBACK/CENTER
TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS: ALL-AMERICAN AT UT
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: 1995 DOGWOOD ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
OTHER CLUBS: UT, CHATTANOOGA, COLLEGIATE ALL-AMERICANS, MEMPHIS OLD NO. 7, MIDWEST RFU SELECTS
BIRTHDATE: 1963
OCCUPATION: PERPETUAL STUDENT

KEN WOLFE

THE MORE VOCAL OF THE TWO WOLFE BROTHERS, KEN PLAYED A FEW YEARS WITH KNOXVILLE ALONG HIS RUGBY JOURNEY.


POSSUM CAREER: 1984-1985; 1992
POSSUM NUMBER: 47
HEIGHT: 5-8
WEIGHT: 175
POSITIONS PLAYED: HOOKER
OCCUPATION: DRIFTER

REX WOLFE

DROPPING OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH, WELL AT LEAST SEVIER COUNTY, RUGBY NOMAD REX WOLFE WAS LAST KNOWN TO BE HEADING FOR AUSTRALIA SEVERAL YEARS AGO.

DID A DINGO EAT OUR REXY?

"POSSIBLY," SAID LONG-TIME FRIEND PAT DORWIN. "LAST I HEARD FROM HIM WAS ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO. HE USUALLY WOULD AT LEAST STOP BY ONE HOLIDAY A YEAR. RICH HOLLAND, HIS FELLOW STAR ON SOME STELLAR SEVIER COUNTY HIGH BASEBALL TEAMS, HASN'T HEARD FROM HIM EITHER.

"IT IS KIND OF WEIRD AS HIS PARENTS SOLD THEIR HOUSE AND ACREAGE, SO WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO REX," DORWIN SAID.

IN EARLY 2010, DORWIN LOCATED HIS FRIEND, TEACHING AND PLAYING RUGBY IN THAILAND.

ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES HE PLAYED, WOLFE WAS THROWN INTO THE FIRE IN INDIANAPOLIS AT THE MIDWEST RFU SELECT SIDE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

"NOT ONLY WAS THE MID-SOUTH WEAK OVERALL," DORWIN SAID, "BUT REX IS OUT THERE PLAYING FLANKER AFTER SEEING ACTION AT WING FOR JUST A FEW GAMES. HE WAS A GOOD ATHLETE AND HELD HIS OWN."

WOLFE HAS PLAYED FOR NUMEROUS RUGBY CLUBS, MUCH LIKE HIS OLDER BROTHER, KEN.

"REX WAS FULL OF FUNNY STORIES, THAT GOT LOUDER IF HE WAS WITH RICH AND/OR JIM TARWATER (POSSUM NO. LLL)," DORWIN SAID. "NOBODY WAS SPARED THEIR WRATH. I HAVE MOVED WELL AWAY FROM THEM AT TIMES IN PUBLIC PLACES."

DORWIN HAD LAST TRACKED WOLFE DOWN TO PLAYING MORE THAN A YEAR AGO WITH THE BANGKOK SOUTHERNERS IN THAILAND WITH FORMER UT AND POSSUM RUGGER BOB BALL, WHO HAS SINCE LEFT THAILAND.

FULL NAME: RONALD REX WOLFE
RUGBY NICKNAME: SEXY REXY
POSSUM CAREER: 1989-1992; 1997
POSSUM NUMBER: 86
HEIGHT: 5-5
WEIGHT: 187
POSITIONS PLAYED: CENTER/FLANKER/WING
PERSONAL QOUTATIONS: TOO MANY TO LIST
OTHER CLUBS: NUMEROUS
FAMILY: WIFE AND DAUGHTER
OCCUPATION: NOMAD, TEACHER

RESIDES: THAILAND

V

V

SHAWN VAN DYKE

SPENT ENOUGH TIME AT A SIDE HOOKER TO EARN VOTES FOR ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAMS.

GOOD ATHLETE WHO EXCELLED AT LINEOUT THROWS, SOMETHING KNOXVILLE TRADITIONALLY HAD TROUBLE WITH.

POSSUM CAREER: 1999-2005
POSSUM NUMBER: 195
HEIGHT: 5-8
WEIGHT: 179
POSITIONS PLAYED: HOOKER
OTHER CLUBS: UT

HARRY VESS

POSSUM FOUNDER.

POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1982

POSSUM NUMBER: 5

MIKE VINTON

A FREQUENT VISITOR TO THE AREA TO SEE HIS FRIEND BRIAN NIEKERK, MIKE VINTON GOT IN A NUMBER OF A SIDE MATCHES OVER THE YEARS.

"HE WAS A CLASSIC CENTER," SAID PAT DORWIN. "SOLID ALL-AROUND ON DFEFENSE AND OFFENSE, HE USUALLY CROSSED THE GAINLINE AND STOPPED HIS OPPOSITE FROM DOING THE SAME."

POSSUM CAREER: VARIOUS IN THE 1980s AND 1990s. PROBABLY 20 TO 25 A SIDE MATCHES OVER THE YEARS.

POSSUM CAREER: 1989-1997
POSSUM NUMBER: 85
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: 215
POSITIONS PLAYED: CENTER

R

R

STEVE RAINS

RECRUITED BY FELLOW TENNESSEE TECH ALUM MARTY BRADLEY, STEVE RAINS SPENT A BIT OF TIME ON THE WING FOR KNOXVILLE

FULL NAME:
RUGBY NICKNAME:
POSSUM CAREER: 1990-1991
POSSUM NUMBER: 97
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: 185
POSITIONS PLAYED: WING

BUBBA RALL

A RAIL-THIN, WHITE-HAIRED WINGER, BUBBA RALL WAS A POSSUM FIXTURE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, WHETHER GETTING IN THE OCCASIONAL MATCH, OR BRINGING BABY POSSUMS TO THE FORKS.

"YOU ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT BUBBA GETTING BROKEN IN HALF BECAUSE HE WAAS SO SKINNY," SAID PAT DORWIN. "BUT HE WAS A TOUGH SUMBITCH."

FULL NAME:
RUGBY NICKNAME:
POSSUM CAREER: 1981-1989
POSSUM NUMBER: 32
HEIGHT: 6-1
WEIGHT: 160
POSITIONS PLAYED: WING

MEMORIES: RAISED "AWESOME THE POSSUM," ONE OF MANY ORPHANED MARSUPIALS BUBBA NURSED BACK TO HEALTH

OCCUPATION: POSSUM TRAINER

VAL REICH

SELECTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS C SIDE SCRUMHalf

THE CONSUMATE SCRUMHALF, VAL REICH PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE DRAWN MORE VOTES FOR THE ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAMS, BUT THERE WERE NOT MANY VOTERS, PLUS NOT MANY OF THOSE PLAYED WITH HIM.

HE COULD BE ABRASIVE - BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD, BUT ON THE PITCH HE JUST WANTED TO GET UNDER YOUR SKIN AND TAKE YOU OUT OF YOUR GAME.

"I SAW VAL IN AND OUT OF VARYING DEGREES OF SHAPE, BUT THE TALENT WAS ALWAYS THERE," SAID PAT DORWIN. "I CAN IMAGINE HE WAS A FORCE AT NO. 9."

REICH TOLD DORWIN HE ONCE SCORED 50 TOTAL POINTS IN A LONG AFTERNOON AT FULTON BOTTOMS.

"HE MENTIONED THAT ONLY A SINGLE TIME, SO I BELIEVE HE DID IT."

POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1990

POSSUM NUMBER: 12

HEIGHT: 5-11

WEIGHT: 180-215

POSITION: SCRUMHALF

BARRY RICE

"WHAT COMES OUT OF A CHINAMAN'S ASS?"

"RICE, RICE, RICE," WAS THE QUESTION AND ANSWER ART REYNOLDS WOULD ASK - LOUDLY - AT LEAST ONCE EVERY MATCH BARRY RICE WAS INVOLVED IN.

RICE WAS A STOCKY, ATHLETIC CENTER WHO PLAYED A BIT FOR KNOXVILLE AFTER MOVING OVER FROM UT.

FULL NAME: BARRY QUENTIN RICE
RUGBY NICKNAME:
POSSUM CAREER: 1988-1991
POSSUM NUMBER: 70
HEIGHT: 5-9
WEIGHT: 205
POSITIONS PLAYED: CENTER

JIMMY RICHARDSON

POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1981

POSSUM NUMBER: 14

STEVE ROADS

SELECTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS C SIDE LOCK

STUCK IN A CLEVELAND HOTEL ROOM, A GROUP OF DREARY KNOXVILLE 7s PLAYERS FOUND THEIR BOREDOM SOON DISAPPEAR AS VETERAN 15s LOCK AND 7s PROP STEVE ROADS DRANK MORE AND MORE TRUTH SERUM - BEER TO YOU AND ME.

IT SEEMS "SKYLAB" (STEVE WAS 6-FOOT-5) PLAYED HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL AGAINST FORMER NFL GREAT KEITH BYARS. AT FIRST, IT WAS MAN (BYARS) VS. BOY (STEVE).

BUT EACH BEER TURNED SKYLAB'S STORY AROUND AND AROUND UNTIL IT WAS THE CLASH OF THE TITANS EACH TIME THEY PLAYED EACH OTHER. WITH BRIAN NIEKERK EGGING ON THE SITUATION, SKYLAB WAS SOON THE MAN WHO GOT THE BEST OF BYARS EVERY TIME.

NIEKERK WAS ALSO BEHIND "APPLICATION-GATE," AS STEVE, A LAWYER FOR UT , WAS LOOKING TO CHANGE JOBS. BRIAN WOULD PICK UP AN APPLICATION EVERYWHERE HE STOPPED AND THE PAPERWORK WOULD MYSTERIOUSLY MAKE ITS WAY TO STEVE.

"I REMEMBER ONE TIME WE STOPPED AT A GROCERY STORE," SAID PAT DORWIN. "THEY ACTUALLY HAD HUGE APPLICATIONS ON THE BACK OF THE LARGE PAPER BAGS THEY PUT OUR GROCERIES IN. THERE'S NO TELLING HOW MANY OF THOSE BRIAN SENT STEVE OR EVEN FILLED OUT HIMSELF."

ALSO A STRONG 7s PLAYER AT LOCK FOR THE KARS.

ROADS LATER MOVED TO NASHVILLE WITH HIS WIFE KIM (OF 'LITTLE BIG TOWN' FAME).

STEVE TRAGICALLY PASSED AWAY A FEW YEARS AGO.

FULL NAME: STEVEN WILLIAM ROADS
RUGBY NICKNAME: SKYLAB
POSSUM CAREER: 1987-1993
POSSUM NUMBER: 59
HEIGHT: 6-5
WEIGHT: 240
POSITIONS PLAYED: LOCK

ART REYNOLDS

SELECTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUMS TEAM AS A SIDE FLANKER

ART REYNOLDS INFLUENCED MANY GENERATIONS OF POSSUMS - AND CONTINUES TO DO SO - BE IT FROM HIS HARD-NOSED PLAYING, PULLING HIS FINGER, COOKING TURKEYS, PASSING OUT "YARD BEERS," HIS EPIC BATTLES WITH KEITH JOHNSON OF CHATTANOOGA, HIS SINGING AND STORYTELLING, HIS TITANIC VOLUME FOR SILVER BULLETS AND BIG GULPS TO HIS WAY TO MAKE EVERYONE LAUGH ALONG WITH HIM.

"WITHOUT A DOUBT, ART IS MY FAVORITE POSSUM BECAUSE HE WAS THE FACE OF EARLY KNOXVILLE PLAYERS, " SAID LONGTIME TEAMMATE PAT DORWIN. "WE WANTED TO BEAT YOUR ASS ON THE PITCH, AND IF WE COULDN'T DO IT THERE, ART WAS DAMN SURE WE WERE GOING TO WIN THE PARTY."

A FORMER UT LINEBACKER AND WORLD FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYER, REYNOLDS WAS BUILDING UP HIS BUSINESS AS THE POSSUMS FORMED, SO IT WASN'T UNTIL 1981 HE RE-ENERGIZED HIS RUGBY CAREER.

ART MADE A SIDE FLANKER ON THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY ALL-TIME POSSUMS TEAM, DESPITE BEING NAMED ON JUST SIX OF 21 BALLOTS, BUT THAT WAS GOOD FOR 43 TOTAL POINTS.

HIS SON, GARRETT, A HIGH SCHOOL RUGBY PLAYER AT CARTER, WENT ON TO PLAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL AT NORTH CAROLINA, BEFORE BEING DRAFTED BY ATLANTA IN THE FIFTH ROUND IN 2009.

"IF GARRETT DOESN'T EVENTUALLY BECOME A STARTER ON AN OFFENSIVE LINE SOMEWHERE IN THE NFL, I LOOK FOR HIM TO PLAY ABOUT FIVE YEARS AND THEN SIGN AN OVERSEAS RUGBY CONTRACT," SAID PAT DORWIN. "GARRETT'S A LONG WAY FROM DRESSING UP IN CAMAFLOUGE, WEARING HIS WORLD WAR II HELMET AND SHOOTING AT US FROM THE TREES DURING POST-MATCH PARTIES AT ART'S. HE'S GOT THE SIZE AND NATURAL SKILLS TO BECOME AN EAGLE."

ART WAS GREATLY INFLUENTIAL IN LEADING A RATHER RAG-TAG GROUP OF POSSUMS TO A 7s CHAMPIONSHIP IN JOHNSON CITY IN THE MID-1990s, MEMBERS OF THE TEAM INCLUDED DORWIN, BRIAN NIEKERK, DOUG BROWN, GREGG GIDDISH, BUCK ROGERS, RICHARD HOLLAND AND OSCAR DOSTER, AMONG OTHERS.

"NO FRANK BENNETT, NO STEVE CUNNINGHAM, NO 'SKYLAB' AND NO MARTY BRADLEY," SAID DORWIN.

AND JUST A FEW TRIES SCORED AGAINST THE POSSUMS, ON THEIR WAY TO AN UNDEFEATED DAY.

"ART - AND HIS RED SHOES - HAD PLENTY TO DO WITH THAT," DORWIN SAID. "GUTS AND A STRONG WILL CAN CARRY A TEAM FURTHER THAN TALENT CAN SOME TIMES."

FULL NAME: ARTHUR McKINLEY REYNOLDS
RUGBY NICKNAME: ART THE FART; THE ARTINATOR
POSSUM CAREER: 1981-1996
POSSUM NUMBER: 27

HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 220
POSITIONS PLAYED: FLANKER, CENTER

BUTCH ROBERTSON

LONG-TIME UT HEAD COACH.

POSSUM NUMBER: 24

MARTIN ROBINETTE

POSSUM CAREER: 1991
POSSUM NUMBER: 108

BUCK ROGERS

AN ALWAYS HUSTLING FORWARD (EVEN IF HE WAS AT A TROT), ROGERS WAS ANOTHER PLAYER WHO JUST SEEMED DESTINED TO BE A POSSUM.

A BIG LAD ALWAYS IN THE THICK OF THINGS, ROGERS WAS PROTECTED TO THE HILT. WITH HIS SOCKS PULLED UP HIGH AND SCRUM CAP, ABOUT THE ONLY FLESH YOU COULD SEE ON HIM WAS HIS KNEECAPS.

"THIS WAS, OF COURSE, LONG BEFORE BRIAN NIEKERK MADE GREEN KNEE PADS SO FASHIONABLE," SAID PAT DORWIN.

PLAYED A COUPLE OF STINTS WITH THE POSSUMS BEFORE A SERIOUS THROAT INJURY CURTAILED HIS PLAYING DAYS BUT NOT HIS SUPPORT.

FULL NAME: JOHN DAVID ROGERS
RUGBY NICKNAME: BUCK
POSSUM CAREER: 1984-1992; 1995-1998
POSSUM NUMBER: 45
HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 234
POSITIONS PLAYED: LOCK

OFFICES HELD: CAPTAIN, SOCIAL CHAIR
MEMORIES: WORLD CUP TOUR, 1987; HONORARY OLD BOY, UT AND MTSU
PERSONAL QOUTATIONS: "TACKLE LOW."
BIRTHDATE: 10-14-61
BIRTHPLACE: EL CENTRO, CALIF.
RESIDES: KNOXVILLE

FAMILY: WIFE, SUZANNE; SON, CALEB; AND DAUGHTER, ANNA

OCCUPATION: SHIPPING AND RECEIVING, CARR REHAB

JOHN ROSE

A STOCKY PLAYER, JOHN ROSE PLAYED A NUMBER OF POSITIONS FOR THE POSSUMS, ALTHOUGH HE WAS PRIMAILY A CENTER.

"JOHN WAS THE POOR MAN'S TOM WILSON," SAID FORMER TEAMMATE PAT DORWIN. "HE WAS ALWAYS TRYING LONG, CUT-OUT PASSES, TRYING TO CREATE SPACE FOR THE OUTSIDE BACKS. "IT WAS STRANGE FOR ME TO GET THE BALL PASSED TO ME AT WING, SO I WAS GRATEFUL FOR JOHN TRYING TO OPEN OUR PLAY UP."

SO THE EARLY POSSUMS WERE BALLHOGS?

"EARLY. MIDDLE, LATE OR NOW, THE TEAM HAS ALWAYS BEEN PRETTY SELFISH WITH BALL IN HAND," DORWIN SAID. "SOMETIMES WE HAD THE ATHLETES TO MAKE IT WORK, SOMETIMES NOT.

"THE 'PASSING POSSUMS' WE ARE NOT."

POSSUM CAREER: 1983-1994
POSSUM NUMBER: 44
HEIGHT: 5-7
WEIGHT: 205
POSITIONS PLAYED: CENTER/WING

TIM RUSCH

COMING TO KNOXVILLE FOR PARTS UNKNOWN - AND LEAVING FOR PARTS FURTHER UNKNOWN - TIM RUSCH WAS A SMALLISH FLANKER THAT COULD BE FOUND MAKING PLAYS QUIETLY ALL OVER THE FIELD.

"I THINK TIM HAD AN INNER INTENSITY THAT HE KEPT UNDER WRAPS PRETTY WELL," SAID PAT DORWIN. "HE HAS TO HAVE ONE OF THE BEST ALL-TIME NICKNAMES (SHOPPER), BUT I HAVE NO IDEA HOW HE GOT. COULD BE A GREAT STORY - OR A BORING ONE - BUT EITHER WOULD FIT HIM PERFECTLY."

FULL NAME: TIMOTHY EGBERT RUSCH
RUGBY NICKNAME: SHOPPER
POSSUM CAREER: 1994-1997
POSSUM NUMBER: 155
HEIGHT: 5-10
WEIGHT: 166
POSITIONS PLAYED: FLANKER

S

S

GARY SALANSKY

SOLID AS A "ROCK," GARY SALANSKY HELPED ANCHOR THE POSSUM FRONT ROW FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN THE 1990s.
HAS A BROTHER NICKNAMED "PEBBLE."

FULL NAME: GARY RICHARD SALANSKY
RUGBY NICKNAME: ROCK
POSSUM CAREER: 1992-1995
POSSUM NUMBER: 130
HEIGHT: 5-9
WEIGHT: 210
POSITIONS PLAYED: PROP
OTHER CLUBS: TENNESSEE TECH

GREG SALANSKY

PEBBLE.

POSSUM CAREER: 1996

POSSUM NUMBER: 185

SCOTT SANDMAN

SELECTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS C SIDE PROP

A HARD-CHARGING POSSUM FRONT-ROWER, SCOTT SANDMAN MOVED OVER TO KNOXVILLE AFTER A STANDOUT CAREER AT UT.

FULL NAME: SCOTT STERLING SANDMAN
RUGBY NICKNAME: SANDMAN (REALLY DIDN'T NEED A NICKNAME)

POSSUM CAREER: 1992-1996

POSSUM NUMBER: 99

HEIGHT: 5-11

WEIGHT: 215

POSITIONS PLAYED: PROP/HOOKER/FLANKER

AWARDS: BEST NEW TEAM MEMBER-1992

BRENDAN SCANLAN

AN UNDERSIZED FORWARD, BRENDAN SCANLAN WAS AN OFF-AND-ON A SIDE PLAYER WITH THE POSSUMS.
POSSUM CAREER: 1995-2000
POSSUM NUMBER: 166
POSITIONS PLAYED: FLANKER
OTHER CLUBS: UT

WAYNE SCHACHER

A "SUPER FAN" ALONG WITH BILL CADDLE, WAYNE WAS ALWAYS AT THE FORKS FOR A POSSUM HOME MATCH.
POSSUM NUMBER: 124

RICHARD SEXTON

INITIAL POSSUM RICHARD SEXTON MOVED TO ASHEVILLE AND WAS KILLED IN AN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT JUST DAYS BEFORE KNOXVILLE'S FIRST MATCH
POSSUM NUMBER: 27

JOHN SHAFTO

POSSUM CAREER: 1995
POSSUM NUMBER: 167

SHAUN SHANKS

A HARD-CHARGING CENTER, SHAUN SHANKS BROUGHT A TOUGHNESS TO THE POSSUM BACKLINE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
THE TENNESSEE TECH GRAD MOVED TO ST. LOUIS AND PLAYED SEVERAL SEASONS WEST BEFORE MOVING TO KNOXVILLE (HE WAS FROM OAK RIDGE). WILL MISS SPRING 2011 DUE TO INJURY BUT LOOK FOR A STRONG FALL COMEBACK.
POSSUM CAREER: 2000??-CURRENT
POSSUM NUMBER: TBD

JOHN SHAW

LOCK-FORWARD WHO SPENT A COUPLE OF SEASONS WITH THE POSSUMS AFTER UT.
POSSUM CAREER: 1989-1991
POSSUM NUMBER: 83

BARRY SHURETT

POSSUM CAREER: 1992
POSSUM CAREER: 131

SKINNY WING

WHAT'S A FULLBACK'S WORST NIGHTMARE?
SIMPLE, REALLY.
WHEN HE LOOKS TO HIS RIGHT AND SEES A NEW WING.
WHEN HE LOOKS TO HIS LEFT, THERE'S ANOTHER NEW WING.
"OF COURSE, WHEN YOU'RE NEW TO THE GAME YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO STAY ALIVE," SAID PAT DORWIN. "IF THE GAME DOESN'T SLOW DOWN FOR YOU PRETTY QUICK, SOMEBODY'S GONNA FLATTEN YOU INTO THE GROUND -THAT OR YOU JUST RUN AROUND IN ZIGS AND ZAGS AT 100 MPH EVERY TIME YOU GET THE BALL AND IGNORE THE SCREAMS OF YOUR TEAMMATES -THEN AT LEAST THE END COMES QUICK."
FULLBACKS AREN'T TOO FOND OF HAVING A COUPLE OF VIRGINS TO TAKE CARE OF AT THE SAME TIME.
"YOU DO ENOUGH YELLING, PREACHING AND PLEADING WITH ONE NEW WING," DORWIN SAYS. "TWO JUST DOUBLES YOUR TROUBLE."
ALL CLUBS GO THROUGH SOME PERIODS WHERE EXPERIENCED PLAYERS DRY UP AND NEWBIES RULE THE DAY - ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL FURTHER THAN CAMPBELL STATION ROAD, THE I-81/40 SPLIT OR HEAD UP INTERSTATE 75.
"I REMEMBER A COUPLE OF WHOLE SEASONS LIKE THAT," DORWIN SAYS. "NOT FUN AT TIMES."
WHICH MAKES PULLING AN UPSET EVEN MORE SWEETER OR STAYING CLOSE TO A CLUB THAT SHOULD BE BLOWING YOU OUT.
"WE TRAVELED TO DAYTON ONE SPRING TO PLAY ON A NICE FREZING SATURDAY - THERE WAS SNOW ON THE GROUND AND IT WAS SLEETING," HE SAID. "I'M AT NO. 15, LOOKING AT 'DANCES WITH FENCES' ON ONE SIDE OF ME AND SOME KID I ONLY KNEW AS 'SKINNY WING' ON THE OTHER.
"YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW SOME OF THEIR NAMES BECAUSE IT'S LIKE WATCHING A WAR MOVIE. YOU DON'T WANT TO BECOME TOO ATTACHED TO THE NEW GUYS, BECAUSE IT'S EASIER TO SAY, 'SKINNY WING'S OUT' THAN 'THAT POOR SCHMITTY FROM LENOIR CITY JUST BOUGHT THE FARM. WHAT A SHAME ... HE TOLD ME ALL ABOUT HIS FAMILY AND HOW HE WAS GONNA OPEN UP A BARBER SHOP WHEN HE MADE IT HOME ... HE WAS SO SURE HE WAS GONNA MAKE IT ...'"
PLEASE.
"IT'S TIMES LIKE THOSE YOU LOOK INTO EARLY RETIREMENT, AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IT WAS THE NIGHT AFTER SLEEPING OVER AT ROOSTER'S IN SEVIERVILLE, DRINKING BEER AND HANGING OUT WITH HIS CUTE NEIGHBOR, WHO WAS A REAL TEASE.
"I DREW THIS GREAT-LOOKING POSSUM TATTOO ON HER LEG - AND THAT GOT ME A BIT WIRED UP TOO LATE AT NIGHT TO GET MUCH MORE THAN ABOUT 30 MISERABLE MINUTES OF SLEEP. NOT THAT I WAS CLOSE TO GETTING ANYTHING ELSE."
SO AFTER A MISERABLE SIX-HOUR DRIVE, DORWIN ENDS UP IN DAYTON ON WHAT LOOKED LIKE A BAD DAY FOR THE BACK ONE.
"YOU REALLY COULDN'T CALL IT A BACK THREE, THAT'S FOR SURE."
SURPRISE, SURPRISE. THE POSSUMS KEPT THE SCORE TO SOMETHING LIKE 7-0.
"IT CERTAINLY WASN'T ONE OF THOSE 'I'M GOING TO DISNEYLAND MOMENTS,' BUT MORE LIKE WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED? DID WE REALLY JUST BARELY LOSE?"
SKINNY WING ENDED UP SURVIVING HIS THREE- OR FOUR-MATCH 'SEASON.' SO HE GETS A POSSUM NUMBER - KARL SURVIVED AS WELL TO MOVE ON TO A LIFE OF PYROTECHICS.
"I GUESS THAT'S A WHOLE LOT BETTER THAN BARKING FOR THE YAK WOMAN," DORWIN SAYS. "I CAN JUST PICTURE PHOEBE ON 'FRIENDS' WHEN ROSS TAKES UP RUGBY, SINGING ON THE SIDELINE.
"SKINNY WING, SKINNY WING, CATCH THAT BALL AND RUN ... SKINNY WING, SKINNY WING, DON'T RUN THERE, HON ... SKINNY WING, SKINNY WING, YOUR'E RUNNING LIKE A SCALDED DOG ... SKINNY WING, SKINNY WING, DEAD AS A LOG."
ANOTHER "BACK ONE" MIRACLE HAPPENED AGAINST MEMPHIS OLD #7 ON SUNDAY IN THE NASH BASH.
"WE LOST THE DAY BEFORE TO A TEAM FROM WISCONSIN THAT WAS ENTIRELY COMPRISED OF WING FORWARDS," DORWIN SAID. "THAT LOSS, COMBINED WITH MANY POSSUMS' FIXATION WITH THE CHEESEHEADS' 'PORN BUS,' DIDN'T SIT VERY WELL WITH TYLER HUSKEY.
"COME SUNDAY, TYLER'S STALKING THE SIDELINE, WORKING HIMSELF INTO A LATHER. ME, I'M LOOKING AT OUR TWO DIAPER-WEARING WINGS AND WATCHING MEMPHIS' FLYHALF WARMING UP HIS EXPERIENCED BOOT: LONG TOUCH-FINDERS, BOX KICKS OVER HIS PACK, CHIPS AND GRUBBERS AFTER A FAKE SWITCH OR TWO - IN OTHER WORDS, TROUBLE WAS COMING."
THE MATCH STARTED, AND THE POSSUMS' FORWARDS, LED BY HUSKEY FROM THE FRONT, WERE KEEPING VAST AMOUNTS OF POSSESSION, FORCING PENALTIES, TURNING THE BALL OVER WHEN OLD #7 DID HAVE A TASTE OF THE BALL.
"THAT WAS ONE OF THE BEST MATCHES I HAVE EVER SEEN TYLER PLAY - HE DIDN'T SAY MUCH, JUST LED BY EXAMPLE," DORWIN SAID. "OF COURSE, I HAD THE BEST VIEW IN THE HOUSE - 30 YARDS BACK AND US GOING FORWARD, WAITING TO SNEAK INTO THE LINE SOMEWHERE."
OF COURSE, THE FLOW OF THE GAME EVENTUALLY CHANGED. DORWIN SAID KNOXVILLE'S TURNOVERS AND PENALTY COUNT MOUNTED, AND MEMPHIS STARTED TO MOVE DOWNFIELD WITH RAKING BOOTS FROM THEIR NO. 10.
"OUR WINGS COULDN'T CATCH A FUCKING COLD, I REMEMBER WHO ONE OF THEM WAS, BUT NO NEED TO SAY HIS NAME. CAN'T REMEMBER THE OTHER ONE, BUT I KNOW HE HAD PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE."
AT THE HALF (SEE THE ENTRY ON DAVE HOLLAND FOR MORE INFO ON THE MATCH), DORWIN TOOK THEM ASIDE AND TOLD THEM THEY HAD TO START CATCHING THE KICKS.
"BASICALLY I TOLD THEM THEY WERE GOING TO GET CRUSHED WHETHER THEY HELD ON TO THE BALL OR NOT, SO THEY MINE AS WELL CATCH IT," HE SAID. "I TOLD THEM I WOULD BE NEAR ENOUGH TO THEM, SO ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS SNAG THE KICK AND PASS IT BACK TO ME AND I WOULD KICK TO SPACE OR FIND TOUCH."
THEY BECAME A BACK THREE THE FINAL 40 MINUTES. THE CENTERS COULD HAVE CONFIDENCE THEIR HUSTLING BACK TO SUPPORT WOULD PAY OFF, DORWIN SAID. THE FORWARDS HAD JELLED FROM THE START AND THE INSIDE BACKS HAD PLAYED WELL ALL MATCH.
"SO ONCE WE SETTLED DOWN, WE WERE A COMPLETE TEAM, BUT IT WAS STILL THE WILL OF TYLER AND HIS FORWARDS THAT HELPED US EARN THE WIN."
DORWIN SAID HE LOOKS BACK AT THE MATCH AS ONE OF THE POSSUMS' BIGGEST UPSETS OF ALL TIME.
POSSUM CAREER: 1996
POSSUM NUMBER: 179

RON SILVER

A BULL OF A MAN, RON SILVER MIRRORED THE CAREER OF HARRISON AMBROSE SOMEWHAT IN THAT HIS TIME AT THE BUFFET LED HIM FROM THE BACKLINE TO THE FRONT ROW.

IT'S A MOVE THAT MOST FOLKS DID'NT MAKE, BUT SILVER WAS A FORCE FOR 40+ MINUTES WHEN IN SHAPE AND A SOLID IMPACT PLAYER WHEN HIS TRAINING WASN'T UP TO PAR.

FULL NAME: RON SILVER
RUGBY NICKNAME: BFR
POSSUM CAREER: 1998-2009
POSSUM NUMBER: 193
HEIGHT: 5-10
WEIGHT: 245
POSITIONS PLAYED: PROP/CENTER
NEW CLUB MEMBER AWARD 1998-RON SILVER
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: WAS ON THE BOWL-WINNING TEAM AT THE 2002 BELLE CHERE 7s TOURNAMENT AGAINST HOST ASHEVILLE. "WE WERE DOWN FOUR POINTS WITH NO TIME LEFT," SAID INGLE. "WE WERE AWARDED A PENALTY ON OUR OWN 5-METER LINE AND RON SILVER TOOK THE QUICK-TAP. THE BALL WAS TOUCHED BY ALL SEVEN PLAYERS AND JON DAVIES FINISHED WITH A TRY UNDER THE POSTS."

MARTIN SMITH

BRINGING MUCH-NEEDED ATHLETICISM TO THE POSSUMS, MARTIN SMITH HELPED STABILIZE THE POSSUMS' BACKLINE FROM FULLBACK FOZR SEVERAL A SIDE SEASONS.
HOWEVER, EVEN PUTTING ON A LITTLE WEIGHT SLOWED HIM ENOUGH TO PUT HIS SELECTION TO THE A SIDE IN JEOPARDY.
POSSUM CAREER: 1999-2007
POSSUM NUMBER: 196

SCOTT SPITLER

NOT THE BIGGEST OF PLAYERS, SCOTT SPITLER NEVERTHELESS WAS COURAGEOUS AND SMART ENOUGH TO BE AN A SIDE WING FOR SOME TIME.

FULL NAME: SCOTT C. SPITLER
RUGBY NICKNAME:
POSSUM CAREER: 1998-2000
POSSUM NUMBER: 194
HEIGHT: 5-10
WEIGHT: 165
POSITIONS PLAYED: WING
OFFICES HELD:
TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS:
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS:
PERSONAL QUTATIONS:
OTHER CLUBS: UT, CAPE FEAR, SEACOAST (N.H.), PROVIDENCE(R.I.), WASHINGTON IRISH
BIRTHDATE: APRIL 22
BIRTHPLACE: COATESVILLE, PA.
RESIDES: ARLINGTON, VA.

TOM STEWART

POSSUM CAREER: 1991

POSSUM NUMBER: 109

TOM SUTLIFF

SOMETHING OF AN ANOMALY - TOM SUTLIFF WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TRULY ATHLETIC POSSUM PROPS.
"TOM WAS A VERY CEREBRAL PLAYER, AND KNEW WHEN TO PASS - AND MORE IMPORTANT HOW TO PASS - AND HE ALSO READ GAPS WELL AND YELLED FOR THE BALL WHEN HE SAW AN OPENING," SAID PAT DORWIN.
"THIS IS NOT A SLIGHT TO ANY OF OUR EARLY PROPS, I THINK DOUG BROWN AND TIM CHAMBERS WOULD AGREE WITH ME ABOUT TOM'S ATHLETICISM BEING DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS PROPS."
SUTLIFF MADE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT UPON JOINING THE CLUB, PLAYING FOR SEVERAL SEASONS BEFORE MOVING OUT OF THE AREA.
"HEY, I HAVE SEEN DOUG PLAY FULLBACK AND 'SLUG' (TIM CHAMBERS) USUALLY SLIMED AN OPPONENT WITH A DUMMY PASS AND GAINED 20 METERS AT LEAST ONCE A GAME," DORWIN SAID. "TOM JUST ADDED TO THOSE THINGS FROM A PLACE I KNOW LITTLE ABOUT - NOR CARE TO LEARN ABOUT - THE FRONT ROW."
POSSUM CAREER: 1987-1988
POSSUM NUMBER: 58

JEFF SULLIVAN

COMING OVER FROM UT JEFF "SULLY" SULLIVAN SAW FIRST- AND SECOND-SIDE ACTION FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
POSSUM CAREER: 1992-1994
POSSUM NUMBER: 132
POSITION: WING

MARK SZYDLO

SELECTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS A SIDE SCRUMHALF

A LIVEWIRE OF A PLAYER, MARK SZYDLO WAS KNOXVILLE'S A SIDE SCRUMHALF PRETTY MUCH THROUGHOUT HIS POSSUM CAREER AND IS CONSIDERED BY SOME AS THE ALL-TIME BEST POSSUM NO. 9.

GUTSY AND QUICK, SZYDLO WAS ALWAYS MOVING HIMSELF OR HIS PACK CONSTANTLY PAST THE GAINLINE.

"THAT WAS A BIG STRENGTH OF MARK'S - HE WAS ALWAYS MOVING THE TEAM, GAINING GROUND," SAID PAT DORWIN. "HE WAS MORE QUICK THAN FAST, BUT HE HAD GOOD SPEED, GOOD HANDS AND DUMMIED THE BALL WELL."

FULL NAME: MARK LAWRENCE SZYDLO
RUGBY NICKNAME:
POSSUM CAREER: 1995-2002
POSSUM NUMBER: 168 , HIS DAD, NUMBER: 169
HEIGHT: 5-9
WEIGHT: 170
POSITIONS PLAYED: SCRUMHALF, FULLBACK
TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS: 1998 MIDWEST RFU DIVISION III CHAMPIONS
OTHER CLUBS: UT

SOUTH AFRICAN TWINS

FOR A FULL SEASON OR SO, KNOXVILLE WAS HONORED TO HAVE A COUPLE OF BAREFOOT-PLAYING SOUTH AFRICAN TWINS, BUT THEIR NAMES ESCAPE ME.
CAN BE SEEN ON ONE OF THE KARS' 7s HIGHLIGHT TAPES PERFORMING THE HAKA AT MURFREESBORO.
POSSUM CAREERS: 1994
POSSUM NUMBERS: 156, 157

T

T

JIM TARWATER

A BLOCK OF GRANITE OF A MAN, JIM TARWATER CAME OVER FROM SEVIER COUNTY TO PUT IN A FEW B SIDE SEASONS WITH THE POSSUMS.

A LEGENDARY SMOKY BEAR FOOTBALL PLAYER - AS WELL AS ALL-AROUND DRINKER, THE GREGARIOUS TARWATER SAW SOME ACTION AT INSIDE CENTER AND IN THE PACK, BUT NEVER ONE TO TAKE HIS TRAINING SERIOUSLY, TARWATER COULDN'T OVERCOME HIS LACK OF RUGBY FUNDAMENTALS TO SERIOUSLY CHALLENGE FOR AN A SIDE BERTH ANYWHERE.

"JIM WAS HIS OWN MAN," PAT DORWIN SAID. "THE ONLY PERSON I EVER SAW ON A RUGBY PITCH WHO SCARED ME ON SIGHT WAS A B SIDE PLAYER AT UT NAMED BOB SLAUGHTER, WHO LAST I HEARD WAS SERVING LIFE IN PRISON. I SUPPOSE JIM COULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING TO A FEW OF OUR OPPONENTS, WHAT WITH THAT BULLDOG HEAD OF HIS."

TARWATER IS ONE OF THE MOST TALKATIVE FACEBOOK USERS IN THE KNOXVILLE AREA.

POSSUM CAREER: 1996-1997

POSSUM NUMBER: 186
HEIGHT: 6-1

WEIGHT: 240

POSITION: CENTER

ED TAUB

ED TAUB WAS AN OLD-SCHOOL HOOKER.

POSSUM CAREER: 1982-1990

POSSUM NUMBER: 199

PHIL THIELKE

A TALL LOCK FORWARD, PHIL THIELKE HAD A SOMEWHAT SHORT CAREER AS A POSSUM BEFORE MOVING ON TO BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS IN NASHVILLE.

"OR PERHAPS IT WAS VICE-VERSA," SAID PAT DORWIN. "I'VE TRIED TO REMEMBER TOO MUCH SHIT FOR THIS BLOG THAT NOBODY SEEMS TO GIVE TWO CRAPS ABOUT, SO MAYBE PHIL PLAYED IN NASHVILLE FIRST THEN CAME HERE BEFORE GOING BACK TO KNOXVILLE.

"EITHER WAY, HELL OF A PLAYER, HELL OF A NICE GUY."

POSSUM CAREER 1995-1997

POSSUM NUMBER: 170

POSITION: LOCK

DAN TOMBLIN

POSSUM CAREER: 1995

POSSUM NUMBER: 171

JOE TRIBENDIS

POSSUM CAREER: 1989-1990

POSSUM NUMBER: 67

P

P

GARY PATTERSON

POSSUM CAREER: 1992
POSSUM NUMBER: 128

JOHN PARRIS

POSSUM CAREER: 1992
POSSUM NUMBER: 133

BRIAN PAYNE

A HARD-CHARGING, STRAIGHT-AHEAD RUNNING CENTER, A TOUGH BRIAN PAYNE HELPED STRAIGHTEN MANY A BACKLINE PLAY DURING HIS FEW POSSUM YEARS.

SOLID, HE WAS MORE OF A CRASH-BALL INSIDE CENTER, BUT HE SAW SOME TIME AT SECOND CENTER AS WELL.

"BRIAN WAS AN INTENSE PLAYER WHO GAVE NO QUARTER," SAID PAT DORWIN.
RUGBY NICKNAME: B-DRY BRIAN
POSSUM CAREER: 1990-1997
POSSUM NUMBER: 95
HEIGHT: 5-9
WEIGHT: 205
POSITIONS PLAYED: CENTER

ROBERT PEAGLER

SELECTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS D SIDE FLYHALF

TALENTED ROBERT PEAGLER SHOWCASED HIS SKILLS FOR EARLY POSSUM TEAMS, RETIRED FROM THE SPORT, THEN REGAINED INTEREST IN PLAYING AFTER STARTING A HIGH SCHOOL CLUB.
POSSUM CAREER: 1981-1987; 2003-2008
POSSUM NUMBER: 28
POSITIONS: FLYHALF, CENTER

MIKE PIERCE

POSSUM CAREER: 1992-1994

POSSUM NUMBER: 129

GARY PLEMONS

POSSUM CAREER: 1989-1991
POSSUM NUMBER: 82
NICKNAME: SPACEMAN

BRIAN POSTON

FROM THE LAND NEAR DOLLYWOOD CAME A FLANKER KNOWN AS "HOLLYWOOD."
BIG-SUNGLASS-WEARING BRIAN POSTON HAD A TRIO OF STINTS WITH THE POSSUMS COVERING A DECADE.
FULL NAME: BRIAN KEITH POSTON
RUGBY NICKNAME: HOLLYWOOD
POSSUM CAREER: 1995-97, 2000-2002 AND SOME SOCIAL MATCHES THROUGH 2005
POSSUM NUMBER: 165
POSITIONS PLAYED: FLANKER, #8
HEIGHT: 6-0
WEIGHT: 225
MEMORABLE SEASONS: 2001, "SIN-CINATTI"
BIRTHDATE: 2-4-74
BIRTHPLACE: NASHVILLE
OTHER CLUBS: UT, MEMPHIS OLD #7
RESIDES: KNOXVILLE
FAMILY: WIFE, HEATHER; SON, KNOX AND SECOND BABY ON THE WAY
OCCUPATION: SALES MANAGER, CLAYTON HOMES, 15 YEARS

DOUG POWELL

SELECTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS B SIDE FLANKER

FLANKER/EIGHTMAN DOUG POWELL WAS MANY PLAYERS ROLLED INTO ONE BIG TALENT: STRONG, TOUGH, FAST, SUPERB TACKLER, EXCELLENT RUNNER AND A PLAYER WHO WAS ALWAYS GOING FORWARD.

AT LEAST IN THE 15-PLAYER VERSION OF THE GAME. IT WAS IN 7s THAT YOU NOTICED HIS SUBLIME RUGBY SKILLS.

"IF YOU THOUGHT DOUG WAS JUST A HARD-CHARGING, STIFF-ARMING RUNNER FROM THE BACK OF THE SCRUM, YOU ONLY NEED TO LOOK AT THE 7s HIGHLIGHT VIDEOS TO SEE THAT WASN'T ALWAYS TRUE," SAID PAT DORWIN, WHO HELPED BRIAN NIEKERK PUT TOGETHER A COUPLE OF KARS HIGHLIGHT VIDEOS. "IN 7s, DOUG WAS ALWAYS LOOKING TO PASS FIRST AND RUN SECOND."

ALTHOUGH POWELL DIDN'T PLAY ALL THAT MANY 7s MATCHES, HE WAS A FORCE WHEN HE DID, SETTING UP TRIES AS WELL A USING HIS SPEED TO SCORE HIMSELF.

"CHANGING YOUR GAME TO PLAY PROPER 7s WASN'T EASY TO DO FOR MANY PLAYERS, ESPECIALLY FORWARDS," SAID DORWIN. "IT'S TOUGH FOR PLAYERS NOT TO GO FORWARD ALL THE TIME - OR EVEN BACK UP TO WAIT FOR SUPPORT - BUT DOUG WAS A PLAYER WHO PICKED UP THE NUANCES OF 7s QUICKLY."

HOWEVER, AS MUCH AS POWELL CONTROLLED HIS PACE IN 7s, HE WAS ALL FULL-THROTTLE IN 15s.

"WHEN DOUG PLAYED ON SOME HIGHLY TALENTED UT TEAMS, HE WAS ONE OF A COUPLE PLAYERS YOU WANTED TO KNOW WHERE ON THE PITCH THEY WERE," DORWIN SAID. "OTHERWISE, HE WAS GOING TO DRIVE YOU TO THE GROUND IN A TACKLE, OR SNEAK WEAK WITH THE BALL OFF HIS SCRUM."


FULL NAME: CHARLES DOUGLAS POWELL
POSSUM CAREER: 1992-2002

POSSUM NUMBER:

HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 187
POSITIONS PLAYED: FLANKER/#8/CENTER
OFFICES HELD:
TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS: MIDWEST CHAMPIONS
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: 1998
PERSONAL QOUTATIONS:
BIRTHDATE: 8-18-69
BIRTHPLACE: ANDERSONVILLE, TENN.
OTHER CLUBS: UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE 1988-1992
RESIDES: POWELL, TENNESSEE
FAMILY: WIFE-ANDI , SON-SHADE
OCCUPATION: UPS DRIVER

JON PRIODE

THE POSSUMS HAD A KNACK FOR LETTING NEWER PLAYERS JOIN SHORT-HANDED TEAMS WHO VISITED THE FORKS - AND HAVING THE MOVE COME BACK AND BITE THEM IN THE ASS.

JON PRIODE WAS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THIS PHENOMENA: HE PICKED UP WITH ASHEVILLE AND DEMORALIZED THE POSSUMS BY SCORING THREE TRIES.

"I THINK WE MAY HAVE WON, BUT IT WAS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE APPEARANCES AGAINST US," SAID PAT DORWIN, WHO WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL WITH JON'S OLDER BROTHER AND CONVINCED THE YOUNGSTER TO GIVE RUGBY A TRY. "BUT NOT THREE - AGAINST US. JUST SHOWS YOU THE BRILLIANCE OF THE SELECTORS AT TIMES."

SHORT AND SKINNY, PRIODE WAS FAST AND ELUSIVE.

"JON SORT OF REMINDED ME OF MYSELF WHEN I FIRST STARTED PLAYING," DORWIN SAID. "HE WAS ALSO ONE OF THE FEW - OUT OF MANY I TRIED TO TALK INTO PLAYING RUGBY - WHO ACTUALLY HAD THE BALLS TO DO SO."

DORWIN THOUGHT PRIODE HAD THE SKILLS TO MOVE CLOSER TO THE SCRUM AND DEVELOP INTO AN OUTSTANDING SCRUMHALF. DORWIN SAYS DON'T DRINK AND PLAY NO. 9, HOWEVER.

"JON AND I DROVE DOWN TO HUNTSVILLE ONE SATURDAY MORNING," DORWIN SAID. "AND FOLLOWING THE WAY MOST OF OUR GUYS AT THE TIME PLAYED, WE SPLIT A 12-PACK ON THE WAY DOWN. I HAD BEEN SEEING A FEW GAMES AT SCRUMHALF EVERY NOW AND THEN - SO THAT WAS A LESS THAN BRILLIANT DECISION TO HAVE THE BEERS. I PERFORMED POORLY ENOUGH THAT EIGHTMAN RICK OEGEMA HAD TO PLAY SCRUMHALF THE FINAL 40 MINUTES.

"RICK WAS PROBABLY KNOXVILLE'S TALLEST SCRUMHALF UNTIL ADAM INGLE IN THE 2000s. JON HAD A FEW BRAIN FARTS THAT DAY, TOO. HE PICKED UP A LOOSE BALL, BURST ABOUT 15 YARDS AHEAD - AND THEN JUST STOPPED - STOPPED, BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE BROKE A LAW. WE ALL YELLED FOR HIM TO RUN, BUT HIS LITTLE REST STOP ALLOWED THE COVER TO CATCH HIM."
FULL NAME: JON PRIODE
POSSUM CAREER: 1990-91
POSSUM NUMBER: 73
POSITIONS PLAYED: WING
HEIGHT: 5-9

WEIGHT: 165

MIKE PULLIN

POSSUM CAREER: 1990-1992

POSSUM NUMBER: 96

O

O

RICK OEGEMA

HAILING FROM THE GREAT WHITE NORTH, RICK OEGEMA MADE AN INSTANT IMPACT FOR THE POSSUMS IN THE BACK ROW OR AT LOCK.

"RICK WAS SO KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE GAME, I'M SURPRISED HE HAD THE PATIENCE TO PLAY WITH US," SAID PAT DORWIN. "NOT TOO MANY POSSUMS HAVE MADE THEIR PRESCENCE FELT FROM THE START, BUT HIS HIGH WORK RATE MADE US ALL BETTER PLAYERS."

FULL NAME: GERALD RICHARD OEGEMA
NICKNAME: CANUCK, OEGIE
POSSUM CAREER: 1987 - 1990
POSSUM NUMBER: 56
HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 200
POSITIONS PLAYED: LOCK, FLANKER, EIGHT,
OFFICES HELD: CAPTAIN
TEAM HONORS:
PERSONAL QOUTATIONS:
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: MVP OTTAWA INDIANS 1981, 1982
OTHER CLUBS: OTTAWA INDIANS, 1979 - 1986
BIRTHDATE: NOV. 30, 1959
BIRTHPLACE: BROCKVILLE, ONTARIO, CANADA
RESIDES: KNOXVILLE
FAMILY: WIFE, GAMBLE, CHILDREN, BRITTANY (1988), KRISTOPHER (1990), CORY(1994)
OCCUPATION: PROJECT MANAGER

N

N

BOB NELSON

A WIRY FULLBACK, BOB NELSON WAS A STOPPER AS THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE AND GOOD UNDER THE HIGH-BALL .

FULL NAME: ROBERT (BOB) NELSON
POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1984
POSSUM NUMBER: 18
HEIGHT: 6-0
WEIGHT: 200
POSITIONS PLAYED: FULLBACK, FLYHALF
OFFICES HELD: SOCIAL CHAIRMAN
TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS: LIFETIME POSSUM AWARD, 1984
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: TOO MANY TO LIST
PERSONAL QOUTATIONS: "SOME PEOPLE ARE ALIVE TODAY SIMPLY BECAUSE IT IS ILLEGAL TO KILL THEM."--ANONYMOUS
OTHER CLUBS: AUGUSTA RFC, ARCHIBALL ASSOCIATION, USA
BIRTHDATE: 12-5-59
BIRTHPLACE: DETROIT
RESIDES: AUGUSTA
FAMILY: WIFE, MIRIAM; SONS, JACK 12, AND SAM, 9
OCCUPATION: PRODUCTION PLANNER FOR AGY, LLC

BRIAN NIEKERK

VOTED AS EIGHTMAN AND LOCK ON ALL-TIME A SIDE

PROFESSIONAL GAMBLER, OLD-SCHOOL RUGBY GOAL-KICKER, DEVOTED FAN OF THE SIMPSONS, WANNABE CENTER, DON'T WANNABE SECOND ROW, RAMPAGING EIGHTMAN, BRIAN NIEKERK WAS ALL THOSE AND MORE - A TOP-NOTCH 7s PLAYER AND WEARER OF THOSE ULTRA-SHEIK GREEN KNEE PADS.

NIEKERK BURST ONTO THE POSSUM SCENE IN THE MIDDLE 1980s FRESH FROM THE MONTANA STATE OREDIGGERS OR SANTA CRUZ BANANA SLUGS - OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT - WITH A DEGREE IN ONE HAND AND THE OTHER HIDING SOME NOXIOUS OAK RIDGE NUCLEAR WASTE - PROBABLY WITH ACES UP BOTH SLEEVES.

THE WILD WEST CAME TO TOWN IN THE FORM OF THE 6-4, 250-POUND RED-HEADED BLOCK OF A HELLUVA A NICE GUY - UNLESS OF COURSE YOU WERE ON THE OPPOSING TEAM. THEN YOU WERE IN FOR A LONG DAY.

"BRIAN JUMPED RIGHT INTO BEING OUR TOP EIGHTMAN, DRAGGING THREE OR FOUR TACKLERS CONSTANTLY BEFORE SETTING THE BALL," SAID PAT DORWIN. "HE WAS A SCRUMHALVES DREAM - PLENTY OF NO. 8 PICKUPS ALL OVER THE PITCH."

NASHVILLE FORWARD LYLE JONES SAID A COUPLE OF TEAMMATES, BEASTIE, A FRONT-ROWER, AND BART, A SCRUMHALF, HAD A SIMPLE NICKNAME FOR NIEKERK: "CUNT."

YUP, THAT ABOUT SUMS IT IT UP IF YOU WERE ONE OF THE MANY UNLUCKY OPPONENTS IN 15s - NIEKERK WOULD ROUTINELY CRASH THROUGH THREE OR FOUR TACKLE ATTEMPTS TO SET THE BALL AND GET THE DEFENSE ON THEIR BACK FEET.

"HE WAS ALSO A STRONG 7s PLAYER AS WELL," SAID DORWIN. "ANY SCRUM WAS GOING WHERE BRIAN WANTED IT TO, WHETHER HE PUSHED OR PULLED."

NIEKERK STARTED THE KNOXVILLE AREA RUGBY SELECTS - KARS - A TEAM THAT ROUTINELY COMPETED IN THE MIDWEST RFU CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE 1990s, AND WON THE CAPE FEAR CLUB DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1995 AND FINISHED AS RUNNER-UPS IN 1996.

"THE SUNDAY IN 1995 WAS SOME OF THE BEST RUGBY KNOXVILLE HAS PLAYED AT ANYTIME," DORWIN SAID. "WE HAMMERED TOP-SEEDED EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY IN THE OPENING MATCH - THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HIT THEM.

"THEN WE TOOK APART OUR BIG NEMESIS, LOUISVILLE IN THE SEMI-FINALS," SAID DORWIN, WHO SCORED FIVE WEEKEND TRIES - WITH FOUR COMING ON SUNDAY, TWO EACH AGAINST ECU AND IN THE SEMIS. "BRIAN HAD A WAY OF GETTING UNDER AN OPPONENTS' SKIN, WHETHER BEING A SMART-ASS OR JUST SMILING AFTER WE SCORED A TRY. I CAN SEE HOW HE PICKED UP THE NICKNAME."

DORWIN, PLAYING FIVE STRAIGHT GAMES AT SCRUMHALF AFTER MISSING SATURDAY MORNING'S OPENING GAME, A 5-0 LOSS, SAID FLYHALF ANDY CLEARY (SIX TRIES ON THE WEEKEND) AND CENTER TOM WILSON STOOD OUT

"TOM DROP-KICKED 16 OF OUR 18 CONVERSION ATTEMPTS, INCLUDING BOTH TRIES WE SCORED IN THE FINAL, A 14-10 IN OVER THE PHILADELPHIA MAVERICKS," DORWIN SAID. "WE ALMOST PUT THEM AWAY EARLY IN THE SECOND-HALF. I HAD THE BALL DOWN THE LEFT TOUCHLINE BUT THE DEFENSE WAS GOING TO CATCH ME, SO I CENTERED THE BALL LEFT-FOOTED AND TOM JUST MISSED GRABBING IT ABOUT 10 YARDS FROM THE TRYLINE. I PULLED MY HAMMY AND GREGG GIDDISH CAME IN AND HELPED PRESERVE THE WIN WITH SOME STRONG DEFENSE IN THE DYING MOMENTS."

DORWIN SAID THE WIN OVER LOUISVILLE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST SATISFYING OF THEIR CAREERS FOR MANY ON THAT TEAM, WITH NIEKERK AND THE LATE STEVE ROADS PROPPING, STEVE CUNNINGHAM AT HOOKER AND WING FRANK BENNETT.

"IT DAMN WELL BETTER BE," HE SAID. "WE HAD SOME STRONG WINS IN 7s AND OF COURSE THE 1998 MIDWEST DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP STANDS OUT AS WELL IN 15s," WITH DORWIN, CUNNINGHAM, BENNETT, ROADS, AND NIEKERK ALL ON THE PITCH THAT DAY.

"ANOTHER BIG WIN WAS AGAINST A STRONG MEMPHIS OLD #7 TEAM ON A SUNDAY AT THE NASH BASH THE DAY AFTER A LOSS TO A TEAM OF WISCONSIN FLANKERS AND THEIR HYPNOTIC PORN BUS," SAID DORWIN. "THE WILL OF TYLER HUSKEY LEADING FROM THE FRONT HELPED WHAT WAS A RAG-TAG TEAM STOP MEMPHIS, I THINK THE FINAL SCORE WAS 20-13 OR NEAR THERE."

DORWIN SAID THE POSSUMS HAD SOME OTHER SATISFYING WINS AT THE NASH BASH.

"WE ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED A MUCH YOUNGER, ATHLETIC, UP-AND-COMING GRAND RAPIDS TEAM 62-3 BEHIND FOUR TRIES BY TOM WILSON," SAID DORWIN. "WE ALSO BEAT A STRONG CANADIAN COLLEGE, WINDSOR UNIVERSITY 20-15, ALTHOUGH IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN NEARLY THAT CLOSE IF WE HAD MADE A FEW LAST PASSES."

ONLY POSSUM VOTED TO TWO POSITIONS ON ALL-TIME A SIDE. DORWIN AND ED EVERETT ONLY TWO CHOSEN FOR SPOTS ON A AND B SIDES.

FULL NAME: BRIAN X. NIEKERK

RUGBY NICKNAME: BIG RED, JOLLY GREEN GIANT, CUNT

POSSUM CAREER: 1988-2000

POSSUM NUMBER: 69

HEIGHT: 6-5

WEIGHT: 250

POSITIONS PLAYED: #8, LOCK, CENTER

OFFICES HELD: PRESIDENT, CAPTAIN, CO-CAPTAIN

TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS:

MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: 1995-96 (7s), 1998 (15s)

PERSONAL QOUTATIONS: "I RE-RAISE YOUR RE-RAISE."

"YOU BOYS HERE TO PLAY SOFTBALL?"

OTHER CLUBS: MONTANA ELK

BIRTHDATE:

BIRTHPLACE:

RESIDES: KINGSTON

FAMILY: WIFE, MARIE

OCCUPATION: NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL (DON'T EVER LET HIM IN YOUR BACKYARD)

M

M

BARRY MARTIN

POSSUM CAREER: 1990

POSSUM NUMBER: 94

BILL McARTHUR

SELECTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS C SIDE PROP

POSSUM CAREER: 1996-2002

POSSUM NUMBER: 201

JACK McCONNELL

GANGLY FLANKER JACK McCONNELL WAS A POSSUM FIXTURE FOR MANY YEARS, QUIETLY GOING ABOUT HIS BUSINESS ON OR OFF THE PITCH. CLUB FOUNDER.

KICKED PENALTIES, CONVERSIONS AND FOR TOUCH AT TIMES.


FULL NAME: JACK PERRY McCONNELL
POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1994
POSSUM NUMBER: 7
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: 180
POSITIONS PLAYED: FLANKER, LOCK, #8. PROP AND WING IN 7s.

JOHN McCORD

TALL FORWARD WHO SPENT A COUPLE OF SEASONS AS A POSSUM AFTER GRADUATING FROM UT.

FULL NAME: JOHN McCORD
RUGBY NICKNAME:
POSSUM CAREER: 1991-1993
POSSUM NUMBER: 106
HEIGHT: 6-3
WEIGHT: 226
POSITIONS PLAYED: LOCK

PHIL McGLAMERY

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY PHIL McGLAMERY LOUDLY SUPPORTED THE POSSUMS FOR SEVERAL SEASONS.


FULL NAME: PHILIP IAN McGLAMERY
RUGBY NICKNAME: UNCLE PHIL
POSSUM CAREER: 1994-1997
POSSUM NUMBER: 151

HEIGHT: 6-0
WEIGHT: 188
POSITIONS PLAYED: PROP, HOOKER, LOCK

MIKE McSALLY

MIKE McSALLY QUICKLY ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS AN A SIDE HALFBACK IMMEDIATELY UPON HIS MOVE TO KNOXVILLE FROM PHILADELPHIA.

FULL NAME: MICHAEL PETER McSALLY
POSSUM CAREER: 1994-1997
POSSUM NUMBER: 152
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: 171
POSITIONS PLAYED: FLYHALF, SCRUMHALF
FAMILY:
OCCUPATION:

DEAN MENKE

HARD-RUNNING DEAN MENKE WAS PART OF A STRONG MIX OF CENTERS IN THE EARLY- TO MID-1980s.

"DEAN WAS THERE WHEN I STARTED PLAYING IN 1986," SAID PAT DORWIN. "AND WE HAD GUYS LIKE GREG WENDT, BARRY LAIL, DANNY BRASWELL AND DENNIS CARMICHEAL MANY OF THOSE SEASONS."

FULL NAME: DEAN ROGER MENKE
POSSUM CAREER: 1982-1987
POSSUM NUMBER: 41
HEIGHT: 6-3
WEIGHT: 215
POSITIONS PLAYED: CENTER, WING

MICHAEL MILLER

DESPITE BEING A POSSUM FOUNDER, MICHAEL MILLER NEVER ACTUALLY PLAYED A MATCH FOR KNOXVILLE.

HE OBVIOUSLY HAD SOME EXPERIENCE, THOUGH, AS HE REFFED SEVERAL POSSUM MATCHES, APPARENTLY NOT TAKING ANY LIP FROM BOB BOGEN, WHICH PROVED THE FACT THAT POSSUM BACKS FROM BOB BOGEN TO ED EVERETT LIKED TO CHIRP AT THE REFEREE.

RUGBY NICKNAME: SWIVEL HIPS

POSSUM CAREER: FOUNDER

POSSUM NUMBER: 3

HEIGHT: 6-1

WEIGHT: 190

PERSONAL QOUTATIONS: "BOGEN, YOU'RE OUT OF THE GAME!"

BIRTHDATE: 4-27-55

BIRTHPLACE: SOUTH RIVER, N.J.

OTHER CLUBS: WEST POINT, UT, OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY, EVANSVILLE RFC

RESIDES: KNOXVILLE

FAMILY: WIFE, THREE CHILDREN

OCCUPATION: ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER

RYAN MILLER

SELECTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS A SIDE HOOKER

RYAN MILLER IS PROUD OF HIS NICKNAME OF "ROOSTER."

"I CAME OFF THE PITCH AFTER A MATCH, AND THIS GUY SHAKES MY HAND AND SAYS, 'HI, I'M ROOSTER,'" SAID PAT DORWIN. "I THINK TO MYSELF, 'OK,' BUT AS I NEVER HAD COOL RUGBY NICKNAME, LET ALONE ONE NAMED AFTER A FARM ANIMAL, I MOVED ON TO SEARCH FOR A BEER.

"SURPRISING, NOW, TO LOOK BACK ON IT, BUT I WAS THE FIRST POSSUM RYAN MET AND HE WAS BEERLESS," DORWIN SAID. "IT'S A GOOD THING HE NEVER MADE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN."

DORWIN SAID RYAN LATER TOLD HIM "THAT I GAVE HIM SUCH A PERPLEXED LOOK WHEN HE INTRODUCED HIMSELF AS 'ROOSTER' THAT HE KEPT HIS NICKNAME SECRET AFTER THAT."

IT WASN'T UNTIL ABOUT A YEAR LATER AT THE NASH BASH WHEN A FORMER INDIANA UNIVERSITY TEAMMATE YELLED OVER TO RYAN AS HE WAS WALKING WITH SOME FELLOW POSSUMS.

"WHO IS HE CALLING 'ROOSTER?'" ONE OF THEM WONDERED.

"ME," RYAN SAID. "IT WAS MY NICKNAME AT IU."

THAT GOT A LAUGH AND THEN A FEW MORE AS HIS FELLOW POSSUMS LET EVERYBODY KNOW RYAN'S NICKNAME - HE, OF COURSE, HAS BEEN KNOWN AS ROOSTER HERE EVER SINCE.

PAT AND RYAN BECAME GOOD FRIENDS, WITH DORWIN MOVING FROM PIGEON FORGE TO MILLER'S APARTMENT IN SEVIERVILLE WHEN MILLER MOVED NEAR EAST TOWNE MALL.

EDITOR'S NOTE: FOR MORE OF MILLER'S ESCAPADES, SEE THE PAGE "ROOSTERISMS."

"IT WAS IN A RATHER ROUGH PART OF THE CITY KNOWN AS 'FROG ALLEY,'" DORWIN SAID. "IN FACT, THERE WAS A MURDER RIGHT NEXT DOOR A FEW YEARS BEFORE, A LOVE TRIANGLE KIND OF THING.

"RYAN WAS SOON EXONERATED AS A SUSPECT BECAUSE TOO MANY WITNESSES AGREED RYAN WAS EXTREMELY DRUNK AND WENT NEXT DOOR TO SLEEP IT OFF," DORWIN SAID. "IMAGINE THAT."

EDITOR'S NOTE: FOR MORE INFO, GOOGLE "SHAYNE LOVERA."

"SO I WAS THE FIRST POSSUM TO MEET RYAN AS 'ROOSTER' AND I ALSO PLAYED IN THE FIRST GAME HE EVER SCORED TRY, FOR KNOXVILLE THAT IS, AT A RAINY 7s TOURNEY IN NASHVILLE IN THE MID-1990s," SAID DORWIN.

FULL NAME: RYAN RALPH MILLER
RUGBY NICKNAME: ROOSTER
POSSUM CAREER: 1994-CURRENT
POSSUM NUMBER: 153
HEIGHT: 5-9
WEIGHT: 180
POSITIONS PLAYED: HOOKER, FLANKER
OFFICES HELD: VICE-PRESIDENT AND EVERY OTHER OFFICE YOU NO-LOADS COULD VOTE ME INTO
TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS: 1998 MIDWEST RFU DIV. III CHAMPS
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS:
PERSONAL QUOTATIONS: PLENTY - SOME EVEN MAKE SENSE, IN A TWISTED SORT OF WAY.
BIRTHDATE: 12-13-70
BIRTHPLACE: BRISTOL, TENN. (SURE, JEFF GORDON JR.)
OTHER CLUBS: INDIANA UNIVERSITY
RESIDES: STRAWBERRY PLAINS, MUCH TOO CLOSE TO POSSUM PARK
FAMILY: WIFE, HEATHER
OCCUPATION: STATE EMPLOYEE WITH MANDATED 27 DAYS OFF PER YEAR, LADDER SAFETY INSPECTOR, FARRIER

WALT MONTGOMERY

AN EARLY POSSUM, WALT MONTGOMERY SPENT SOME TIME AT A SIDE HOOKER.

"WALT WAS A SOLID, SMART PLAYER - WHETHER HE STARTED OR CAME ON AS A REPLACEMENT," SAID PAT DORWIN.

IT WAS MONTGOMERY WHO TALKED DORWIN INTO GIVING THE GAME A TRY.

"I WAS DRIVING A PLUMBING SUPPLY DELIVERY TRUCK AND WALT CAME THERE TO HELP OUT THROUGH A TEMPORARY AGENCY," DORWIN SAID. "WE WERE THROWING A FOOTBALL AROUND DURING LUNCH AND HE SUGGESTED I GIVE RUGBY A SHOT. I'M GLAD I DID."

FULL NAME:
RUGBY NICKNAME:
POSSUM CAREER: 1981-1989
POSSUM NUMBER: 37
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: 224
POSITIONS PLAYED: HOOKER, PROP

STEVE MOORE

VOTED AS THE "MOST GREGARIOUS" POSSUM OF ALL-TIME, AND NOT COINCIDENTLY, ALL-TIME "LOUDEST POSSUM" EVER, (BOTH UNANIMOUS) STEVE "WILDMAN" MOORE'S VOICE COULD BE HEARD ALL THE WAY IN WEST KNOXVILLE FROM FORKS OF THE RIVER ON MATCH DAYS.

"THAT MAY BE A STRETCH, BUT STEVE'S DECIBEL LEVEL RARELY WENT UNDER THAT OF A SUPERSONIC JET," SAID LONGTIME TEAMMATE PAT DORWIN. "OF COURSE, THAT ONLY WORKS IF YOU'RE FUNNY, WHICH STEVE IS, OTHERWISE YOU JUST LOOK LIKE AN ASS."

SPEAKING OF ASSES, STEVE'S HELPED PROP UP MANY A FRONT ROW OVER THE YEARS.

"HE WAS IN DECENT SHAPE AT TIMES (WEREN'T WE ALL FOR SOME STRETCH OF OUR CAREERS?), AND WHEN HE WAS, HE WAS A FORCE," DORWIN SAID. "NATURALLY STRONG, HE WAS A BIG BOY THAT DEFENDERS DIDN'T EXACTLY RELISH HAVING TO BRING DOWN, IT WAS SORT OF LIKE A PACK OF JACKALS TRYING TO DOWN A BABY ELEPHANT AT TIMES."

MOORE SAYS HIS MATCH-DAY WEIGHT "VARIED ACCORDING TO HOW MUCH BEER WE CONSUMED THE NIGHT BEFORE, OR RIGHT BEFORE GAME TIME."

FULL NAME: STEVEN GREGORY MOORE
RUGBY NICKNAME: WILDMAN
POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1983 1993-1995
POSSUM NUMBER: 19
HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 265
POSITIONS PLAYED: PROP
OFFICES HELD: CHIEF BELLOWER
OTHER CLUBS: JOHNSON CITY

MARCUS MORTON

EARLY POSSUM PROP

POSSUM CAREER: 1982-1983

POSSUM NUMBER: 42

CHRIS MOTT

A HEADY PLAYER, CHRIS MOTT WAS ALWAYS READY TO PLAY WHEN NEEDED AFTER A GOOD CAREER AT UT.

ALTHOUGH NOT THE BIGGEST PLAYER, MOTT TOOK SHARP ANGLES AND HIT HOLES ON THE BURST FROM WING OR FULLBACK, OFTEN PICKING UP LONG GAINS OR DRAWING DEFENDERS TO SET UP TRIES.

"I REMEMBER ONE GAME THAT HE BROKE THROUGH THE LINE FROM FULLBACK," SAID PAT DORWIN. "I WAS ON HIS LEFT JUST INSIDE MIDFIELD, HE SUCKED IN THE DEFENSE AND I CALLED FOR THE BALL. CHRIS KEPT DUMMYING THE PASS AND JUKING IN AND OUT BEFORE ONE FINAL DUMMY AND HE CUT BACK INSIDE TO SCORE.

"I KINDA WAS EXPECTING A PASS EVENTUALLY BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE BEAT THE COVER TO THE CORNER, BUT ON THE JOG BACK TO OUR HALF HE SAID I MADE THE TRY BY MIRRORING HIS RUN TO KEEP THE DEFENSE HONEST AND HE WAS RIGHT."

MOTT ALSO PLAYED SCRUMHALF SOME IN 15s AS WELL AS BEING A SOLID 7s PLAYER.

FULL NAME: CHRIS MOTT
RUGBY NICKNAME: "HOOPLE, ONLY STUCK IN NASHVILLE FOR SOME REASON."

EDITOR'S NOTE: MOTT THE HOOPLE WAS AN EARLY 1970s "GLAM BAND," FEATURING LEAD SINGER IAN HUNTER AND GUITARIST MICK RONSON, FAMOUS FOR COVERING LOU REED'S "SWEET JANE," AND "ALL THE YOUNG DUDES," WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN A DAVID BOWIE TUNE. GREAT, UNHERALED BAND.POSSUM CAREER: 1992-1995
POSSUM NUMBER: 127
HEIGHT: 6-0
WEIGHT: 170 (THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW)
POSITIONS PLAYED: WING, FULLBACK, SCRUMHALF
OFFICES HELD: NONE
TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS: "HELPING BRING UT AND KNOXVILLE TOGETHER, NO HELP FROM VAL (REICH)."
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: FIRST SEASON WITH THE POSSUMS WITH SCOTT SANDMAN, DOUGIE POWELL AND ED EVERETT. "ALMOST LIKE NOT GRADUATING."
PERSONAL QUOTATIONS: BEFORE KICKOFFS, "HEY, DOUGIE, WHERE DO YOU WANT ME TO KICK IT? AS DOUGIE POINTS OUT THE NEXT GUY HE'S GONNA NAIL. IT NEVER GOT OLD."
BIRTHDATE: 5-20-62
BIRTHPLACE: CHATTANOOGA
OTHER CLUBS: UT, NASHVILLE
RESIDES: FRANKLIN, TENN.
FAMILY: WIFE, AMY; CHILDREN, EMILY AND ALAN

OCCUPATION: NETWORK CONSULTING ENGINEER, CISCO SYSTEMS

JAY MULLIGAN

POSSUM CAREER: 1991

POSSUM NUMBER: 107

JODY MUNIZ

A SCRAPPY SCRUMHALF, JODY MUNIZ GOT SOME SHOTS AS A SIDE SCRUMHALF OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW YEARS, BUT WILL PROBABLY BE ULTIMATELY REMEMBERED FOR RUNNING A CONDOM THROUGH HIS NOSE AND OUT HIS MOUTH - OR VICE-VERSA - AND THEN LATER SPEAKING IN TOUNGUES AT AN OHIO BAR.

NEVER ONE TO BE RUSHED, MUNIZ WAS ONCE TOLD THE VAN WAS LEAVING THE HOTEL FOR THE FIELD IN 11 MINUTES.

"DO I HAVE TIME FOR BREAKFAST?" HE ASKED IN ALL SERIOUSNESS.

FULL NAME: JOSEPH ELVIS MUNIZ
RUGBY NICKNAME:

POSSUM CAREER: 1994-1997
POSSUM NUMBER: 154
HEIGHT: 5-7
WEIGHT: 165
POSITIONS PLAYED: SCRUMHALF

OCCUPATION: NASA SCIENTIST

JIM MURRAY

A TOP-NOTCH GOAL-KICKER, JIM MURRAY MANNED FULLBACK FOR SEVERAL EARLY POSSUM YEARS.

"HE WAS A SUPER ATHLETIC GUY," SAID PAT DORWIN, WHO PLAYED SOFTBALL WITH MURRAY FOR SEVERAL YEARS AT ST. JOHN NEUMANN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN FARRAGUT. "HE PLAYED LEFT-FIELD AND BATTED THIRD AND I PLAYED SHORTSOP AND HIT LEADOFF.

"IN RUGBY, I USED TO SEE HIS NAME IN THE SPORTS SECTION AND HE WAS ALWAYS KICKING A NUMBER OF PENALTIES AND CONVERSIONS.

"I WOULD ALWAYS SAY 'LOOKS LIKE YOU HAD A GOOD GAME,' AND HE WOULD JUST REPLY, 'YEAH,'" DORWIN SAID. "NEVER ONCE DID HE ASK ME TO COME OUT AND PLAY - I COULD HAVE STARTED MY CAREER A FEW YEARS EARLIER. AFTER I STARTED PLAYING, PEOPLE I RAN INTO GOT SICK OF ME TELLING THEM HOW GREAT A SPORT RUGBY WAS AND THEY OUGHT TO COME OUT AND GIVE IT A SHOT. OH WELL, THANKS JIM.

"HELL, HE KNEW I COULD DRINK A BEER - I WAS HALFWAY THERE."

FULL NAME: JAMES QUIET MURRAY
RUGBY NICKNAME: SILENT JIM, APPARENTLY
POSSUM CAREER: 1981-1984
POSSUM NUMBER: 31
HEIGHT: 6-1
WEIGHT: 183
POSITIONS PLAYED: FULLBACK
OCCUPATION: WAS A COCA-COLA EXECUTIVE IN KNOXVILLE.

EUGENE MUSLIN

SOUTH AFRICAN UBER COACH EUGENE MUSLIN GOT THE POSSUMS STARTED ON THEIR WAY TO THE 1998 MIDWEST DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP - THEN TURNED UP AS THE REF FOR THE FINAL.

POSSUM CAREER: 1997-1998

POSSUM NUMBER: 187

L

L

BARRY LAIL

SELECTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS B SIDE INSIDE CENTER

BARRY LAIL WAS KNOWN AS "SCARY," AND IT FIT HIM PERFECTLY.

"THE VERY FIRST ROAD TRIP I WENT ON WITH BARRY WAS TO ASHEVILLE," SAID PAT DORWIN. "OF COURSE I SPILLED A BEER BETWEEN MY LEGS AND ONTO THE UPHOLSTERY OF HIS NEW CAR RIGHT AWAY. BARRY WAS NONE TOO PLEASED ABOUT THAT.

"HE KEPT GIVING ME THE 'EVIL EYE' FROM HIS REAR VIEW MIRROR. I GUESS HE DIDN'T WANT ME PISSING IN MY PANTS, SO HE FINALLY SAID, "LIGHTEN UP, NEW GUY, IT'S OK.'"

DORWIN SAID HAVING THE LIKES OF ART REYNOLDS, STEVE MOORE AND FRANK BARBER IN THE CAR DIDN'T HELP.

"I WEIGHED ABOUT A BUCK-50 AND WAS IN A CAR WITH MONSTERS, STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF A WET BACK SEAT," DORWIN SAID. "AND, OF COURSE, THOSE GUYS AREN'T KNOWN TO RAG FOREVER ON ANYTHING, ARE THEY? I WAS GLAD WHEN WE GOT TO THE PITCH."

LAIL, AT ONE TIME THE ALL-TIME LEADING RUSHER IN BLOUNT COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLS HISTORY - ALL OF THEM - GAVE NO QUARTER IN PRACTICE OR GAMES.

"BARRY WAS 110 PERCENT GO FORWARD WITH THE BALL OR HE WOULD HEAD STRAIGHT FOR THE BALLCARRIER ON DEFENSE AND CRUSH THE SHIT OUT OF HIM," DORWIN SAID.

LAIL STARTED PLAYING WITH THE POSSUMS THEIR INITIAL SEASON, SEEING TIME AT PROP AND FLANKER.

"I ONLY REMEMBER HIM AT OUTSIDE CENTER, SO I GUESS THE SELECTORS FIGURED OUT THAT WAS WHERE HE COULD DO THE MOST DAMAGE TO THE MOST PEOPLE," SAID DORWIN.

FULL NAME: BARRY D. LAIL
NICKNAME: SCARY LAIL
POSSUM CAREER: 1981-1990
POSSUM NUMBER: 34
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: A SLIM 235
POSITIONS PLAYED: PROP, FLANKER, OUTSIDE CENTER
OFFICES HELD: ASSISTANT CHICKEN TASTER
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: BEATING BIRMINGHAM IN MID-SOUTH TOURNEY
PERSONAL QOUTATIONS: "PRACTICE LIKE YOU PLAY."
BIRTHDATE: 4-14-59
BIRTHPLACE: BLOUNT COUNTY
OTHER CLUBS: TENNESSEE LONGRIFLES
RESIDES: BLOUNT COUNTY
FAMILY: WIFE, ALICIA; DAUGHTER, HALEY; SON, COLE (PLAYS FOR UT)
OCCUPATION: SALES, BORAL BRICKS

JACK LAIL

BARRY'S OLDER BROTHER.

POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1981

POSSUM NUMBER: 13

STEVE LINK

SELECTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS B SIDE FLANKER (TIE)

THE PERFECT LINK (NO PUN INTENDED) BETWEEN BACKS AND FORWARDS, STEVE LINK PLAYED WELL AT EITHER FLANKER OR CENTER.

"I GUESS STEVE COULD TELL THE FORWARDS THE BACKS WEREN'T WIMPS WHO JUST SCORED TRIES THE FORWARDS SET UP, BUT HE COULD ALSO TELL US OPPORTUNISTIC BACKS HOW HARD THE FORWARDS WORKED TO KEEP POSSESSION OR POACH THE BALL," SAID PAT DORWIN.

LINK WAS MORE COMFORTABLE ON THE FLANK, BUT SAW A NUMBER OF A SIDE GAMES AS A CENTER.

FULL NAME: STEVEN JASON LINK
POSSUM CAREER: 1988-1992
POSSUM NUMBER: 62
HEIGHT: 6-1
WEIGHT: 187
POSITIONS PLAYED: FLANKER, CENTER

K

K

KEN KAMPER

HAS THERE EVER BEEN A MORE SIMPLE AND APPROPRIATE NICKNAME THAN THE ONE GIVEN TO KEN KAMPER?

FOOD.

STRAIGHT TO THE POINT.

"I IMAGINE IT WAS FOR THE SHEER VOLUME OF GRUB THE MAN COULD DOWN," SAID PAT DORWIN. "I NEVER ASKED HIM ABOUT IT, JUST WITNESSED THE CARCASSES."

KAMPER WAS A VERY ATHLETIC BIG MAN, PLAYING FROM LOCK TO CENTER.

"HE WAS A MORE NATURAL FORWARD, BUT HE COULD ALSO PLAY CENTER," DORWIN SAID. "ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES I EVER PLAYED FLYHALF WAS AGAINST A STRONG BOWLING GREEN UNIVERSITY SIDE AND I RAN INTO THE OPPOSING NO. 10, A WALL OF A GUY NAMED IGOR.

"I BROKE MY NOSE PRETTY GOOD AND AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES, FOOD SAID I SHOULD GO ON OUT TO WING AND HE'D PLAY FLYHALF, MOVING IN FROM FIRST CENTER. IT WASN'T TOO BAD A BREAK, JUST A LOT OF BLOOD AND I COULDN'T SEE REAL WELL BECAUSE MY EYES KEPT WATERING, SO I CERTAINLY DIDN'T MIND MOVING AWAY FROM IGOR."

KAMPER PROBABLY PLAYED ALL THE FORWARD POSITIONS, EXCEPT FOR PROP, DORWIN SAID.

"JUST A REAL ATHLETIC GUY WHO LET HIS PLAY SPEAK FOR ITSELF ON THE PITCH."

FULL NAME: KENNETH MICHAEL KAMPER
NICKNAME: FOOD
POSSUM CAREER: 1985-1991
POSSUM NUMBER: 48
HEIGHT: 6-4
WEIGHT: 240
POSITIONS PLAYED: UTILITY FORWARD, INSIDE CENTER

J.K. KAUMOFF

A PROFESSOR AT UT, J.K. KAUMOFF BROUGHT PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE TO THE CENTERS FOR HIS SHORT STINT WITH KNOXVILLE.

"HE ONL PLAYED A YEAR OR TWO - AND SPORADICALLY AT THAT - BUT HE WAS UNDERRATED AS A CENTER," SAID PAT DORWIN. "HE WORE SPORTS GLASSES AND DIDN'T LOOK ALL THAT ATHLETIC, BUT HE WAS."

DORWIN REMEMBERS J.K. DRIVING WITH HIM TO HUNTSVILLE FOR A MATCH.

"AFTER THE PARTY, WE ENDED UP AT ANOTHER BAR WITH MY GIRLFRIEND AND SOME STRIPPER HE PICKED UP ALONG THE WAY. WE WERE DRINKING WHAT I THOUGHT WERE 75-CENT MOLSON DRAFTS, BUT J.K. LEFT WITH THE GIRL AND SAID HE'D GET HIS PART OF THE BILL LATER.

"WELL, THOSE DAMN BEERS WERE A LOT MORE PRICIER THAN THAT, AND I WAS LUCKY THEY TOOK A CHECK FOR $75 MY AUNT HAD SENT FOR MY BIRTHDAY THAT I HADN'T PUT IN THE BANK YET. J.K., YOU OWE ME MANY, MANY BEERS. YOU CAN TELL ME HOW YOU GOT HOME WHEN WE DRINK THEM."

POSSUM CAREER: 1992-93
POSSUM NUMBER: 126
POSITIONS PLAYED: CENTER, FLYHALF
HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 218

MATT KING

FOUNDING CLUB MEMBER.

POSSUM NUMBER: 2

ANDY KLAEHN

UNDERSIZED FLANKER ANDY KLAEHN HAD AS MUCH HEART AND HUSTLE THE UT PROGRAM HAS PRODUCED, BEFORE MAKING HIS GAME MORE COMPLETE AS A POSSUM.

"ANDY WAS ANOTHER OF THOSE DAMN UT GUYS YOU WANTED TO KNOW WHERE ON THE PITCH HE WAS AT ALL TIMES," SAID PAT DORWIN. "I ALWAYS LOOKED FORWARD TO PLAYING UT AT THE END OF EACH SEASON SIMPLY BECUASE I LOOKED AT THEM AS OUR BIGGEST RIVAL.

"I HAVE TO ADMIT I WAS NEVER REAL HAPPY ABOUT US STOPPING THE RIVALRY BECAUSE IT WAS ALWAYS SUCH A WAR, BUT I SEE THE LOGIC BEHIND IT."

DORWIN SAID WHEN HE FIRST STARTED PLAYING WITH KNOXVILLE HE WAS ATTENDING PELLISSIPPI STATE.

"TOM WILSON AND MIKE PRESNELL TRIED TO TALK ME INTO PLAYING FOR UT, BECAUSE AT THE TIME IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LEGAL TO DO SO," DORWIN SAID. "I GAVE IT A BIT OF THOUGHT AS I'D ONLY BEEN PLAYING A COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT FIRST A POSSUM, ALWAYS A POSSUM. BUT I WILL ALWAYS WONDER 'WHAT IF?' BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO PLAY FOR BUTCH (ROBERTSON)."

BUT DORWIN SAID HE LIKED PLAYING AGAINST THE LIKES OF KLAEHN, DOUG POWELL, MIKE DULIN, AIDEN DIAS, SINBAD, THE McCORD BROTHERS, WILSON, PRESNELL, MARK WENGER, DON CLARDY, ROBBIE HALCOMB, CHRIS GOWER AND JOSH HOLT, AMONG OTHERS.

"IT WAS ALWAYS A GREAT CHALLENGE ON THE FIELD, ALTHOUGH I KEPT AWAY FROM THE ON- AND OFF-FIELD STUFF - MOSTLY. THE ONLY TWO TIMES I GOT MAD WAS WHEN I WAS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FIELD FROM MY WING POSITION AND JOE McCORD PICKED UP A LOOSE BALL IN THE DRIVING RAIN AND HEADED RIGHT TOWARD ME.

"THE BALL 'SLIPPED' OUT OF HIS MITTS RIGHT TO ME ABOUT TWO YARDS AWAY - AND HE CRUSHED ME INTO TOUCH, SEPARATING MY LEFT SHOULDER (IT WAS NEVER THE SAME). PRESNELL HAD SCORED AN EARLY TRY AND WE LOST 4-0. THE OTHER TIME WAS WHEN A COUPLE OF UT PLAYERS TACKLED VAL (REICH) WHEN HE WAS WELL INTO TOUCH. I TRIED TO GO AFTER THOSE GUYS, BUT GAVE UP AFTER ABOUT THE FOURTH TIME BUCK ROGERS PICKED ME UP AND TOLD ME TO SETTLE DOWN."

CHRIS MOTT AND MARTY BRADLEY LATER HELPED THE CLUBS BECOME MORE FRIENDLY.

"I AGREE WITH IT, BUT I LIKED THAT I SURVIVED ALL BUT THE ONE KNOXVILLE-UT DEATH MATCH."

FULL NAME: ANDREW THOMAS KLAEHN
POSSUM CAREER: 1989-1994
POSSUM NUMBER: 79
HEIGHT: 5-8
WEIGHT: 185
POSITIONS PLAYED: FLANKER
OTHER CLUBS: UT, CHATTANOOGA RFC

METU KOROA

A NICE GUY OFF THE PITCH (BESIDES A MUCH-PUBLICIZED INCIDENT) METU KOROA WAS NEVER ONE TO CROSS ON THE PITCH.

THE COOK ISLANDS CENTER HAD A RENOWNED TEMPER.

"I WON'T JUSTIFY SOME OF THE THINGS HE DID ON THE FIELD," SAID PAT DORWIN. "METU WAS TALENTED ENOUGH, BUT HIS TEMPER TOOK HIM OUT OF TOO MANY MATCHES."

SHORT AND STOCKY, KOROA WAS A PERFECT CRASH-BALL CENTER.

"VERY TOUGH TO BRING DOWN, AND VERY GOOD AT SETTING THE BALL ONCE HE WAS DRAGGED DOWN," DORWIN SAID.

FULL NAME: METU KOROA
NICKNAME: METS
POSSUM CAREER: 1997-2000
POSSUM NUMBER: 190
HEIGHT: 5-8

WEIGHT: 192

POSITIONS PLAYED: CENTER, WING

TOM KRESSLY

POSSUM CAREER: 1989

POSSUM NUMBER: 84

GEORGE KRIEPS

LANKY WINGER GEORGE KRIEPS WAS FAST AND PRETTY ATHLETIC - AND WASN'T AFRAID TO TELL YOU SO.

BUT HIS GAME-DAY SKILLS NEVER ADDED UP TO A WHOLE LOT OF A SIDE GAMES.

POSSUM CAREER: 1988-1990

POSSUM NUMBER: 68

J

J

VINCENT JARDRET

HAILING FROM FRANCE, VINCENT JARDRET GOT HIS SHARE OF A SIDE PLAYING TIME, PRIMARILY AT WING, IN THE LATE 1990s AND EARLY 2000s.

POSSUM CAREER: 1996-2002
POSSUM NUMBER: 184

BOBBY JARRETT

A SOLID B SIDE PLAYER, BOBBY JARRETT SAW SOME A SIDE ACTION AT WING ALSO.

"I CAN'T REALLY REMEMBER WHERE BOBBY PICKED UP THE GAME, IT COULD HAVE BEEN UT OR MAYBE TENNESSEE TECH," SAID PAT DORWIN. "HE WAS A SOLID ALL-AROUND PLAYER, AND PRETTY ATHLETIC."

HE WAS SOMEWHAT LIKE FRANK "HAIR" BENNETT, DORWIN SAID.

"BOBBY WAS A PRETTY BOY, JUST NOT AS HIGH-MAINTENANCE AS FRANK," DORWIN SAID.

JARRATT LATER MOVED TO NASHVILLE AND GOT A MINORITY SCHOLARSHIP TO TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY.


POSSUM CAREER: 1989-1994
POSSUM NUMBER: 77
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: 180
POSITIONS PLAYED: WING

ERIC JOHNSON

VOTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS D SIDE INSIDE CENTER

A MASSIVE PRESENCE AT INSIDE CENTER, ERIC "BIG GAY ERIC" JOHNSON TERRORIZED POSSUM OPPONENTS FOR A FEW YEARS BEFORE MOVING TO FLORIDA.

FULL NAME: ERIC EARL JOHNSON
RUGBY NICKNAME: BGE
POSSUM CAREER: 1998-2002
POSSUM NUMBER: 192
HEIGHT: 6-3
WEIGHT: 250
POSITIONS PLAYED: CENTER
OTHER CLUBS: UT

BRIAN JOHNSON

POSSUM CAREER: 1993
POSSUM NUMBER: 142

LAWRENCE JONES

A FIERY FLANKER, LAWRENCE JONES WAS ONE OF THOSE GUYS YOU WANTED TO AVOID RUNNING INTO ON THE PITCH.

PICKED UP WHERE DOUG POWELL LEFT OFF AS A HARD-HITTING BACK-ROWER AT UT BEFORE SPENDING A BIT OF TIME WITH KNOXVILLE.

"LAWRENCE WAS IN THE SAME MOLD AS DOUG, ANDY KLAEHN ...ETC. HE WAS A QUICK PLAYER AND SURE TACKLER," SAID PAT DORWIN.

JONES ALSO SPENT SOME TIME IN THE CENTERS.

FULL NAME:
RUGBY NICKNAME:
POSSUM CAREER: 1992-1994
POSSUM NUMBER: 125
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: 192
POSITIONS PLAYED: FLANKER
OFFICES HELD:
TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS:
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS:
PERSONAL QUOTATIONS:
BIRTHDATE:
BIRTHPLACE:
OTHER CLUBS: UT, JOHNSON CITY
RESIDES:
FAMILY:
OCCUPATION:

MICHAEL JORDAN

MICHAEL JORDAN ONCE PLAYED FOR THE POSSUMS.

NO, NOT THE FORMER HANES UNDERWEAR PITCHMAN - WHO ALSO PLAYED A BIT OF HOOPS - THIS MICHAEL JORDAN WAS A SOUTH AFRICAN PHYSICAL THERAPIST WHO WORKED IN KNOXVILLE FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

HE WAS AN OUTSTANDING FLANKER AS WELL AS A DANGEROUS CENTER AND HE FOUND SOME TIME AT #8 AS WELL.

"MIKE WAS ALSO AN OUTSTANDING 7s PLAYER ALSO," SAID PAT DORWIN. "HE WAS VERY ATHLETIC AND GOOD AT SETTING UP TRIES BOTH IN 15s AND 7s. HE REALLY SOLIDIFIED OUR CLUB FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS."

ONE WINTER, JORDAN AND A COUPLE OF HIS PT FRIENDS - TWO VERY HOT SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN - WERE PART OF A LARGE POSSUM SKIING TRIP TO SNOWSHOE, W.V.

"I REMEMBER THE RIDE OVER WITH STEVE CUNNINGHAM DRIVING HIS TRUCK AND TOM WILSON IN THE BACK SEAT," DORWIN SAID. "TOM - AND HIS SUPPOSEDLY LARGE VOCABULARY - WAS WORKING ON A NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE AND A COUPLE OF CLUES STUMPED HIM.

"WHAT'S A TWO-LETTER WORD FOR 'PERSONAL COMPUTING DEVICE?'" HE ASKED.

"WELL, STEVE AND I LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND BURST OUT LAUGHING," DORWIN SAID.

THEY GAVE HIM THE SIMPLE ANSWER: PC.

A LITTLE WHILE LATER, WILSON ASKS WHAT A THREE-LETTER WORD FOR "SNOW-RUNNER" WAS.

GOOD GOD, TOM - WHERE ARE WE GOING AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?

SKI.

DOH. THE COBWEBS MUSTA BEEN THICK THAT DAY.

"ANYWAY, ONE OF MIKE'S FRIENDS LOOKED LIKE THE SOUTH AFRICAN WOMAN IN ONE OF MEL GIBSON'S 'LETHAL WEAPON' MOVIES," DORWIN SAID. "WE WERE PLAYING SCRABBLE ONE NIGHT AND I DREW AN 'A' TO GO FIRST. WELL, THE LETTERS I PICKED ALLOWED ME TO USE ALL SEVEN TILES AND SCORE A SHITLOAD OF POINTS. THE WORD WAS 'BASTARD' AND IT REALLY PISSED THE HOTTEST HOTTIE OFF THAT I SCORED ALL THOSE POINTS ."

CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE RECEIVED MORE ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM VOTES HAD MORE OLDER PLAYERS VOTED. VERY SMART PLAYER WHO WAS AN EXCELLENT BALL-WINNER IN STAND-UP TACKLE SITUATIONS (WE USED TO HAVE PLENTY OF THAT KIND OF PLAY, NOT ALL THAT MUCH FUN AS YOU TENDED TO STAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PITCH AND THE BALL WAS RARELY SPUN WIDE.)

"IT REALLY LOOKED LIKE WHEN MIKE WAS FIVE OR 10 YARDS AND GETTING A BEAD ON THE RUNNER, HE WAS GONNA LINE THE GUY UP SO MIKE WOULD SLAM HIS SHOULDER INTO THE BALL CARRIER

FULL NAME: MICHAEL JORDAN
RUGBY NICKNAME:
POSSUM CAREER: 1988-1991
POSSUM NUMBER: 66
HEIGHT: 6-3
WEIGHT: 185
POSITIONS PLAYED: FLANKER, CENTER

I

I

ADAM INGLE

GOING FROM A LOCK FORWARD AT UT TO FLYHALF FOR THE POSSUMS WOULD SEEM LIKE A BIG JUMP FOR MANY PLAYERS, BUT NOT ADAM INGLE.

"I THINK ADAM REALLY GREW INTO HIS ATHLETICISM ONCE HE LEFT UT AND JOINED THE MEN'S SIDE," SAID PAT DORWIN. "ONCE HE GOT OUT OF BEING STEREOTYPED AS A SECOND ROW, HE REALLY SHOWED HE COULD PLAY ALL OVER THE PITCH."

DORWIN, INGLE AND RYAN MILLER COACHED THE SEVIER COUNTY TEAM FOR ITS ONLY TWO YEARS WHEN THE HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE INITIALLY STARTED.

"WE HAD A GOOD TRIUMVIRATE OF COACHES," DORWIN SAID. "AND IF YOU MULTIPLY THAT NUMBER BY 200, THAT'S ABOUT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TATTOOS AND BODY PIERCINGS OUR FORMER PLAYERS HAVE NOW.

"WE DIDN'T EXACTLY GET THE CREAM OF THE CROP - WE HAD A FULL 15 SHOW UP JUST ONCE THAT INITIAL SEASON, BUT THE KIDS PLAYED HARD. TEAMS KNEW THEY WERE IN FOR SOME HARD TACKLES WHEN THEY TOOK ON US."

THE TEAM DIDN'T FARE WELL THE NEXT YEAR EITHER, DESPITE BEING ABLE TO RECRUIT FROM SEVIER COUNTY, PIGEON FORGE AND GATLINBURG-PITTMAN HIGH SCHOOLS.

"WE HAD A COUPLE OF GOOD LOCKS, A HARD-RUNNING ALL-CONFERENCE HOOKER, GOOD FLANKERS AND SOLID HALFBACKS," DORWIN SAID. "WE GOT A VARYING AMOUNT OF HELP FROM THE ADMINISTRATIONS AND FOOTBALL COACHES. AT SCHS THE SECOND YEAR, WE HAD MORE GIRLS INTERESTED IN PLAYING DESPITE THAT THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR WAS A FORMER RUGGER, WE HAD A BACK-ROWER FROM G-P WHO HAD PLAYED GROWING UP IN CANADA, AND THE PRINCIPAL OF PIGEON FORGE HAD THE DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS ASK THOSE WHO WERE INTERESTED IN PLAYING TO COME SEE HIM.

"BUT WE DISBANDED AFTER THAT SEASON AND RYAN TOOK OVER AT CARTER AND TURNED THEM INTO A GOOD CLUB."

SEVIER COUNTY'S THOMAS SMITH, A G-P GRAD WHO ENDED UP PLAYING FOOTBALL HIS SENIOR SEASON AFTER RUGBY, WENT TO THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY WHERE HE SAW SOME 4TH SIDE SCRUMHALF TIME.

DESPITE THE COVERAGE DORWIN GAVE THE TEAM IN THE MOUNTAIN PRESS, HE SAID THEY JUST NEVER COULD DRAW ANY TOP ATHLETES.

"WE PLAYED OUR HOME MATCHES AT ALUMNI FIELD, WHICH WE CALLED THE 'HOUSE OF PAIN,' AND DREW SEVERAL BIG NIGHT-TIME CROWDS," DORWIN SAID. "BUT IN THE END, THE PLAYER NUMBERS WERE JUST NEVER THERE.

"THE SPORTS EDITOR AT THE PAPER, JIM DAVIS, SAID HE HEARD SEYMOUR FOOTBALL PLAYERS SAY IF THEY DIDN'T GET A GRIDIRON SCHOLARSHIP, THEN THEY "WOULD JUST GO PLAY RUGBY AT UT."

IN FACT, INGLE WAS PART OF A LONG TIME FRAME OF ATHLETES FROM SEVIER COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLS TO PLAY RUGBY UNDER BUTCH ROBERTSON AT UT. TYLER HUSKEY, KEVIN BLALOCK AND PHIL HOPSON WERE PART OF A RUN WHERE A SEVIER COUNTIAN PLAYED AT UT FOR 10 STRAIGHT YEARS AT ONE POINT.


FULL NAME: ADAM PRESCOTT INGLE
RUGBY NICKNAME:
POSSUM CAREER: 2001-PRESENT
POSSUM NUMBER:
HEIGHT: 6-4
WEIGHT: 215
POSITIONS PLAYED: LOCK, UTILITY BACK
OFFICES HELD:
TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS:
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: WAS ON THE BOWL-WINNING TEAM AT THE 2002 BELLE CHERE 7s TOURNAMENT AGAINST HOST ASHEVILLE. "WE WERE DOWN FOUR POINTS WITH NO TIME LEFT," SAID INGLE. "WE GOT A PENALTY ON OUR OWN 5-METER LINE AND TOOK A QUICK-TAP. THE BALL WAS TOUCHED BY ALL SEVEN PLAYERD AND JON DAVIES FINISHED WITH A TRY UNDER THE POSTS."
PERSONAL QUOTATIONS:
BIRTHDATE:
BIRTHPLACE:
OTHER CLUBS: UT
RESIDES:
FAMILY:
OCCUPATION:

H

H

BOB HAMPSTEAD

SELECTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS B SIDE PROP

HELPING FOUND THE POSSSUMS, BOB HAMPSTEAD WAS A PLAYER, COACH AND MENTOR WITH KNOXVILLE BEFORE BECOMING GREATLY INVOLVED IN AREA HIGH SCHOOL RUGBY.


FULL NAME: ROBERT ALLISON HAMPSTEAD
POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1989
POSSUM NUMBER: 1
HEIGHT: 6-1
WEIGHT: 230 (AND UP)
POSITIONS PLAYED: PROP
OFFICES HELD: FOUNDER, CAPTAIN, PRESIDENT, MATCH SECRETARY, SOCIAL CHAIR, COACH
TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS: UT MVP (1978) UT IRON MAN (1978)
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: FROM FALL 1977 THROUGH SPRING 1978, PLAYED 50 A SIDE MATCHES FOR UT. THIRD-PLACE GAME AT MID-SOUTH RFU CHAMPIONSHIPS (1981?). "I WAS HUNGOVER LIKE A DOG. IT TOOK ME SIX BEERS TO GET KITTED UP. BUBBA RALL PUT NASHVILLE'S WING OUT OF THE GAME WITH A DEVASTATING TACKLE AS THE POSSUMS ROSE UP TO BEAT THEM BY AT LEAST THREE TRIES."
PERSONAL QOUTATIONS: "YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR MIND RIGHT TO PLAY PROP." "OLD PROPS DON'T DIE, THEY JUST FAT AWAY."
OTHER CLUBS: UT (PRESDIDENT, CAPTAIN, MATCH SECETARY; AUGUSTA (CAPTAIN); MOOSE BROTHERS CO-FOUNDER; ARCHIBALL USA (TOURING SIDE)
BIRTHDATE: 6-20-50
BIRTHPLACE: KNOXVILLE
FAMILY: WIFE, DEBBIE; SON, JOHN; DAUGHTER, EMILY
OCCUPATION: CONSTRUCTION

PAUL HAMPSTEAD

ANOTHER HAMPSTEAD INVOLVED EARLY ON WITH KNOXVILLE RUGBY WAS PAUL HAMPSTEAD, BOB'S BROTHER.

PAUL HAMPSTEAD PLAYED LOCK AND FLANKER AND WAS ALWAYS READY FOR A CIGARETTE AND BEER AFTER A MATCH.
FULL NAME: PAUL EDWARD (CLYDE) HAMPSTEAD-NAMED AFTER HIS DAD'S THREE BROTHERS, HE DROPPED CLYDE AS AN ADULT
POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1987
POSSUM NUMBER: 8
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: 190
POSITIONS PLAYED: LOCK/FLANKER/PROP/HOOKER
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: 1976-UT VS. BIRMINGHAM, WITH PAUL AT ONE PROP WITH BROTHER BOB - BOTH SCORED TRIES IN AN 18-17 WIN, THE FIRST OVER BIRMINGHAM IN FOUR YEARS.
OTHER CLUBS: UT
FAMILY: TWO EX-WIVES; DAUGHTERS, HEATHER AND ERICA
OCCUPATION: CONSTRUCTION

MIKE HAMPSTEAD

YET ANOTHER HAMPSTEAD WHO WAS A POSSUM WAS MIKE, YOUNGER BROTHER TO BOB AND PAUL.
MIKE'S CAREER WAS MUCH SHORTER. IN KNOXVILLE'S SECOND MATCH EVER - AND MIKE'S DEBUT - HE BROKE HIS FINGER EARLY IN THE SECOND HALF AND NEVER DONNED A POSSUM JERSEY AGAIN.
"HE WAS THE SKINNY ONE OF THE FAMILY," BOB HAMPSTEAD SAID.
POSSUM NUMBER: 25

GLYNN HARTWELL

ENGLISHMAN GLYNN HARTWELL SETTLED IN AT OUTSIDE CENTER FOR A FEW A SIDE SEASONS WITH THE POSSUMS IN THE 1990s.
POSSUM CAREER: 1996-2002
POSSUM NUMBER: 182
POSITIONS PLAYED: CENTER

JAY HAWKINS

NEVER AFRAID TO BREAK OUT HIS KILT AT A MOMENTS' NOTICE, JAY HAWKINS HAD A SUCCESSFUL PLAYING CAREER THAT HE PARLAYED INTO A STRONG COACHING CAREER FOR MARYVILLE'S HIGH SCHOOL BOYS AND GIRLS. WITH THE HELP OF RICK McGHIE, HE WON STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS AND PRODUCED ALL-AMERICANS.

IT ALL STARTED WHEN HE SAW A SMALL GROUP OF KIDS THROWING AND KICKING A RUGBY BALL AROUND. SEEMS THE YOUNGSTERS HAD WATCHED RUGBY ON TV, BOUGHT A BALL, THEN TRIED TO PLAY THE GAME WITHOUT ANY FORMAL TRAINING.

HAWKINS STOPPED BY AND OFFERED HIS COACHING SERVICES FOR A SEYMOUR HIGH SCHOOL/KING'S ACADEMY RFC THAT LASTED JUST A SEAON OR TWO.
A CLUB WAS EVENTUALLY FORMED UNDER THE NAME OF MARYVILLE HIGH SCHOOL, ALTHOUGH PLAYERS FROM OTHER BLOUNT COUNTY SCHOOLS COULD JOIN THE TEAM. MARYVILLE CONTINUES TO DRAW ENOUGH INTEREST TO HAVE SEVERAL BOYS SQUADS AND A STRONG GIRLS TEAM, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF HAWKINS AND McGHIE, AS WELL AS THE BLOUNT COUNTY RUGBY SUPPORTERS.

FULL NAME: JAY HAWKINS
RUGBY NICKNAME: DIRK STRAUN
POSSUM CAREER: 1992-1996
POSSUM NUMBER: 120

HEIGHT: 6-0
WEIGHT: 207
POSITIONS PLAYED: PROP, LOCK, FLANKER
MEMORIES: 1994 CAYMAN ISLANDS TOUR
BIRTHDATE: 6-11-62
BIRTHPLACE: CLARKSDALE, MISS.
OTHER CLUBS: MEMPHIS STATE RFC, MEMPHIS OLD #7, CHARLESTON RFC, MARYVILLE HIGHLANDER RFC, MEMPHIS OLD BOYS RFC
RESIDES: MARYVILLE
FAMILY: WIFE, KIM; DAUGHTER, McKENZIE
OCCUPATION: RAMP MANAGER, FEDEX EXPRESS

JACK HEAD

PRE-GAME., POST-GAME, AND EVEN DURING GAMES, IT WASN'T UNUSUAL TO FIND JACK HEAD WITH A CIGARETTE IN ONE HAND AND A BEER IN THE OTHER.
JACK PLAYED FOR A LONG TIME WITH CHATTANOOGA BUT SPENT A COUPLE OF YEARS WITH THE POSSUMS.
"HE'S ONE OF THOSE GUYS THAT MAKE RUGBY MORE FUN THE LONGER YOU PLAY THE GAME," SAID PAT DORWIN. "HE WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO PLAY WHENEVER AND WHEREVER HE WAS NEEDED OR PEFECTLY CONTENT TO ENJOY HIS VICES AND WANDER THE SIDELINES."
POSSUM CAREER: 1990-1992
POSSUM NUMBER: 93
HEIGHT: 6-0
WEIGHT: 190
POSITIONS PLAYED: PROP, FLANKER, LOCK
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS-MIDWEST RFU 7s CHAMPIONSHIP IN MILWAUKEE. "AFTER THE TOURNAMENT AND A GREAT NIGHT OUT, I WAS GETTING READY TO GO TO THE MIDWEST RFU MEETING. KNOXVILLE WAS UP AND READY TO GO HOME, BUT DOUG BROWN HAD NOT SHOWN UP. INSTEAD OF WAITING, BRIAN NIEKERK ASKED IF DOUG COULD RIDE BACK WITH CHATTANOOGA.
"SINCE I WAS FLYING BACK I SAID, SURE, NO PROBLEM. SO INSTEAD OF RIDING BACK IN ONE OF THE AIR-CONDITIONED VANS KNOXVILLE HAD RENTED FOR THE TRIP, DOUG HAD TO MAKE THE 12-HOUR TRIP IN A CRAMPED, NO A/C VAN."
PERSONAL QOUTATIONS: "RUGBY, NOT JUST A WAY OF LIFE, THE WAY IT IS."
BIRTHDATE: 5-16-60
BIRTHPLACE: KANSAS CITY, MO.
OTHER CLUBS: CHATTANOOGA
RESIDES: CHATTANOOGA
FAMILY: WIFE, JANET
OCCUPATION: ACCOUNTANT

DON HENNESSEY

RANGY WINGER DON HENNESSEY SPENT SOME TIME WORKING NEAR KNOXVILLE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, PLAYING SOME A SIDE WHILE BEING A REGULAR AT PRACTICE AND ON ROAD TRIPS.

"KNOXVILLE HAS ALWAYS NEEDED MORE PLAYERS LIKE DON," SAID PAT DORWIN. "GUYS YOU COULD COUNT ON TO ATTEND PRACTICE REGULARILY AND TRAVEL TO AWAY MATCHES, ESPECIALLY SINCE HE DIDN'T SEE ALL THAT MUCH A SIDE ACTION."

DORWIN DISCUSSED A TRIP TO CHICAGO, AND TRYING TO FIND WRIGLEY FIELD WHILE HENNESSEY WAS IN THE BACK OF THE VAN PLAYING POKER.

"MARTY BRADLEY WAS DRIVING AND WOULD ASK DON IF WE WERE GOING THE RIGHT WAY," DORWIN SAID. "DON WOULD BARELY LOOK UP AND TELL MARTY TO KEEP GOING.

"WELL, WE WERE IN ABOUT A 30-SQUARE MILE SECTION OF HIGH-RISE SLUMS, FILLED WITH BLACK FOLKS BREAK-DANCING AND DRINKING THEIR 40s," DORWIN CONTINUED. "SO MARTY ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOWS AND CRANKED UP THE COUNTRY MUSIC. I GOT AS LOW IN MY SEAT AS I COULD."

FULL NAME: DONALD RAYMOND HENNESSEY

RUGBY NICKNAME: CHICAGO DON
POSSUM CAREER: 1991-1994
POSSUM NUMBER: 105
HEIGHT: 6-3
WEIGHT: 200
POSITIONS PLAYED: WING
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: WHILE MANNING LEFT WING AT THE NASH BASH AGAINST GRAND RAPIDS, FLYHALF DORWIN CHIPPED DOWN THE SIDELINE AND HENNESSEY SNARED THE BOOT IN STRIDE, PICKING UP PLENTY OF YARDAGE.
OTHER CLUBS: CHICAGO LIONS

MARK HILSENROTH

A STARTER AT UT, MARK HILSENROTH SPENT A BIT OF TIME WITH THE POSSUMS BUT LEFT AFTER NOT BEING ABLE TO CRACK THE A SIDE.

POSSUM CAREER: 1996

POSSUM NUMBER: 183

JIM HIMELESKI

SPEEDY JIM HIMELESKI MANNED FULBACK FOR SEVERAL EARLY POSSUM SEASONS.

NICKNAME: "SKI"

POSSUM CAREER: 1982-1983

POSSUM NUMBER: 38

HEIGHT: 5-8

WEIGHT: 165

KARL HOFFMAN

THE FIRST-HIGH SCHOOLER TO PLAY WITH THE POSSUMS, KARL "DANCES WITH FENCES" HOFFMAN LATER TOOK ON A PYROTECHNICS CAREER.

"AND THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY ABOUT THAT," SAID FORREST GUMP.

POSSUM CAREER: 1993-1994

POSSUM NUMBER: 140

DAVE HOLLAND

ONE WOULD HARDLY RECOGNIZE FORMER POSSUM PROP DAVE HOLLAND NOWADAYS. THE ONCE BULKY HOLLAND HAS SLIMMED DOWN TO A SHELL OF HIMSELF, WEIGHING PERHAPS 180 POUNDS.

AFTER LEAVING KNOXVILLE, HE SPENT A BIT OF TIME PLAYING FOR FORT CAMPBELL BEFORE MOVING BACK TO THE AREA.

FULL NAME: DAVID ALAN HOLLAND
RUGBY NICKNAME: SUPER
POSSUM CAREER: 1995-1997
POSSUM NUMBER: 164
HEIGHT: 6-1
WEIGHT: 245 (NOW 185)
POSITIONS PLAYED: PROP, LOCK
PERSONAL QOUTATIONS: "YOU NEED A FUCKING CIGARETTE TO WAKE YOUR ASS UP BEFORE THE SECOND HALF?" ASKED TYLER HUSKEY ON A SUNDAY AT THE NASH BASH AGAINST MEMPHIS OLD #7 A DAY AFTER THE POSSUMS SOMEHOW LOST TO A TEAM OF WISCONSIN FLANKERS AND THEIR "PORN BUS."

"WHY, YOU GOT ONE?" HOLLAND UNWISELY ASKED A CLEARLY UPSET HUSKEY - AND LIVED TO TELL THE STORY OF THE POSSUMS' IMPROBABLE WIN THAT DAY.

RICH HOLLAND

RICH HOLLAND MAY HAVE HAD THE MOST STUNNING DEBUT - CERTAINLY FOR A FIRST-HALF - BY ANY POSSUM EVER.

HOLLAND TALLIED FOUR TRIES FROM WING IN HIS INITIAL APPEARANCE FOR KNOXVILLE - AND WAS PROMPTLY REPLACED AT HALF-TIME.

"I LAUGHED MY ASS OFF AT POOR RICH, BECAUSE HE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE SCORED SEVEN OR EIGHT TRIES," SAID PAT DORWIN. "THE FACT THE SELECTORS REPLACE THE POOR GUY WAS FUNNY ENOUGH, BUT HIS SUPPOSEDLY GOOD FRIEND, REX WOLFE, STOPPED PASSING HIM THE BALL FROM OUTSIDE CENTER AFTER THE FIRST 25-MINUTES OR SO."

OBVIOUSLY, THE GAME WAS AGAINST AN OVERMATCHED SIDE (TENNESSEE TECH) AND AGAINST AN OPPOSING WING WHO WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL (A CERTAIN KNOXVILLE PLAYER WHO LET'S SAY ONCE LOST A DANCE WITH A FENCE), BUT FOUR DAMN TRIES IS FOUR DAMN TRIES.

"C'MON, LET THE GUY PLAY," DORWIN SAID. "MARTY (BRADLEY) ALREADY HAD THE MOSTLY B SIDE PLAYERS WORKING ON OTHER THINGS, TELLING THEM NOT TO SPIN THE BALL OUT ANYWAY ... FOUR TRIES! AND HE'S REPLACED! RICH AND I STILL LAUGH ABOUT THAT."

HOLLAND, OF COURSE, COULD NEVER MATCH THAT SUCCESS, AND PLAYED MOSTLY B SIDE FOR SEVERAL SEASONS BEFORE BREAKING AN ANKLE AT THE TENNESSEE 7s IN THE LATE 1990s AND RETIRING QUIETLY TO HIS HOME IN DANDRIDGE WHERE HE AND DORWIN OFTEN WATCH PACKER GAMES ON SUNDAYS.

THEY OFTEN WONDERED: "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO REX WOLFE?" AFTER THE FORMER POSSUM MOVED TO AUSTRALIA BEFORE ENDING UP IN THAILAND AND IS A PROUD NEW DADDY AS OF LATE JULY 2010.

FULL NAME: RICHARD J. HOLLAND
POSSUM CAREER: 1994-1997; 2002-2003
POSSUM NUMBER: 149
HEIGHT: 6-1
WEIGHT: 190
POSITIONS PLAYED: WING
TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS: ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR, 1994
BIRTHDATE: 8-28-68

BIRTHPLACE: MILWAUKEE

JOHN HOLLIDAY

FORMER AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLBOY LEGEND JOHN

HOLLIDAY HELPED TURN AROUND THE POSSUMS THROUGH HIS COACHING IN THE EARLY-1990s.

POSSUM CAREER: 1992-1994

POSSUM NUMBER: 121

PHIL HOPSON

GRITTY SCRUMHALF PHIL HOPSON MOVED OVER TO THE POSSUMS THROUH THE UT PIPELINE AND WAS SLOTTED IN AT SCRUMHALF FOR SEVERAL A SIDE YEARS.

FULL NAME: PHILLIP STEPHEN HOPSON
POSSUM CAREER: 1993-1997
POSSUM NUMBER: 141
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: 175
POSITIONS PLAYED: SCRUMHALF
OTHER CLUBS: UT

PERRY HOFFMAN

PERRY HOFFMAN WAS THE POSSUMS' VERSION OF BASEBALL PLAYER TIM RAINES - YOU NEVER KNEW WHAT HOFFMAN MIGHT HAVE STASHED IN HIS RUGBY SHORTS.

POSSUM CAREER: 1987-1989

POSSUM NUMBER: 57

POSITIONS PLAYED: WING

HEIGHT: 5-9

WEIGHT: 190

TYLER HUSKEY

SURLY. INTENSE. LEADER. GRUMPY. MEAN.
"YOU PICK THE ADJECTIVE TO DESCRIBE TYLER," SAID PAT DORWIN. "I LIVE IN SEVIERVILLE - THAT'S TOO CLOSE TO PISS THE MAN OFF."
A CAPTAIN OF BOTH UT AND KNOXVILLE, HUSKEY'S NATURAL LEADERSHIP SKILLS CAME FROM DEEP INSIDE THE ENGINE ROOM AT PROP. THIS WAS STILL IN THE DAY WHEN PROPS WEREN'T, WELL, IN THE BEST OF SHAPE.
BUT HUSKEY HELPED CHANGE THAT WITH HIS STRONG PHYSIQUE - MINUS THE USUAL FRONT ROW BELLY (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE).
CAPTAINING HIS WRESTLING AND GOLF TEAMS AT SEVIER COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, HUSKEY WAS PART OF ABOUT A DECADE LONG RUN THAT SAW ATHLETES FROM DOLLY PARTON'S HOME COUNTY PLAY AT UT. MANY CAME FROM SCHS, BUT SEYMOUR, PIGEON FORGE AND GATLINBURG-PITTMAN HIGH SCHOOLS PRODUCED FUTURE VOLS.
HUSKEY, WHO OFTEN LOOKED LIKE HE JUST WOKE UP AFTER SLEEPING ON A BED OF FIRE-TIPPED ROOFING NAILS, DIDN'T ALWAYS SEEM LIKE THE MOST APPROACHABLE PERSON IN THE WORLD, BUT HE'S ONE OF THE NICEST GUYS YOU'LL MEET - AND ALWAYS READY TO SUPPPORT YOU ON THE PITCH.
"I GOT TO KNOW TYLER THROUGH A FANTASY BASEBALL LEAGUE JOHN SHAW STARTED," SAID DORWIN. "THIS WAS BEFORE AL GORE INVENTED THE INTERNET, SO WE RELIED ON A STAT SERVICE TO SEND US WEEKLY REPORTS AND LATER DID THEM BY HAND THROUGH USA TODAY'S SPORTS SECTION WHEN THE STAT PROVIDER LEFT US HANGING MIDWAY THROUGH THE SEASON."
THANKS TO THE INTERNET, THE TWO AND OTHER TEAMMATES GOT INVOLVED WITH LATER LEAGUES.
"IN FACT, AS I WRITE THIS (SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010) TYLER'S STOMPING ME 11-1 IN OUR HEAD-TO-HEAD LEAGUE," DORWIN SAID. "DAMN YANKEES FAN."
FULL NAME: TYLER C. HUSKEY
POSSUM CAREER: 1994-1998; 2002 -2008
POSSUM NUMBER: 150
HEIGHT: 6-1
WEIGHT: 215
POSITIONS PLAYED: PROP
OFFICES HELD: CAPTAIN
TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS: CLUB MEMBER OF THE YEAR; MVP; WHINEY HINEY
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: 1995 DOGWOOD ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM; 1998 MIDWEST RFU DIVISION III CHAMPIONS
OTHER CLUBS: UT, MEMPHIS
BIRTHDATE: 12-16-70
BIRTHPLACE: KNOXVILLE
RESIDES: PITTMAN CENTER
FAMILY: WIFE, RACHEL; THREE SONS
OCCUPATION: LAWYER