C

C

BILL CADDLE

ONE OF THE TWO "SUPER FANS" ALONG WITH WAYNE SCHACHER.

POSSUM NUMBER: 123

SCOTT CALDWELL

A SPEEDY, WELL-BUILT WING, SCOTT CALDWELL HAD SEVERAL SOLID A SIDE SEASONS FOLLOWING A STELLAR CAREER AT UT.

CALDWELL HAD THE SPEED TO FINISH AND THE SIZE TO RUN THROUGH DEFENDERS.

"SCOTT WAS DEFINITELY SOMEONE YOU HAD TO WORRY ABOUT WHEN PLAYING AGAINST HIM ON THE WING," SAID PAT DORWIN. "HE WAS QUICK OFF THE BURST EVEN WHEN GETTING A PASS FLAT-FOOTED, PLUS HE WAS STRONG. THERE WEREN'T MANY WINGERS BACK IN THE DAY WITH THOSE QUALITIES."

CALDWELL'S LATER CAREER WAS DERAILED BY INJURY, MOST NOTABLY A BROKEN LEG.

FULL NAME: SCOTT BO CALDWELL
NICKNAME:
POSSUM CAREER: 1992-1997
POSSUM NUMBER: 134
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: 190
OTHER CLUBS: UT

ROB CAMERON

KNOWLEDGABLE FLANKER WHO SPENT HIS GLORY DAYS AS AN ATLANTA RENEGADE BEFORE BECOMING A POSSUM.
COACHES WEST HIGH SCHOOL.
FULL NAME: ROBERT McARTHUR CAMERON
POSSUM CAREER: 1991-1995
POSSUM NUMBER: 103
HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 209
POSITIONS PLAYED: FLANKER
OTHER CLUBS: ATLANTA RENEGADES
RESIDES: KNOXVILLE

PETE CAPELL

AUSTRALIAN FOR PISS? FOSTER'S.

AMERICAN FOR PISS? MILLER LITE.

PETE CAPELL PROBABLY LIKES NEITHER - FOSTER'S CAUSE HE'S A WALLABY - MILLER LITE (NOT HIGH LIFE MIND YOU), BECAUSE SOUTH AFRICAN BREWERIES OWNS MILLER.

OK, SO IT ISN'T THE BEER THAT'S KEPT PETE AROUND K-TOWN FOR A DECADE OR SO. HE MOVED HERE WITH ANOTHER AUSSIE BUDDY (I KNOW YOU TWO ABSCOUNDED WITH THE 7s TROPHY WE WON YEARS AGO IN JOHNSON CITY).

"MAYBE IT WAS THE COUPLE OF TEETH METU KNOCKED OUT WHEN WE PICKED UP AGAINST KNOXVILLE," SAID PAT DORWIN. "MAYBE HE'S METICULOUSLY WAITING FOR REVENGE."

HIM AND A DOZEN OTHER JURISDICTIONS.

"PETE TOOK A SHOT TO THE CHOPS TRYING TO TACKLE METU, AND IT STUNNED HIM FOR A FEW SECONDS," SAID DORWIN. "HE'S A TOUGH GUY, HE SHOOK IT OFF. I FARED MUCH LUCKIER WHEN I ACCIDENTLY GRABBED METU'S JERSEY FOR A FEW MILLISECONDS DURING AN INSTA-RUCK.

"THE BALL WAS SPUN OUT BY KNOXVILLE, BUT BY THEN METU HAD TURNED AROUND TO PUNCH ME. IF WE HADN'T TALKED QUITE A BIT AT PRACTICE, I BELIEVE I WOULDA BEEN HIT PRETTY HARD.

"THIS IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT METU. WE WE'RE STRETCHING BEFORE PRACTICE AND I ASKED HIM WHAT WAS UP. HE SAID HE WAS MAD, SO I ASKED HIM WHY."

DORWIN SAID METU WAS ANGERED AFTER A DOCTOR'S VISIT.

"METU SAYS, 'THAT FUCKING DOCTOR SAID I HAVE HIGH-BLOOD PRESSURE. I WAS SO FUCKING PISSED OFF I LEFT.'"

OK.

COOK ISLANDS+RUGBY PLAYER=IMPLOSION.

FULL NAME: PETER JOSEPH CAPELL
POSSUM CAREER: 1996-2003
POSSUM NUMBER: 177, PETE'S FRIEND'S POSSUM NUMBER: 178
POSITION: CENTER, FLANKER, COACH

DENNIS CARMICHAEL

AN ELDER POSSUM, DENNIS CARMICHAEL COULD BE FOUND AT
A CENTER POSITION FOR MUCH OF THE 1980s BEFORE A KNEE INJURY ENDED HIS CAREER.

POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1989
POSSUM NUMBER: 15

HEIGHT: 6-3
WEIGHT: 215
POSITIONS PLAYED: CENTER

JOEY CARMICHAEL

POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1983

POSSUM NUMBER: 16

STEVE CERNE

VOTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS B SIDE LOCK

A PROTOTYPICAL LOCK, STEVE CERNE WAS A STANDOUT POSSUM FOR A HALF-DOZEN SEASONS.


FULL NAME: STEVEN CERNE
NICKNAME: MOOSE
POSSUM CAREER: 1990-1997
POSSUM NUMBER: 90
HEIGHT: 6-5
WEIGHT: 250
POSITIONS PLAYED: LOCK
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: BEING CHEATED OUT OF THE TOURNAMENT WIN AT THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS, THEN TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY HAVING EDDIE EVERETT CLIMB INTO MY BED AFTER MARDI GRAS.
OTHER CLUBS: UT, PITTSBURGH CITY, NIPPON CREDIT BANK (TOKYO)
RESIDES: EDEN, NY
OCCUPATION: MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT

TIM CHAMBERS

THE VERY PICTURE OF AN EARLY POSSUM, PROP TIM CHAMBERS WAS YOUR TYPICAL SURLY FRONT-ROWER (WHAT'S WITH THOSE GUYS, ANYWAY?), BUT GREGARIOUS AND A GOOD FRIEND TO TEAMMATE AND FOE OFF THE PITCH.
THE BEARDED CHAMBERS WAS STRONG AND SMART IN AN ERA WHEN THE FRONT ROWS TOOK CARE OF THEIR OWN BUSINESS AND PRETTY MUCH EACH TEAM EVENTUALLY FOUND A SETTLING POINT SO SCRUMS COULD COMMENCE.
"IT WAS A JUNGLE IN THERE," SAID PAT DORWIN. "WOULD YOU WANT TO MESS WITH A TIM CHAMBERS, DOUG BROWN, BOB HAMPSTEAD, SCOTT SANDMAN, STEVE MOORE OR FRANK BARBER? NOT ME."
EDITOR'S NOTE: PAT DORWIN'S FRONT ROW "EXPERIENCE" COMES FROM HALF A GAME OF 7s AT HOOKER IN A HUNTSVILLE TOURNEY.
"I MEAN, JUST THE SMELL MADE ME GAG IF I ACCIDENTALLY GOT NEAR A FRONT-ROWER," DORWIN SAID. "THE SORT OF A MIXTURE AN UNWASHED, AXE-MURDERER MIGHT GIVE OFF."
CHAMBERS WASN'T A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE POSSUMS, BUT JOINED THE TEAM IN ITS INAUGURAL SEASON.
"HOWARD WATSON WAS MY MENTOR," CHAMBERS SAID.


FULL NAME: MARK TIMOTHY CHAMBERS
NICKNAME: THE SLUG
POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1982; 1988-1993
POSSUM NUMBER: 21
HEIGHT: 6-0
WEIGHT: 232
POSITIONS PLAYED: PROP, LOCK, WING FORWARD
PERSONAL QUOTATIONS: "I WAS SLOW, I COULD SLIME THEM," SAID CHAMBERS OF HIS NICKNAME, WHO WOULD USE FASTER PLAYERS LIKE TOM WILSON WHEN HE WAS 'RUNNING' WITH THE BALL. "I COULD GAIN AN EXTRA 10 YARDS THAT WAY."
OTHER CLUBS: FT. CAMPBELL 1983-84; BOCA RATON, 1987-1988
BIRTHDATE: JUNE 1961
RESIDES: BLOUNT COUNTY

PETE CHARLETON

ENGLISH-BORN FLYHALF DROVE DOWN FROM JOHNSON CITY BEFORE STARTING A CLUB THERE.
POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1981
POSSUM NUMBER: 17
POSITION: FLYHALF

DAVE CHILDRESS

"DOCTOR DAVE" CHILDRESS MANNED A FLANKER SPOT FOR SEVERAL A SIDE SEASONS IN THE EARLY-1990s BEFORE GOING TO MED SCHOOL IN MEMPHIS.
RECENTLY RETURNED TO THE STATE, MOVING TO ATHENS, FROM THE NORTHWEST AND TAKING PART IN THE POSSUMS' 30TH ANNIVERSARY.
POSSUM CAREER: 1992-1994
POSSUM NUMBER: 198
NICKNAME: GATOR
POSITION: FLANKER
HEIGHT: 6-0
WEIGHT: 207
OTHER CLUBS: EMORY UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
OCCUPATION: PHYSICIAN
FAMILY: WIFE, PAM; THREE CHILDREN

KENNY CHRISTIAN

SOMETIMES A NEW POSSUM ARRIVES JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME - TO CONNECT US WITH THOSE LOVABLE KIDS FROM SOUTH PARK.
KENNY CHRISTIAN JOINED THE CLUB IN THE MID-1990s, PROMPTING SHOUTS OF "OH MY GOD, THEY KILLED KENNY!" PRACTICALLY EVERY PRACTICE AND MATCH.
KENNY DIDN'T CARE THOUGH. EASYGOING OFF THE PITCH, CHRISTIAN RAN FULL SPEED - AND EVENTUALLY STRAIGHT UP THE FIELD - MOST EVERY TIME HE FOUND HIMSELF WITH THE BALL ON THE WING.
POSSUM CAREER: 1993-1997
POSSUM NUMBER: 200

DAVE CHRISTOPHER

VOTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS B SIDE LOCK

STEPPING INTO A STARTING LOCK POSITION PRACTICALLY FROM HIS FIRST PRACTICE, DAVE CHRISTOPHER PICKED UP THE SPORT IN A SNAP.
"IT PROBABLY DIDN'T HURT THAT WE USED HIM ON ALMOST EVERY LINEOUT," SAID PAT DORWIN. "BUT DAVE WAS ONE OF THOSE 'NATURAL' RUGBY PLAYERS THAT WE RARELY SAW IN KNOXVILLE."
CHRISTOPHER FIT RIGHT IN ON AND OFF THE PITCH.
"HE LIKED TO DRINK BEER AND WAS A VERY FUNNY GUY," SAID DORWIN. "THAT ALWAYS MAKES A GOOD TEAMMATE."


FULL NAME: DAVID KEANE CHRISTOPHER
NICKNAME:
POSSUM CAREER: 1988-1992
POSSUM NUMBER: 64
HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 201
POSITIONS PLAYED: LOCK

DON CLARDY

VOTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS B SIDE OUTSIDE CENTER

ATHLETIC ENOUGH TO RETURN KICKS AT FURMAN UNIVERSITY DESPITE NOT BEING THE BIGGEST GRIDIRON PLAYER, DON CLARDY WAS A SOLID INFLUENCE ON BOTH THE UT AND KNOXVILLE RUGBY CLUBS.
"DON'S ATHLETICISM CERTAINLY IMPRESSED ME. I WANTED TO KNOW WHERE HE WAS ON THE PITCH IF HIS TEAM HAD THE BALL TO HEAD TOWARD A POTENTIAL LINE-BREAK," SAID PAT DORWIN. "BUT DEFENSIVELY I WANTED TO SEE HIM TOO. HE WASN'T GOING TO GET FOOLED BY A CHIP KICK, A DUMMY OR A FAKE SWITCH TWICE IN ONE MATCH. HE WAS ONE OF THOSE RARE PLAYERS YOU COULD ACTUALLY SEE WORKING THINGS OUT ON THE PITCH AS THE ACTION FLOWED."
THAT INTELLIGENCE - AND GUTS - HELPED CLARDY PLAY WITH WASHINGTON IN THE SUPER LEAGUE.
CLARDY PLAYED FOR THREE DIFFERENT CLUBS DURING THE DOGWOOD TOURNAMENT YEARS: GREENEVILLE, UT AND KNOXVILLE.


FULL NAME: DONALD RICHARD CLARDY
POSSUM CAREER: 1995-1997
POSSUM NUMBER: 160
HEIGHT: 5-9
WEIGHT: 175
POSITIONS PLAYED: CENTER, FULLBACK
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: 1995 DOGWOOD ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
OTHER CLUBS: FURMAN, GREENEVILLE, UT, KNOXVILLE, WASHINGTON OCCUPATION: LAWYER

ANDY CLEARY

WHILE IN THE AREA, ANDY CLEARY HAD A BRIEF, BUT SUCCESSFUL CAREER AS A POSSUM, PRIMARILY MAKING HIS MARK IN 7s. HE PLAYED FLYHALF ON THE 1995 CAPE FEAR CLUB DIVISION CHAMPION.
HE HAD PLAYED FOR AWHILE IN AUSTRALIA BEFORE MOVING TO KNOXVILLE.

WHEN THE KARS CAPTURED THE CLUB DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP AT CAPE FEAR, FLYHALF CLEARY (SIX TRIES) AND SCRUMHALF PAT DORWIN (FIVE SCORES) COMBINED TO TO SCORE 11 OF THE POSSUMS' 18 TRIES OVER THE FINAL FIVE MATCHES (KNOXVILLE WAS SHUT OUT IN ITS OPENING GAME SATURDAY). TOM WILSON CONVERTED 16 OF THOSE TRIES AS KNOXVILLE TOPPLED TOP-SEEDED EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY, FOLLOWED BY A COMPREHENSIVE THUMPING OF LOUISVILLE AND A 14-10 WIN OVER THE PHILADELPHIA MAVERICKS IN THE FINAL.
CLEARY NEVER PLAYED MUCH 15s DURING HIS SHORT STINT WITH THE CLUB.

FULL NAME: ANDREW DAYTON CLEARY
POSSUM CAREER: 1994-1996
POSSUM NUMBER: 147
HEIGHT: 5-10
WEIGHT: 185
POSITIONS PLAYED: FLYHALF/CENTER

MARK CLENDEDEN

GOOD THING HOOKERS MOSTLY COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE BALL WITH A FOOT, BECAUSE MARK CLENDENEN KNOCKED THE BALL ON A TIME OR TWO.
BUT SERIOUSLY, DESPITE NOT HAVING THE BEST OF HANDS, CLENDENEN WAS AN OFF AND ON A SIDE PLAYER FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. HE WAS HEADY (HE CHEATED WELL) AND TOUGH.


FULL NAME: MARK DAVID CLENDENEN
POSSUM CAREER: 1987-1996
POSSUM NUMBER: 53
HEIGHT: 5-9

WEIGHT: 210
POSITIONS PLAYED: HOOKER
OFFICES HELD: SOCIAL CHAIR
OTHER CLUBS: TENNESSEE TECH

CRAIG CONNASTER

POSSUM CAREER: 1992
POSSUM NO. 114

ANTHONY COOPER

A POSSUM NO. 9 FROM THE BEGINNING UNTIL THE MID-1980s, ANTHONY COOPER SPELLED VAL REICH AT SCRUMHALF.
POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1986
POSSUM NUMBER: 10
POSITION: SCRUMHALF

DAVE COOPER

COMING FROM THE "ISLANDS," MON, DAVE COOPER GAVE KNOXVILLE NEEDED TURN OF SPEED FOR SEVERAL SEASONS ON THE WING.
"DAVE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A GREAT BURST OF SPEED," SAID PAT DORWIN, OFTEN TEAMED WITH COOPER'S NO. 14 AT NO. 11 OR FULLBACK. "BUT WHEN HE GOT THOSE LONG STRIDES GOING, HE WAS PRETTY DAMN FAST."
ALWAYS READY WITH A SMILE OFF THE PITCH, COOPER COULD GET FIRED UP ON THE PITCH AT TIMES.

FULL NAME: DAVID SULLIMAN COOPER
POSSUM CAREER: 1987-1989
POSSUM NUMBER: 54
HEIGHT: 6-1
WEIGHT: 180
POSITIONS PLAYED: WING

FRANK COSTELLO

POSSUM NUMBER: 29

KIT CRAWFORD

POSSUM NUMBER: 136

WAYNE CRAVENS

RECRUITED BY MARTY BRADLEY, WING WAYNE CRAVENS PROVED A GOOD ATHLETE AFTER SOME OPENING JITTERS, BUT HE ONLY PLAYED A FEW SEASONS BEFORE TAKING UP THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF THE GAME.
FAMOUSLY "FLAILED" BY A KICK TO TOUCH WHILE STANDING ON THE SIDELINE IN SAVANNAH.


FULL NAME: WAYNE GARTH CRAVENS
NICKNAME:
POSSUM CAREER: 1990-1991
POSSUM NUMBER: 98
HEIGHT: 6-1
WEIGHT: 175
POSITIONS PLAYED: WING

STEVE CUNNINGHAM

VOTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS B SIDE WING AND B SIDE UTILITY

THE DEFINITION OF "A POSSUM FOR LIFE," STEVE CUNNINGHAM COULD PLAY ALL OVER THE PITCH, FROM HOOKER TO FULLBACK, AND NOT MISS A BEAT.
CUNNINGHAM AND FRANK BENNETT (WINGS) AND PAT DORWIN (FULLBACK) COVERED THE BACK THREE DURING THE POSSUMS' MIDWEST RFU DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND.

"STEVE WAS THE ULTIMATE UTILITY PLAYER, PLAYING PRETTY MUCH EVERY POSITION SAVE PROP, LOCK, AND EIGHTMAN," SAID PAT DORWIN. "HE WAS PRETTY MUCH AN A SIDE SELECTION SOMEWHERE FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS. STEVE WAS AN UNDERRATED ATHELETE AND DID THE LITTLE THINGS FEW PEOPLE NOTICE THAT HELP A TEAM WIN."

CUNNINGHAM ALSO CO-CAPTAINED THE POSSUMS FOR SEVERAL SEASONS, SHOWING HE HAD THE RESPECT OF HIS TEAMMATES.

FULL NAME: STEVEN MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM
NICKNAME: COUNTRY-HAM
POSSUM CAREER: 1984, 1986-2006
POSSUM NUMBER: 46
HEIGHT: 5-7
WEIGHT: 162
POSITIONS PLAYED: UTILITY
OTHER CLUBS: FORT BRAGG

PAUL CURETON

VOTED TO ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM AS A SIDE PROP

PROP PAUL CURETON ALWAYS HAD SOME PART OF HIS BODY SEEMINGLY DRAGGING BEHIND THE REST: A SEPARATED SHOULDER HERE, A BUM KNEE THERE, A TWISTED ANKLE THE FOLLOWING MATCH.

"PAUL ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE IN CONSTANT PAIN," SAID PAT DORWIN. "HE GAVE IT HIS ALL BUT COULDN'T RID HIMSELF OF NAGGING INJURIES OR PREVIOUS SERIOUS INJURIES HE NEVER LET HEAL. HE WAS A TOUGH SUMBITCH TO PLAY IN THE FRONT ROW."

FULL NAME: PAUL EMERSON CURETON
POSSUM CAREER: 1995-2000
POSSUM NUMBER: 161
HEIGHT: 5-9
WEIGHT: 232
POSITIONS PLAYED: PROP
OTHER CLUBS: UT

KEVIN CURRIE

VETERAN KEVIN CURRIE PLAYED SEVERAL SEASONS FOR THE POSSUMS, PRIMARILY ON THE SECOND SIDE.

FULL NAME: KEVIN DALE CURRIE
POSSUM CAREER: 1989-2001
POSSUM NUMBER: 76
HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 220
POSITIONS PLAYED: #8