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MIKE GARMAN

AN ATHLETIC CENTER, MIKE GARMAN DROVE FROM OAK RIDGE TO PRACTICE AND PLAY WITH NASHVILLE BEFORE HOOKING UP WITH THE POSSUMS.

"OBVIOUSLY HE MADE THE DRIVE BECAUSE THE COMPETITION HE GOT TO PLAY AGAINST WAS MUCH STRONGER THAN HERE," SAID PAT DORWIN. "IT HELPED HIM GAIN MIDWEST RECOGNITION IN BOTH 15s AND 7s, I THINK."

GARMAN PLAYED A FEW YEARS FOR THE POSSUMS, FORMING A SOLID CENTER COMBINATION WITH TOM WILSON.

FULL NAME: MICHAEL THOR GARMAN

POSSUM NICKNAME: THE FIRST 'HAIR FRANK'

POSSUM CAREER: 1990-92

POSSUM NUMBER: 92

HEIGHT: 6-2

WEIGHT: 190

POSITIONS PLAYED: CENTER/WING

OTHER CLUBS: NASHVILLE. MID-SOUTH SELECTS, MIDWEST RFU SELECTS

CAM GARRETT

POSSUM CAREER: 1995
POSSUM NUMBER: 163

JACK GEIBIG

TALL FOR A FRONT ROWER, BUT A BIT SHORT FOR A LOCK, VETERAN JACK GEIBIG OFTEN FOUND HIMSELF AT THE FRONT OF THE PACK DURING HIS POSSUM CAREER.

A WORKMAN-LIKE ATTITUDE, ALONG WITH A STRONG WORK RATE, OFTEN FOUND GEIBIG AN A SIDE PLAYER.

FULL NAME: JACK FREDERICK GEIBIG

POSSUM CAREER: 1988-1994
POSSUM NUMBER: 65

HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 225
POSITIONS PLAYED: PROP, HOOKER, LOCK

MIKE GERARD

OLD-SCHOOL FORWARD.

POSSUM CAREER: 1981-1985

POSSUM NUMBER: 35

GREGG GIDDISH

AN UNDERRATED ATHLETE, GREGG GIDDISH FOUND HIMSELF GETTING PLENTY OF A SIDE TIME AT WING DESPITE A PLETHORA OF STRONG OUTSIDE BACKS DURING HIS ERA. HE ALSO PLAYED ON SOME TOUGH 7s TEAMS.

DURING A 7s TOURNEY IN JOHNSON CITY, GID HAD TWO OF THE FINEST DUMMY PASSES YOU'LL EVER SEE. AFTER SLASHING PAST A COUPLE OF SILVER BULLETS, THROWING ONE DUMMY FORWARD, GID HAD A DEFENDER BREAKING TOWARD HIM WITH A GOOD TACKLE ANGLE.

"GID MADE A FANTASTIC DUMMY PASS, NOT ONE YOU EVER SEE USED MUCH," SAID PAT DORWIN. "HE FAKED ANOTHER PASS FORWARD, COMPLETELY BEFUDDLING THE DEFENDER. THE GUY LOOKED AS CLUELESS AS DOUG BROWN AFTER FOUR OR FIVE BIG GULPS."


FULL NAME: GREGG ALAN GIDDISH
NICKNAME: GID
POSSUM CAREER: 1992-1996
POSSUM NUMBER: 119
HEIGHT: 5-10
WEIGHT: 185
POSITIONS PLAYED: WING
OFFICES HELD: "THANKFULLY, NONE."

MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: ROOKIE-OF-THE YEAR, 1992
PERSONAL QUOTATIONS: "NOT ALL THE BEST MEMORIES ARE FROM WINNING, SOMETIMES THE GAME ITSELF OF EVENTS AFTERWARDS ARE WHAT I REMEMBER MOST.

"NOW FOR THE CHARACTERS. FIRST AND FOREMOST WOULD BE LITTLE JOHN. THOSE WHO WERE TOUCHED BY HIS PRESENCE ARE BETTER OFF. I'LL NEVER FORGET GOING INTO A BAR AND THE FIRST THING LJ WOULD GO FOR WAS THE TALLEST WOMAN IN THE PLACE.

"SECOND, WELL THAT IS A TOSS-UP. TOM WILSON, TIM CHAMBERS. BETTER STILL, B SIDE BOB BROWDER - LOVED TO HEAR HIM BLAME EVERYONE BUT HIMSELF."
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: PLAYED ON 1995 CAPE FEAR CLUB DIVISISON CHAMPIONS, GETTTING A LATE RUN IN KNOXVILLE'S 14-10 WIN OVER THE PHILADELPHIA MAVERICKS AFTER SCRUMHALF PAT DORWIN GOT HURT ON A LEFT-FOOTED CROSS-KICK TO A FLYING TOM WILSON THAT ALMOST GOT THE POSSUMS' ANOTHER TRY.

"THAT'S THE ONLY CHAMPIONSIP GAME I EVER PLAYED IN," GID SAID. "GLAD PAT TOOK A HAMSTRING."

"MEMPHIS IN MAY ... THROWING THE FIRST FEW GAMES TO GET A TROPHY."

"FT. WALTON BEACH ... THE SAME YEAR THE KARS WENT TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN CLEVELAND, US KARPS LOST ALL FIVE GAMES AND WENT TO THE BEACH."

CAYMAN TOUR, BLIZZARD OF '92 IN SAVANNAH

OTHER CLUBS: NASHVILLE
RESIDES: NASHVILLE
FAMILY: WIFE, KIM
OCCUPATION: CLAIM ADVOCATE

JERRY GODFREY

A SLASHING RUNNER, JERRY GODFREY WAS A NATURAL ATHLETE IN THE KEVIN BLALOCK MODE (EXCEPT GODFREY ACTUALLY PASSED THE BALL.)

FULL NAME: JERRY JEFF GODFREY

NICKNAME:
POSSUM CAREER: 1981-1987
POSSUM NUMBER: 36
HEIGHT: 5-11

WEIGHT: 182
POSITIONS PLAYED: FULLBACK/CENTER

JOHN GRAHAM

"ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG."

BILLY JOEL

"PAIN LIES BY THE RIVERSIDE. AND PAIN WILL NEVER SAY GOODBYE."

LIVE

"I'M WRAPPED IN SKY ... I'M WRAPPED IN LOVE FROM THE ANGELS DOVES ... I'M WRAPPED IN TRUTH DISGUISED AS YOUTH ... I'M WRAPPED IN BLOOD AS THE WORLD CONFRONTS ... I'M WRAPPED IN FRIENDS THAT UNDERSTAND THE OTHER SIDE." DRIVIN' N' CRYIN'

A POCKETFUL OF STONES
BY DAVID GILMOUR

HE'S SENDING STONES SKIMMING AND FLYING
CIRCLES SPINNING OUT HIS TIME
THOUGH THE EARTH IS DYING HIS HEAD IS IN THE STARS
CHANCES ARE THIS SPARK'S A LIFETIME

OUT OF TOUCH HE'LL LIVE IN WONDER

WON'T LOSE SLEEP HE'LL JUST PRETEND

IN HIS WORLD HE WON'T GO UNDER

TURNS WITHOUT HIM UNTIL THE END

RIVERS RUN DRY BUT THERE'S NO LINE ON HIS BROW

SAYS HE DOESN'T CARE WHO'S SAVED

IT'S JUST THE DICE YOU ROLL, THE HERE AND NOW

AND HE'S NOT GUILTY OR AFRAID

ONE DAY HE'LL SLIP AWAY

COOL WATER FLOWING ALL AROUND

IN THE RIVER AND ON THE GROUND

LEAVE A POCKETFUL OF STONES AND NOT BELIEVE IN OTHER LIVES

UNTIL THEN HE'LL LIVE IN WONDER

HE WON'T FIGHT OR COMPREHEND

IN HIS WORLD HE WON'T GO UNDER

TURNS WITHOUT HIM UNTIL THE END

JOHN GRAHAM, ALL 5-FOOT-3 OF HIM, WAS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST SOBs WHO EVER LIVED - UNFORTUNATELY HIS LIFE WAS CUT DOWN MUCH TOO SOON.

MOVING TO KNOXVILLE FROM TENNESSEE TECH, "LITTLE JOHN" WAS THE A SIDE HOOKER BEFORE LOSING HIS JOB TO RYAN MILLER AT THE 1994 DOGWOOD TOURNAMENT.

"I DON'T THINK THAT MADE JOHN MAD, BUT MORE JUST DISAPPOINTED," SAID PAT DORWIN. "HERE HE WORKED HARD, STOLE PLENTY OF BALL FROM THE BOTTOMS OF RUCKS AND WAS ALWAYS AT PRACTICE AND TACKLED MONSTERS LIKE GREG AMSLER LIKE HE WAS SLAYING A DRAGON.

"BUT RYAN HAD PAID HIS DUES AND IT WASN'T A CASE OF THE SELECTORS PUTTING RYAN IN THE A SIDE JUST TO KEEP HIM HAPPY BECAUSE HE WAS A NEW PLAYER," DORWIN SAID. "STILL, IT CAME AS A SURPRISE TO ME, BUT RYAN WAS THE A SIDE HOOKER FOR ABOUT A THOUSAND YEARS AFTER THAT."


LITTLE JOHN DIED JULY 17, 1994, IN A FOUR-WHEELER ACCIDENT AT HIS FAMILY FARM IN NEWPORT DURING HIS ANNUAL RUGBY/GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK PARTY.

"I WAS SITTING ON THE SIDE PORCH WHERE THE FOOD WAS SET UP UNDER A TENT SECURED BY BLACK, FLEXIBLE 'WIRES.' I WAS BEERED OUT AS IT WAS PRETTY LATE," DORWIN SAID. "SO I WAS SCARFING DOWN SOME FRUIT AND CHIPS WHEN LJ CAME OUT THE DOOR PAST WHERE I WAS SITTING, LOOKING A BIT PISSED OFF.

"EARLIER IN THE NIGHT I HAD SEEN HIM PUNCH HIS BRICK CHIMNEY INSIDE HIS HOUSE. I THINK HE WAS MAD AT SOME GIRL.

"ANYWAY," DORWIN CONTINUED. "LJ HOPPED ON IS FOUR-WHEELER AND I YELLED AT HIM THAT ONE OF THE TIRES WAS LOW IN AIR. HE SAID IT WAS OK, AND CRANKED IT UP.

"WELL, I KNEW OSCAR (DOSTER) WAS SITTING ON THE FRONT PORCH - AND I KNEW AS SOON AS HE HEARD THE ENGINE FIRE, HE'D COME RUNNING TO JUMP ON WITH LJ," DORWIN SAID. "SURE ENOUGH, O.D. COMES FLYING AROUND THE CORNER, INTENT ON JUMPING ON THE FOUR-WHEELER.

"OSCAR RAN BY ME AND TRIED TO ZIP UNDER THE COVERED FOOD AREA - AND IT WAS LIKE A GIANT HAND REACHED DOWN FROM THE SKY AND STOPPED HIM IN HIS TRACKS, THE ELASTIC BLACK WIRES INVISIBLE IN THE DARK HOLDING HIM IN PLACE AND EVEN PUSHING HIM BACK A BIT, AGAIN LIKE A HUGE HAND.

"LITTLE JOHN GUNNED IT OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, HEADED SOMEWHERE ON HIS FARM. IT WAS THE LAST TIME ANY OF US SAW HIM ALIVE," DORWIN SAID.

IT WAS A TRAGEDY BEYOND COMPREHENSION.

"RYAN, OSCAR AND I WERE PULLING OUT THE NEXT MORNING AS LJ'S BROTHER WAS COMING IN FROM FINDING THE BODY," DORWIN SAID. "I REMEMBER FINDING A BEDROOM TO CRASH ABOUT 4 A.M. AND ASKING FRED DAVIS IF THEY'D SEEN JOHN SINCE HE HAD TAKEN OFF. HE SAID, 'NO, HE'S PROBABLY JUST SLEEPING IT OFF ON THE FARM SOMEWHERE.'

"I REMEMBER LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AND SEEING A FULL MOON AND THINKING, 'WE SHOULD GO LOOK FOR LITTLE JOHN.' BUT I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE FARM, WHERE HE HAD HEADED ... JUST HAD A BAD FEELING IN MY GUT ... A FEELING THAT COMES BACK EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT LJ ... BUT I SWEAR TO WHATEVER DEITY IS OUT THERE, THAT 'GIANT HAND' SAVED OSCAR'S LIFE ... BELIEVE ME OR NOT."

LJ NOT ONLY SPECIALIZED TACKLING MONSTERS LIKE AMSLER, BUT HE EXPECTED YOU TO GIVE IT YOUR ALL JUST AS HE DID.

"WHAT I REMEMBER MOST ABOUT JOHN IS THE LOOK HE WOULD GIVE YOU IF YOU WERE NOT GIVING 110 PERCENT - ALL MATCH LONG," DORWIN CONTINUED. "YOU GOT THAT LOOK AND YOU PICKED IT UP A NOT A NOTCH - OR FELT HIS WRATH, USUALLY AFTER THE MATCH."

NICKNAME: LITTLE JOHN, LJ

POSSUM CAREER: 1989-1994

POSSUM NUMBER: 80

HEIGHT: 5-3

WEIGHT: 155

POSITIONS PLAYED: HOOKER

OTHER CLUBS: TENNESSEE TECH

OCCUPATION: WAS A GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK RANGER

MIKE GRAHAM

A 6-2 235 LOCK/#8, MIKE GRAHAM POSTED TWO STINTS WITH THE POSSUMS.

1981-1989 have some photos somewhere from back then that should help. As soon as I find them, I will scan them and identify as many as I can remember which could be difficult considering all the brain cells I killed back then :-). If I were you, I would ask others if they have photos that can be used to identify old players. To correct my information, I actually started with the club in 1980 and played in the first game. It was my first rugby game. Wildman (Steve Moore) recruited me so he started in 1980 as well. I left in 1982 to go to the Air Force and returned in 1986 so my time should be 1980-1982 and 1986 – 1989 AND I also played 8 as well (particularly when I was captain). You may also want to see if you can find out who all the captains were and ask them as well. If I remember correctly, Bob Bogen was the first captain (but I could be wrong). I was captain for a year after I came back from England then Rick Oegema took over after me and I think Marty after that.

FULL NAME: MIKE GRAHAM
POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1982; 1986-1989
POSSUM NUMBER: 20
HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 235
POSITIONS PLAYED: LOCK/#8
TEAM HONORS: CAPTAIN

PHIL GRAVES

PHIL GRAVES WAS THE KIND OF GUY EVERY CLUB NEEDS - HE HELPED IN ANYWAY HE COULD WHETHER ON OR OFF THE FIELD.

DIED IN A NIGHT-TIME SCUBA-DIVING ACCIDENT IN THE 2000s

NICKNAME: PHIL THE BEAK

POSSUM CAREER: 1992-
POSSUMS NUMBER: 135
HEIGHT: 6-1

WEIGHT: 185

DAVID GUNN

POSSUM CAREER: 1993

POSSUM NUMBER: