THE NUMBERS

POSSUMS BY THE NUMBERS

1980

LOOKING AT THESE PLAYERS, NOW, END OF JANUARY 2012, MAKES ME REALIZE HOW FORTUNATE I WAS TO PLAY WITH SUCH A DIVERSE GROUP OF ATHLETES.

I HAD HOPED MANY OF YOU WOULD COMPLETE YOUR BIOGRAPHY - NOT JUST THE BASICS - BUT THE TRUE STORIES ON AND OFF THE PITCH THAT MAKE RUGBY WHAT IT IS: THE BEST SPORT EVER, AT LEAST FROM THE MID-1850s TO NOW, UNLESS OF COURSE YOU WANT TO INCLUDE STAYING ALIVE AS A SPORT FROM SAY, THE DAWN OF TIME UNTIL, OH, 1975.

THE BIOGRAPHIES ARE MOSTLY GUESSWORK UNFORTUNATELY.

THE NUMBERS ARE PRETTY MUCH GUESSTIMATIONS, TOO, THAT COULD LEAVE A PLAYER THAT STARTED IN THE LATE 1990s AND/OR EARLY TO MID-80s AND RETURNED TO THE TEAM A FEW YEARS MISNUMBERED AS I PLAYED FROM 1986-2000 AND NO DOUBT MISSED MANY FROM THE BEGINNING AND LATER YEARS, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A SEPARATE BLOG FOR 2001 TO CURRENT PLAYERS BUT I DOUBT ANYONE HAS STEPPED UP TO BE CARETAKER.              

1-BOB HAMPSTEAD--CLUB FOUNDER

2-MATT KING--CLUB FOUNDER

3-MICHAEL MILLER--CLUB FOUNDER

4-BOB BOGEN--CLUB FOUNDER

5-HARRY VESS--CLUB FOUNDER

6-TROY BURKLOW--CLUB FOUNDER

7-JACK McCONNELL--CLUB FOUNDER

8-PAUL HAMPSTEAD--CLUB FOUNDER

9-BRENT WILLIE--CLUB FOUNDER

10-ANTHONY COOPER

11-RON BOWLING

12-VAL REICH

13-JACK LAIL

14-JIMMY RICHARDSON

15-DENNIS CARMICHAEL

16-JOEY CARMICHAEL

17-PETE CHARLETON

18-BOB NELSON

19-STEVE MOORE

20-MIKE GRAHAM

21-TIM CHAMBERS

22-HOWARD WATSON

23-STEVE AHILEEN

24-BUTCH ROBERTSON
25-MIKE HAMPSTEAD
26-RICHARD SEXTON

1981

27-ART REYNOLDS

28-ROBERT PEAGLER

29-FRANK COSTELLO

30-DOUG BROWN

31-JIM MURRAY

32-BUBBA RALL

33-FRANK BARBER

34-BARRY LAIL

35-MIKE GERARD

36-JERRY GODFREY

37-WALT MONTGOMERY

1982

38-JIM HIMELESKI

39-DANNY BRASWELL

40-GREG WENDT
41-DEAN MENKE
42-MARCUS MORTON

1983

43-JIM WATSON

44-JOHN ROSE

1984

45-BUCK ROGERS

46-STEVE CUNNINGHAM

47-KEN WOLFE

1985

48-KEN KAMPER

1986

49-BIG BOB

50-PAT DORWIN

1987

51-ROBERT BURNETT

52-WALLY BURNETT

53-MARK CLENDENEN

54-DAVE COOPER

55-OSCAR DOSTER

56-RICK OEGEMA

57-PERRY HOFFMAN
58-TOM SUTLIFF
59-STEVE ROADS
60-PAUL ZAWAL

1988

61-MARTY BRADLEY

62-STEVE LINK

63-MARK ALTOONIAN

64-DAVE CHRISTOPHER

65-JACK GEIBIG

66-MIKE JORDAN

67-JOE TRIBENDIS
68-GEORGE KRIEPS
69-BRIAN NIEKERK



70-BARRY RICE

1989

71-TOM WILSON
72-BOB BALL

73-JON PRIODE

74-BOB BROWDER

75-CHIP BUDDE

76-KEVIN CURRIE

77-BOBBY JARRETT
78-DOUG POWELL
79-ANDY KLAEHN

80-JOHN GRAHAM

81-ADAM ASHCRAFT
82-GARY PLEMONS
83-JOHN SHAW
84-TOM KRESSLY
85-MIKE VINTON
86-REX WOLFE

87-MIKE WARD

1990

88-TOMMY BECKLER

89-FRANK BEACHAM
90-STEVE CERNE

91-ROBERT EVANS
92-MIKE GARMAN

93-JACK HEAD
94-BARRY MARTIN
95-BRIAN PAYNE
96-MIKE PULLIN
97-STEVE RAINES
98-WAYNE CRAVENS
99-SCOTT SANDMAN

1991

100-PHIL GRAVES
101-HARRISON AMBROSE
102-PAT BISESE
103-ROB CAMERON
104-FRED DAVIS
105-DON HENNESSEY
106-JOHN McCORD
107-JAY MULLIGAN
108-MARTIN ROBINETTE
109-TOM STEWART
110-KRIS DYE

1992

111-FRANK BENNETT
112-BRENT BLAND

113-KEVIN BLALOCK

114-CRAIG CONNASTER
115-JOHN DAUGHERTY
116-MIKE DULIN
117-JOHN EMERY
118-MIKE FISHER
119-GREGG GIDDISH
120-JAY HAWKINS
121-JOHN HOLLIDAY
122-BARRY MARTIN
123-BILL CADDLE

124-WAYNE SCHACHER
125-LAWRENCE JONES
126-J.K. KAUMOFF
127-CHRIS MOTT
128-GARY PATTERSON
129-MIKE PIERCE
130-GARY SALANSKY
131-BARRY SHURRETT
132-JEFF SULLIVAN
133-JOHN PARRIS
134-SCOTT CALDWELL
135-PHIL GRAVES

1993

136-DAVE ARMSTRONG

137-KIT CRAWFORD
138-BOB FRISCIA
139-DAVID GUNN
140-KARL HOFFMAN
141-PHIL HOPSON
142-BRIAN JOHNSON
143-MIKE WELDON
144-DESTRY YOUNG

1994

145-GEORGE BALAS
146-GREG BROYLES
147-ANDY CLEARY
148-ED EVERETT
149-RICHARD HOLLAND
150-TYLER HUSKEY
151-PHIL McGLAMERY
152-MIKE McSALLY
153-RYAN MILLER
154-JODY MUNIZ
155-TIM RUSCH
156, 157-SOUTH AFRICAN TWINS

1995

158-PERRY DEMPSEY
159-RICKY BLAIR
160-DON CLARDY
161-PAUL CURETON
162-DAVID FOY
163-CAM GARRETT
164-DAVE HOLLAND
165-BRIAN POSTON
166-BRENDAN SCANLAN
167-JOHN SHAFTO
168-MARK SZYDLO
169-SZYDLO'S DAD
170-PHIL THIELKE
171-DAN TOMBLIN
172-DAVID FOY

1996

173-SCOTT ADCOX
174-ERIC BOOTH
175-LYNDON DAILEY
176-JOE BRANDT
177-PETE CAPELL
178-PETE'S FRIEND
179-SKINNY WING
180-JON DAVIES
181-CHRIS DULIN
182-GLYNN HARTWELL
183-MARK HILSENROTH
184-VINCENT JARDRET
185-GREG SALANSKY
186-JIM TARWATER
187-ROB BLACKMON

1997

188-LAINE DYESS
189-EUGENE MUSLIN
190-METU KOROA

1998

191-LEE BARTLETT
192-ERIC JOHNSON
193-RON SILVER
194-SCOTT SPITLER

1999

195-SHAWN VAN DYKE
196-MARTIN SMITH

ADDED (1980-1999)

197-RODNEY BARNES

198-DAVE CHILDRESS

199-ED TAUB

200-KENNY CHRISTIAN

TO NO. 240

2000

JAMES ELLIS-241

ADAM INGLE-242

MIKE MERSCHAT-243

SEAN MOHR-244

2001

KNOXVILLE BY THE NUMBERS

KNOXVILLE BY THE NUMBERS

WHEN I STARTED THIS BLOG IN SUMMER 2009, MY GOAL WAS TO GATHER ALL THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO HAD PLAYED AT LEAST ONE SPRING OR FALL SEASON WITH THE POSSUMS.

MY GOAL STARTED SIMPLE ENOUGH: FIND OUT THE YEAR A PERSON STARTED, AND GIVE THEM AN OFFICIAL POSSUM NUMBER. THEN I WANTED CURRENT AND FORMER POSSUMS TO SUPPLY MORE THAN THAT BASIC INFO: I WANTED A SYNOPSIS OF THEIR CAREERS AND TO WRITE STUFF ABOUT THEIR TEAMMATES WELL.

THAT NEVER REALLY HAPPENED. GOOD LUCK IF ANYONE EVER WANTS TO TRY THAT AGAIN. THE BLOG IS http://www.possumsrugby.blogspot.com/

IN REGARD TO GIVING POSSUMS AN OFFICIAL NUMBER, I TRIED USING A SCALE, TRYING TO BALANCE THE UPS AND DOWNS MOST CLUBS FACE IN RECRUITING NEW AND/OR EXPERIENCED PLAYERS.

IT IS BASED ON www.allblacks.com/ WHERE EACH NEW CAP IS ALL-BLACK NUMBER 124, 550, 928 ... ETC. UNDERNEATH THE HEADER "THE TEAM" YOU CAN FIND "PLAYERS PAST/PRESENT' WITH A BIO ON EACH PLAYER, SORT OF WHAT I HAD IN MIND FOR THE BLOGS, WITH EACH PLAYER WRITING HIS OWN BIO AND COMMENTING ABOUT TEAMMATES.

DIDN'T HAPPEN. TOO FEW ACTUALLY SUPPLIED MUCH ACTUAL BIOGRAPHICAL INFO, SO MUCH OF IT IS GUESSWORK - WITH PERHAPS A BIT OF FICTION THROWN IN.

OF COURSE, WITH A LOT OF EARLY DATA MISSING, THERE WILL BE PLAYERS NOT LISTED IN THE BLOG, SO THERE WILL BE GAPS IN THE OFFICIAL POSSUM NUMBERS.

THOSE FROM 1980-1999, WHO I ORIGINALLY DIDN'T INCLUDE, ARE RESERVED NUMBERS 197-250 TO GIVE ME ROOM TO ADD ON PLAYERS. SORRY, I AM NOT GOING BACK TO RE-NUMBER PLAYERS ANYTIME SOON, IT'S A PAIN. MY NUMBERS WENT FROM 43, 42, 44, 43, 48, 49, 51, 50, 49 AND BACK TO 50, WHERE I WILL STAY. NOT HISTORICALLY CORRECT, BUT TOUGH SHIT. JUST CALL ME "FITTY."

ALTHOUGH MOST EVERYBODY IN THE BLOG HAS BEEN GIVEN A NUMBER, I ADVISE CURRENT AND FUTURE OFFICERS TO WAIT UNTIL A NEW PLAYER FULLY FINISHES (BARRING INJURY) A SPRING OR FALL SEASON. THE BLOG IS www.possumsrugby2010.blogspot.com/

I SUGGEST THE FIRST PLAYER WHO JOINS THE TEAM FOR SPRING 2011 AND COMPLETES THE SEASON WILL BE POSSUM NO. 400, THE SECOND IS NO. 401 ... ETC. I TRUST THERE IS ONE CAPABLE SOUL OF COMPLETING THIS TASK EACH SEASON AND UPDATING FUTURE BLOGS. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR POSSUMS NUMBERED 241 TO 399 TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR FROM 2000 TO 2010.

HAVING A PLAYER PLAY A FULL SPRING OR FALL SEASON - OR AN EQUAL NUMBER OF MATCHES OVER A FEW YEARS - LEAVES THE BLOG UNCLUTTERED WITH GUEST PLAYERS, SUCH AS NASHVILLE'S MARCUS "AJAX" WILLIAMSON, WHO FILLED IN AT OUTSIDE CENTER FOR THE POSSUMS IN THE EARLY 1990s IN KNOXVILLE'S SECOND SATURDAY GAME AGAINST BLACKSBURG IN THE DOGWOOD TOURNEY.

WOULD I LIKE TO LIST HIM AS A POSSUM? YOU BET.

HE SCORED SIX TRIES THAT MATCH - LIKELY A KNOXVILLE SINGLE-MATCH RECORD FOR 15s. (TOM WILSON SCORED FOUR IN A 62-3 ROUT OVER GRAND RAPIDS IN THE NASH BASH AND RICH HOLLAND ARGUABLY HAD THE MOST STUNNING POSSUM DEBUT EVER - SCORING FOUR FIRST-HALF TRIES IN AN 88-0 ROMP OVER TENNESSEE TECH.)

KEVIN BLALOCK ALSO SCORED FOUR TRIES IN HIS INITIAL GAME FOR THE POSSUMS, ALTHOUGH IT WAS OVER A FULL MATCH, BUT AGAINST A BETTER TEAM THAN TTU.

"HELL, I COULD HAVE HAD EIGHT TRIES, BUT THEY STOPPED PASSING TO ME," HOLLAND SAID.

WHILE AJAX LATER BECAME A ONE-TIME USA EAGLE, HOLLAND'S REWARD WAS GETTING BENCHED AT HALFTIME. BUT AT LEAST RICH MAKES THE BLOG. "THE SUPER FANS," WAYNE SCHACHER AND BILL CADDLE, WERE ALSO GIVEN OFFICIAL POSSUM NUMBERS FOR GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY IN WATCHING MOST POSSUM HOME MATCHES FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AS WELL AS TRAVELING AT TIMES. MARK SYZDLO'S DAD NEEDS A NUMBER TOO, HE SHOWED UP OUT OF THE BLUE AT A NUMBER OF AWAY MATCHES.

THE LIST ALSO TRIES TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN BETTER RELATIONS WERE FOSTERED BETWEEN KNOXVILLE AND UT, WITH THE POSSUMS GAINING AN UPSURGE IN PLAYERS. LONGTIME UT COACH BUTCH ROBERTSON WAS GIVEN A PLACE WITH THE POSSUMS' FIRST-SEASON SQUAD.

THE YEAR-BY-YEAR LIST I STARTED WITH WENT SOMETHING LIKE 1980 (PLAYERS NUMBERS 1-19), 1981 (20-27), 1982 (28-33) ... ETC.

IT WAS A GOOD BASIC STARTING

POINT, BUT I HAD TO RESTART AND GO FROM EVERYBODY'S FIRST YEAR AS A POSSUM AND NUMBER YOU FROM THERE ... AND SINCE I DON'T KNOW WHEN MANY OF YOU ACTUALLY STARTED PLAYING FOR KNOXVILLE THE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE OFF.

I ENDED UP WITH 196 PLAYERS FROM 1980 T0 1999. SO FAR, I HAVE ADDED A COUPLE I SAW AT THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY AND ANOTHER I FORGOT. THEY START AT NO. 197.

THE NEWER PLAYERS ARE LISTED IN THE 2000-2010 BLOG.

ALSO, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY TEAM PHOTOS TO GO BY, SO I AM SURE TO HAVE MISSED A FEW OTHER PLAYERS.

FIX THEM LATER? YES, BUT ONLY AFTER WE GET AS MANY POSSUMS ACCOUNTED AS WE CAN.

THANKS.


PAT DORWIN, 1986-2000, POSSUM NO. 50

BLOG HISTORY

BLOG HISTORY

FIRST OF ALL, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO GREATLY HELPED WITH THIS BLOG SINCE IT STARTED IN JUNE 2009.

IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER, I APPRECIATE THE HELP I RECEIVED FROM:

SCOTT ADCOX.

AND THAT'S ABOUT IT, ALTHOUGH BOB HAMPSTEAD AND BUCK ROGERS CAME THROUGH IN THE 78TH MINUTE OF THE MATCH WITH SOME LATE HELP.

PRETTY LAME SHOWING BY ALMOST EVERYBODY ELSE.

SO BASICALLY ALL YOUR FULL NAMES, YEARS PLAYED, OFFICIAL POSSUM NUMBER, HEIGHT, WEIGHT, AND POSITIONS PLAYED ARE GUESSWORK, BECAUSE ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF YOU DIDN'T DO MUCH OF ANYTHING.

HOPED TO WRITE MORE ABOUT SOME FOLKS, THAT WILL HAVE TO WAIT. AS I WRITE THIS, IT'S TWO DAYS BEFORE OUR DINNER AT CALHOUN'S AND I AM OVER IT.

THE POSSUM NUMBER YOU HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED IS NOW YOURS TO KEEP IF YOU PLAYED FROM 1980 TO 1999. BASICALLY, IT'S LIKE HOW THE ALL-BLACKS NUMBER THEIR NEW PLAYERS - NEW CAPS BECOME ALL-BLACK NO. 1224, 1225 ...ETC.

IT'S PRETTY COOL - CHECK IT OUT ON ALLBLACKS.COM WHERE YOU CAN FIND AN ALPHABETICAL LIST OF THOSE WHO WERE EVER ALL-BLACKS AND PLENTY OF BIOLOGICAL INFO, SOMETHING I HOPED THESE BLOGS COULD BE.

SO THANKS, SCOTT, WHO HELPED A BUNCH, AND BOB AND BUCK, AND THE FEW OTHERS OF YOU WHO MADE YOUR MINIMUM CONTRIBUTIONS.

OH, AND THANKS FOR CONTRIBUTING TO MY CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME.

SOMEBODY NEEDS TO STEP UP AND TAKE CHARGE OF ASSIGNING FUTURE POSSUMS A NUMBER, STARTING AT NO. 400 FOR THE SPRING 2012 SEASON. I SUGGEST AN OFFICER NOTE NEW POSSUM PLAYERS AND IF THEY STICK OUT THE SEASON, THEY GET A NUMBER.

HAVE THERE BEEN AROUND 240 "OFFICIAL POSSUMS" OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS? WHO KNOWS? BUT THESE BLOGS AND NEW PLAYERS WILL HELP US WITH A TIMELINE WHERE WE CAN EVENTUALLY GET CLOSE.

SOMEONE WILL ALSO HAVE TO STEP UP AND COMPLETE THE 2000-2010 BLOG SO WE CAN GET AT LEAST A LIST OF THOSE GUYS WHO PLAYED FOR THE POSSUMS THEN. ASKING PEOPLE TO SPEND 20 MINUTES FILLING OUT THEIR OWN BIOGRAPHIES AND ADD THOUGHTS ABOUT TEAMMATES PROVED TOO MUCH TO ASK.

DO WE WANT TO INCLUDE "HONORARY POSSUMS" IN OUR NUMBERING SYSTEM? I HAVE INCLUDED MIKE VINTON AS AN OFFICIAL POSSUM ALTHOUGH HE NEVER PLAYED A FULL SEASON - BUT HE PLAYED THE EQUIVALENT OF A COUPLE FULL SEASONS WHEN IN THE AREA TO VISIT BRIAN NIEKERK.

I INCLUDED BUTCH ROBERTSON, UT'S LONG-TIME COACH, WITH THE 1980 POSSUMS. DON'T KNOW IF HE EVER PLAYED FOR KNOXVILLE, BUT CERTAINLY HE SHOULD BE INCLUDED.

GUESS I WAS LUCKY TO PLAY SOMEWHAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIRST 30 YEARS OF THE POSSUMS - AND THAT MY MEMORY IS SOMEWHAT DECENT. YOU'LL GET SICK OF SEEING QOUTES BY ME, BUT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO ACTUALLY TOOK TIME TO DO IT - I MADE A FEW UP FROM TYLER HUSKEY - BUT THE ONES FROM RYAN MILLER ARE REAL BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION.

WHEN I GOT STUCK ON SOMETHING, I ADDED TO MY BIO, THAT'S WHY IT'S SO FREAKING LONG, BUT IT IS THE KIND OF INFO I WAS LOOKING FOR FROM THE REST OF YOU.

IF YOU DO WANT TO ADD TO YOUR BIO AND/OR CORRECT ANY ERRORS, JUST USE THE PATRUGB@ATT.NET E-MAIL AND I WILL SEND YOU THE USERNAME AND PASSWORD. BIOS FOR THE 2010 CHRISTMAS EDITION ARE DUE DEC. 10.

ALSO, EMAIL ANY ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAMS YOU HAVE.

PAT DORWIN, KNOXVILLE, 1986-2000

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