Dyersburg High School

[mg]

mr ike peel was honored this past friday night during pre-game activities at dyersburg high school.....not too many old school players like him still alive today.... ut stand-out heath shuler even dropped by to pay tribute.....

 

graduated from dyersburg high 1938....scholarship offers to lsu and tennessee...went to ut to play for gen neyland......

 

player for ut vols 1938 to 1942 as a offensive back

 

during his 4 years at ut, he and his vol team mates won 39 games lost 4 and had 27 shuts outs....they scored 1009 points to their opponents 148......the 38 team undefeated...the 39 team un-scored upon regular season played for national championship.....

 

while at ut, mr peel was creditied for making 3 "key" blocks that set up the famous "butler" run against alabama....

 

upon graduation drafted by cleveland browns, but elected to become a member of general robert neylands coaching staff....

 

spring of 42 was called into service by the army for ww2....led a 40 man attack squad during the first invasion wave at normandy beach......received "2" purple hearts...

 

returned to ut in 1945 as the offensive and defensive back coach for general neyland....

 

recruited players such as doug atkins from humboldt and johnny majors from huntland....

 

won a national championship in 51.....

 

also coached baseball and wrestling and won a sec championship in wrestling....

 

was close friends and hunting buddy with bear bryant, who frequented dyer county area on several hunting and fishing trips.....

 

close friends with many other legend sec coaches......

 

inducted into tennessee hall of fame 1992

 

he has a grandson in anderson county who is a middle school basketball coach and was a standout basketball player for dyersburg in the late 80's and was on the dyersburg tssaa state-runner up basketball team from the late 80's.....

 

congratulations to mr ike peel, a great member of our community and a member of americas greatest generation.....

Edited October 27, 2003 by mg

[Guest photojeff]

And who shows up at half-time? Heath Shuler to watch DHS kick somebutt.

[mg]

shuler came into the press box for a few and i must admit i did not immediately recognize him.......

 

he said that he was "honored" to meet a player that had not only played for general neyland, but coached for him as well......

 

anywho, mr peel droped by thursday during walk-thurs and spoke to the team....was pretty emotional....he cried a bit and and told some "war stories".....it "fired" up the team........

Edited October 27, 2003 by mg

[Guest photojeff]

Nobody cares but us MG...

[helapaxt]

Bet you guys felt real honored to have him come. It's a once in a lifetime type of experience.

[STARSNBARS]

Dyersburg fans what has happened to Jimmy Noonan? He sure was a thorn in the side of the Maryville team of 1974. Not only then, but a thorn in the side of everyone he faced in the SEC too. Great little noseguard.

 

Go Rebs.

[mg]

jimmy n kinda just disappeared from the scene....he still lives in the area....

 

starsnbars....i assume you are from maryville? if so, do you remember paul kellar who played at Maryville 80’s or 90’s and later went on the play at mtsu?

 

paul was an assistant coach here in dyersburg, later on at jcm...he now is working in administration with jackson - madison cnty schools.....

 

he and i have become good friends over the years....the players he coached "loved him" and he did a great job in the classroom as well...........

Edited October 28, 2003 by mg

[JPSartre]

To be sure, Ike was an icon. Even Johnny Majors spoke favorably of him at the spring game last April. I'm glad Heisman Heath took time out to pay tribute. General Neyland was a unique individual and anyone who was able to bask in his aura is indeed special as well. As for photojeff, one of the best shooters around, all I can offer is "50."

Edited October 28, 2003 by JPSartre

[Guest photojeff]

I like to think that I fall into the elite group of photojournalists in West TN with Jay Heath and Jason Peevyhouse.

[JPSartre]

Jeez, photojeff, don't flatter yourself that much. Peevyhouse and Heath should be up there on Mt. Rushmore...cleaning it of course...that would be a great photo...beats all those tattoos......

[Guest photojeff]

Thank you for your complements Jean Paul .

I'll be shooting the Grizzlies Celtics Friday night.

[Guest photojeff]

"The goal of art is to recover this world by giving it to be seen not as it is, but as if it had its source in human freedom."

 

Jean Paul Sartre