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Lee Nalley

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Lee Nalley
Vanderbilt Commodores – No. 25
PositionHalfback, safety
Personal information
Born:(1925-03-15)March 15, 1925
Nashville, Tennessee
Died:September 14, 2003(2003-09-14) (aged 78)
Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight161 lb (73 kg)
Career history
CollegeVanderbilt (1947–1949)
High schoolCentral
Career highlights and awards

Lee "Long Gone" Nalley Jr. (March 15, 1925 – September 14, 2003) was a college football player for the Vanderbilt Commodores football team from 1947 to 1949.[1] A prominent halfback and safety man, he broke an NCAA record with 791 punt return yards in 1948.[2][3][4] Nalley broke the record in the game against Maryland.[5] He also had the record for return yardage in a career.[6] He was chosen as the return man for an Associated Press Southeast Area All-Time football team 1920–1969 era.[7]

Nalley graduated from Nashville's Central High School in 1943. He then spent two years in the Navy due to World War II before entering Vanderbilt University in 1946.[8] Due to his small size, he had to make the football team as a walk-on. "I ran the 100 in 9.9 seconds, which was pretty fair for that time, and I had a good change of pace" recalled Nalley.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Lee Nalley NFL Stats and Bio". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  2. ^ "Vanderbilt Back Ready To Crack Punt Runback Mark". Ludington Daily News. November 12, 1948.
  3. ^ "Vanderbilt Ace May Set Punt Return Record". Ellensburg Daily Record. November 11, 1948.
  4. ^ "Nally Honored by Vanderbilt". St. Petersburg Times. May 19, 1949.
  5. ^ "Vanderbilt Romps Over Maryland". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. November 21, 1948.
  6. ^ "Vanderbilt Commodores Football, Basketball, and Recruiting Front Page". scout.com.
  7. ^ "All-Time Football Team Lists Greats Of Past, Present". Gadsden Times. July 27, 1969.
  8. ^ a b "Nalley perfected punt returns, shattered records". vucommodores.com.