BEATTIE FEATHERS. A TENNESSEE VOL PHENOM

by Ron Allen

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Beattie Feathers played at a level seldom if even seen on a Tennessee Volunteer football team. During the three years from 1931 through 1933, he ran for 1,888 yards, a record that stood for thirty-seven years at Tennessee. Even today, he still ranks 13^th at U. T. in total career rushing yardage, and his rushing average of 7.2 yards per carry still stands. During the 1933 season, his touchdowns included runs for 60, 75, 80, 70, 65 and 65 yards. He once had a 76 yard punt. He scored 32 touchdowns in his three years as a Volunteer, playing thirty games. Feathers is in the college Hall of Fame.

After graduation, Feathers played professional football for the Chicago Bears. In his first season, he set a professional football rushing record that has never been broken to this day, averaging 9.9 yards per carry, rushing for 1001 yards in 101 carries that season.

In November, 1934, an article about Feathers appeared in a Knoxville newspaper, reproduced from the New York Tribune. That article makes it evident what opinion the great Red Grange had concerning Feathers, his teammate with the Bears. The article is reproduced below, as it appeared more than seventy years ago.

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YOU CAN'T BEAT THE BEARS WITH FEATHERS, SAYS GRANGE

Visitors. Two men and no boy. One tall fellow, brown suit, tan overcoat, dark red hair. The other fellow a trifle shorter, dark suit, dark overcoat, black hair. Harold the Red waved an introductory hand toward his companion and said "Here's the fellow who's giving the old man a rest. Meet Beattie Feathers. He's the -- "

What! Feathers? It couldn't be! The Beattie Feathers, who had been plowing through the professional lines, shaking off large and powerful tacklers, and romping to a new professional ground-gaining record in the pro league should be a big fellow architecturally. This fellow didn't look very tall.

"Ah'm tall enough", said the visitor designated as Feathers.

He didn't look particularly strong.

"Ah'm pretty strong" he said bluntly.

"This is Feathers, all right," said Harold the Red. "If you don't think so and would like to try tackling him, I'll call a play and --".

It was decided hurriedly that this probably was Beattie Feathers after all. No need of any demonstration.

Was it the first visit of Beattie the Bold to this area?

"No Suh," said the fellow who has been making the Bears with Feathers an unbeatable combination so far in the professional gridiron. "Ah came heah with Tennessee to play N.Y.U. one time."

He must have enjoyed the visit very much.

"Ah did," he said with a grin.

So he came from Tennessee. The football scenes change so quickly that it's so hard to remember just where all the ex-college heroes had played.

"Ah played for Tennessee," said Beattie, solemnly, "but Ah come from Virginia. Ah grew up in Bristol with Gene McEver ; we played on the high school team together. Then we played together at Tennessee. Bristol is half in Virginia and half in Tennessee. Ah lived on the Virginia side."

He admitted under severe heckling that he was only five feet, ten and one half inches tall and weighed only 185 pounds. The how could he go along banging his way through the big fellows in the pro league?

"Ah dunno," said Beattie. "They just give me the ball and Ah get goin', Guess the blockin' is pretty good ahead of me."

"All right, inspector. I'll talk," said Red Grange, putting a restraining hand on Chicago's fine Feathers. "Sure, we have a fine bunch of blockers. We've got the best backfield any team ever had - - when I'm sitting on the bench, I mean. With this midget in there, our regular backfield averages 198 pounds. You know, Beattie is the best first year back the pro gridiron has seen. It was only last year that he was playing college football for Tennessee. He's made a big difference in our team."

He probably had made a big difference in opposing teams, too, after he had ripped their lines apart.

"Not only that," said Harold the Red, "but what we lacked last year was a kicker, and Beattie can punt that ball. He can pass, kick and run. It all helps, but the kicking is a big improvement over last year. You take fellows like Beattie, and Ken Strong and Earl Clark - - they can punt you out of many a hole. Then we've got Jack Manders for place kicking. I don't think he missed a point after touchdown in a couple of years. If Manders or Clark or Strong get set to try a placement anywhere inside the 30 yard line you might a well put the score right up on the board. If they miss, it's an upset."

Didn't a fellow named Red Grange ever go galloping for the big, bad Bears any more?

"Oh well," said Harold the Red, putting his hand on Beattie's shoulder. "I play about one quarter, but here's the nice young fellow who has taken the load off the old iceman's back. Yes Sir, you can't beat the Bears with Feathers."

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