Remembering
the Legend of Press
by Billy
"DawgBert" McClurg
dawgbert@dawgbyteproductions.com
I'm presenting
you with a challenge and sending you on a journey... a journey to
discover our NFL roots! Occasionally, you'll find a local newspaper
or magazine article featuring the Portsmouth Spartans, Ironton Tanks,
or Glenn Presnell.
If you've lived
in Southern Ohio for any length of time you should know what I'm
talking about, maybe you've seen the floodwall murals in Portsmouth
Ohio, and you've heard the legends... Yet you've never bothered
to research it further. Shame on you, shame on all of you who have
not expressed an interest in learning about the history of your
community?
Southern Ohio
was once a big part of the football universe. You can't talk about
the history of the NFL in Southern Ohio without mentioning a local
football legend & friend, Glenn Presnell.
Glenn Presnell
was an All-American running back at Nebraska, he played semipro
ball for the Ironton Tanks from 1927 to 1930, Presnell later joined
the Portsmouth Spartans of the NFL, which three years later became
the Detroit Lions.
Presnell led
the league in scoring that season and was first team All-Pro. He
had earned second team honors before and on Oct. 7, 1934, kicked
a then-NFL record 54-yard field goal. The record stood for 19 years.
I previously
mentioned the floodwall murals in Portsmouth Ohio... while visiting
Portsmouth, I recommend you visit the Spartan Tribute; that's Glenn
running for a touchdown!
It was in Detroit
that Presnell enjoyed his finest NFL seasons, leading the Lions
to the 1935 league championship. It was also in Detroit that Presnell
earned his best-ever pro football salary of $4,000.
Presnell retired
after nine professional seasons and spent one year as an assistant
coach at Kansas, then went to his alma mater Nebraska before serving
in the Navy for three years during World War II.
After the war,
Presnell was hired at Eastern Kentucky and spent 17 years as head
coach and another 11 as the athletic director before retiring in
1974.
Former Eastern
Kentucky head football coach Roy Kidd, who won 300 games during
his career, played for Presnell at EKU. He said Presnell was one
of the all-time great players.
"It's a shame
he didn't get into the Hall of Fame," Kidd said.
One player in
the Lions backfield from the '35 championship team was Dutch Clark.
Presnell shared the backfield duties with Clark, but Presnell said
that when things got tight at the end of the game, Lions coach Potsy
Clark always turned to him.
"Potsy had more
confidence in me. We'd get the lead and Potsy would always turn
to me and say, 'Get in there Glenn and hold 'em,'" Presnell said.
That's when Glenn got his nickname "Press"!
The game forgot
"Press"! But I can't, I won't and I'm again challenging you to learn
more about this man and this game.
If you've got
a computer, and internet access, you're ready to begin.
Glenn Presnell,
who was one of the National Football League's oldest living former
players, is dead. Glenn died Monday, September 13th, 2004 at the
age of 99.
Editors Note:
The Portsmouth Spartan Historical Society will continue the effort
for the induction of Glenn Presnell in the Pro Football Hall of
Fame ... Visit our web site and sign the petition - portsmouthspartans.org
I also have
a question for our local schools… Why don't we teach about local/community
history in our schools?
--
Billy "DawgBert"
McClurg is the CEO-Webmaster of DawgByte
Productions,
as well as the webmaster/creator of RiverCitiesEzine.com, RiverCitiesDirectory.com,
RiverCities
Classified, and many, many others.
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