A Legend Passes

Glenn Presnell Dead at 99

IRONTON, Ohio - Glenn Presnell, who was one of the National Football League's oldest living former player, is dead.

Presnell, an All-American running back at Nebraska and Detroit Lions player in the 1930s, died Monday, September 13th, 2004 at the age of 99.

After playing semipro ball for the Ironton Tanks from 1927 to 1930, Presnell joined the Portsmouth Spartans of the NFL, which three years later became the Detroit Lions.

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 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.

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.

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 - www.portsmouthspartans.org

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