Hey guys, some of you may have heard about the passing of former UT player and long time high school coach Ray Dalton this past week. I wrote a quick article about Coach Dalton for those of you who never met him and decided just to post it on the message board for now. He was a true legend in the state and impacted many lives including helping many, many of his defensive linemen get scholarships. Enjoy!
Tennessee loses a legend
by: Daniel Lewis
Allow me a few hundred words to stray from our standard recruiting coverage. The state of Tennessee recently lost a legend that meant so much to high school athletics. So while a story about Ray Dalton may be slightly off topic, it really is what Tennessee high school athletics is all about.
Dalton was a fullback at the University of Tennessee in the early 1960’s. Always looking to pave the way for others, one of his favorite tales was of the goal line drill that involved
him jumping over the pile before the tailback to clear any traffic. This resulted in chipped teeth, black eyes, and even a broke nose. Dalton laughed as he told of straightening himself up, heading back to the huddle, and running it again.
Dalton’s love of the game and desire to give back led him to a 39 year high school coaching career. Dalton coached both wrestling and football at Tifton High School (Ga.), Franklin High School (Tenn.), and Brentwood Academy (Tenn.).
His list of tangible accomplishments is very impressive. He led Brentwood Academy to wrestling state championships in ’95, ’96, and ’97 along with overseeing numerous individual champs. On the gridiron, he was a key defensive assistant as the Eagles strung together 9 state titles in the 80’s, 90’s, and one in 2006.
Dalton coached many athletes that would become NCAA and NFL standouts. Former Tennessee Vol and Green Bay Packer Scott Wells, former Vol and Philadelphia Eagles center Bubba Miller, former Auburn and Philadelphia Eagle King Dunlap, former Nebraska defensive end Barry Turner, former MTSU end Jerry Vanderpool, and former Ole Miss offensive lineman David Peden are just a few of the athletes that Dalton helped guide to the next level and beyond.
While his funeral will be attended by many that are thankful for his coaching on the field, most will be there to remember a teacher, coach, and father that cared about each person he came in contact with.
I had the opportunity to have Ray Dalton as a teacher, football and wrestling coach. It won’t be a pass rushing move or a stance he taught me that I will remember most. Rather, I will remember a man full of stories, advice, and tough love that made us all better.
Perhaps the story that embodies Ray Dalton the best came after a tough wrestling practice. We were going through our standard post-practice conditioning, except today was a little different. He pulled us out of the running one by one. He took the time to notice each athlete individually and when he thought we had given it our all, he said we were done and individually shook our hands and sent us on our way.
I think that’s the best way to describe Ray Dalton. A man that was as tough as they come, but just as caring. A man that valued team success, but cared for each player individually. A man that was selfless and lived a life somewhat behind the scenes, but had much impact on those around him.
That was Ray Dalton, and that is what high school sports should be about.
Tennessee loses a legend
by: Daniel Lewis
Allow me a few hundred words to stray from our standard recruiting coverage. The state of Tennessee recently lost a legend that meant so much to high school athletics. So while a story about Ray Dalton may be slightly off topic, it really is what Tennessee high school athletics is all about.
Dalton was a fullback at the University of Tennessee in the early 1960’s. Always looking to pave the way for others, one of his favorite tales was of the goal line drill that involved
him jumping over the pile before the tailback to clear any traffic. This resulted in chipped teeth, black eyes, and even a broke nose. Dalton laughed as he told of straightening himself up, heading back to the huddle, and running it again.
Dalton’s love of the game and desire to give back led him to a 39 year high school coaching career. Dalton coached both wrestling and football at Tifton High School (Ga.), Franklin High School (Tenn.), and Brentwood Academy (Tenn.).
His list of tangible accomplishments is very impressive. He led Brentwood Academy to wrestling state championships in ’95, ’96, and ’97 along with overseeing numerous individual champs. On the gridiron, he was a key defensive assistant as the Eagles strung together 9 state titles in the 80’s, 90’s, and one in 2006.
Dalton coached many athletes that would become NCAA and NFL standouts. Former Tennessee Vol and Green Bay Packer Scott Wells, former Vol and Philadelphia Eagles center Bubba Miller, former Auburn and Philadelphia Eagle King Dunlap, former Nebraska defensive end Barry Turner, former MTSU end Jerry Vanderpool, and former Ole Miss offensive lineman David Peden are just a few of the athletes that Dalton helped guide to the next level and beyond.
While his funeral will be attended by many that are thankful for his coaching on the field, most will be there to remember a teacher, coach, and father that cared about each person he came in contact with.
I had the opportunity to have Ray Dalton as a teacher, football and wrestling coach. It won’t be a pass rushing move or a stance he taught me that I will remember most. Rather, I will remember a man full of stories, advice, and tough love that made us all better.
Perhaps the story that embodies Ray Dalton the best came after a tough wrestling practice. We were going through our standard post-practice conditioning, except today was a little different. He pulled us out of the running one by one. He took the time to notice each athlete individually and when he thought we had given it our all, he said we were done and individually shook our hands and sent us on our way.
I think that’s the best way to describe Ray Dalton. A man that was as tough as they come, but just as caring. A man that valued team success, but cared for each player individually. A man that was selfless and lived a life somewhat behind the scenes, but had much impact on those around him.
That was Ray Dalton, and that is what high school sports should be about.