A funeral service for Val Barksdale, who was a freshman safety on the first University of Tennessee football team Johnny Majors coached, will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Consolidated Baaptist Church in Lexington, Ky.

Mr. Barksdale, 47, died Saturday at the University of Kentucky Medical Center after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.

He was an outstanding athlete at Harriman High School -- played football and basketball, ran track and even played in the band -- before signing with the Vols in 1977.

As a freshman safety, he was in on 43 hits -- 19 solos -- before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in the seventh game, a 27-17 loss to Florida at Gainesville. He never quite regained the hard-hitting intensity he displayed as a freshman, but he was involved in 33 tackles (15 solos) as a junior. The 1979 Vols lost to Purdue in the Bluebonnet Bowl.

Mr. Barksdale's sister, Sharrieffa, ran track at Harriman High School and at UT. She was a member of the U.S. team in the 1984 Olympics.

While living in Lexington, Mr. Barksdale was in automotive sales and enjoyed playing golf. He is survived by his wife Ivy and three children. His mother, Carrie Barksdale, lives in Harriman and two of his sisters -- Darlene Johnson and Trellis Barksdale -- live in Oak Ridge.