Photo by University of Tennessee
Lawrence “Red” Zontini played football for Tennessee in 1942.
Lawrence “Red” Zontini was called by his former University of Tennessee teammate Jim Myers “one of the best high school players I have ever seen.”
Mr. Zontini, 87, died Dec. 8 in Charleston, W.Va.
Mr. Zontini was a wingback on the Vols’ 1942 team that went on to defeat Tulsa in the Sugar Bowl. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and flew 28 missions in Europe during World War II. He earned three Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Instead of retuning to Tennessee, Mr. Zontini enrolled at Morris Harvey College (now the University of Charleston) the following the war.
Mr. Zontini’s brother Louie played for Notre Dame and in the NFL with the Chicago Cardinals, Buffalo Bisons and Cleveland Browns. Another brother, John, played for Marshall.
Myers, who coached the Dallas Cowboys offensive line about 20 years for Tom Landry, played high school football in the same county and roomed together in college and became best friends.
“He put the fear of God in everybody who played against him,” said Myers. “He was a wingback and safety. He was better on defense than he was on offense, in my opinion. He was everywhere. He was like having a tiger by the tail, trying to calm him down. He wasn’t that big, but by gosh he could hit. He was an outstanding player.
“We went to Tennessee together. He didn’t have as much success down there. But out of everybody I played against, he was the best.”
Mr. Zontini taught and coached four years at Sherman High School and taught 30 years at Lincoln Junior High in Charleston.
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Comments » 3
mattingly writes:
Actually, it was the 1943 Sugar Bowl, played Jan. 1 that year. The Vols were 9-1-1 in 1942 in the second year under John Barnhill. Only an 8-0 loss to Alabama and an 0-0 tie against Alabama damaged the Vol record. Tennessee only gave up 61 points in 11 games, as the team 7th in the AP poll. Barnhill's teams never gave up more than 100 points in any of his four seasons while head coach, and his teams finished second in the SEC each year, despite losing but three conference games over that time. Tennessee pitched 12 shutouts in 39 games, with the final record being 32-5-2. Not many Vol fans know much about the games back in those days, but it was a great time, as it is today, to be a Vol fan.
volfan73120#211815 writes:
tjmshm. The 0-0 tie was against South Carolina. I remember these games well. I saw my first Tenn game in 1939. The Vols pitched 10 shutouts in 11 games that year.
mattingly writes:
Exactly. I wonder how that got through. Tennessee 0, South Carolina 0. We Vol fans have always obsessed about Alabama, even before we were born. Thanks for the catch. I knew better.
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