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Mattingly: 1967 SEC-champion Vols were fearless
Hendrix
Boerwinkle
Hann
Justus
Widby
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Tennessee captain Ron Widby, right, is congratulated by coach Ray Mears and his teammates after he scored 50 points against LSU at Stokley Athletics Center in 1967.
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Before the 1966-67 basketball season began, Ron Widby of Tennessee had an epiphany, an intuition about the forthcoming campaign. An All-SEC selection in 1965-66, Widby believed something special was about to happen.
"We were picked fifth or sixth pre-season, but we had confidence in ourselves," Widby said. "I had told Knoxville News-Sentinel reporter Marvin West before the season we were going to win it. It was probably one of the best times I've had in sports."
In the first season at the relatively new 12,700-seat Stokely Athletics Center, Widby was the grizzled veteran on the squad, with juniors Tom Hendrix and Tom Boerwinkle being joined by sophomore guards Bill Justus and Billy Hann as starters. Only Widby had seen significant varsity service. Hendrix and Boerwinkle had come in with Widby in 1963-64, redshirted, and played sparingly in the 1965-66 season.
Freshmen were not eligible in those days, so Justus and Hann had not experienced the rigors of the SEC, particularly on the road. Boerwinkle was 7-0, but was considered a "project," a "diamond in the rough." By this time, Hendrix had become a smooth forward with great defensive skills and the ability to score when needed.
When the dust settled on the regular season in early March, the Vols were 15-3 in the conference, 6-3 away from home, 21-5 overall, had won the SEC, and were headed to a much-smaller NCAA tournament. Widby was an All-America selection and SEC "Player of the Year." Knoxville Journal sportswriter Ben Byrd dubbed the team the "Fearless Five," and the sobriquet stuck.
The night of his home finale, Widby scored a school-record 50 points against LSU, a mark that lasted 20 years, when Tony White scored 51 against Auburn, in the Vols' final year in Stokely.
The win over LSU gave the Vols no worse than a tie for the SEC title going to Mississippi State the following Monday night, where the Vols grabbed the brass ring outright with a dramatic triple overtime win. Widby had 35 points and nine rebounds as the Vols refused to lose. He scored 10 in a row in the extra periods, two in the first, six in the second and two more in the third.
Justus, who had missed two free throws in the final seconds of the second overtime, got another chance and made the game-winners.
"That game was in itself a Mears deal," John Ward said. "It was as if Mears were saying, 'If we're going to win a championship, we're going to win it in an unusual way.' That was a great, great game."
While Justus made the winning free throws and Widby outdueled State's David Williams, there were two other angles to the game.
This was the year Boerwinkle came into his own and became an outstanding player, not only at Tennessee, but also in the years to come with the Chicago Bulls. Before the game, however, there was a worrisome situation, some terrible weather between Knoxville and Starkville that weighed heavily on the Vol center.
"There was a chartered airplane coming from Knoxville, and included among the fans on the plane was Boerwinkle's mother," Ward recalled. "He was very close to her. I think by then his father had died. We had heard that a UT plane had problems and had turned back to Knoxville. But nobody knew where the charter was.
"We're getting ready to go to the game. Boerwinkle is worried to death because we don't know where the plane is. We walked out into the lobby, and somebody arrived to say the plane had landed."
That eased Boerwinkle's mind. "It was as if a weight had been lifted off of him. The book on Boerwinkle was that he couldn't go but eight or 10 minutes, and he would have to rest. He just wasn't physically strong enough."
The "book" was wrong that night. "We went three overtimes. He went three overtimes. Of course, it was adrenaline flowing from winning the championship. But to me, it was the moment he knew his mother was safe," Ward said.
Then there was the beginning of the tradition of the orange-later blue-towel that became a Ward trademark, despite his insistence it wasn't.
The broadcast area was at the top of the bleachers. It was a windy night, with a cold wind hitting the back of Ward's neck. Lowell Blanchard, Ward's broadcast partner, went to the Tennessee bench, found a towel, and wrapped it around John's neck to preserve his voice. Ward wore a towel from that point in his career until he retired after the 1998-99 season.
It was a different game in 1967, but the excitement of winning the SEC never grows old. Remember the "Fearless Five" who were part of a thrilling, and unexpected, run to the top of the conference.
Tom Mattingly is the author of "The Tennessee Football Vault: The Story of the Tennessee Volunteers, 1891-2006" (2006), to be published in second edition in September 2008, and "Tennessee Football: The Peyton Manning Years" (1998). He may be reached at tjmshm@comcast.net. His News Sentinel blog is called "The Vol Historian."
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Posted by stroker on March 8, 2008 at 1:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
And John Ward said "wrap it up tie it in orange send it to Knoxville Tn..car of Billy Justice."
Posted by TommyJack on March 8, 2008 at 2:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ah for 3 pointers in those days...Widby would have killed'em with those long J's from the corner. What a touch for a (then) big man.
Posted by Chainsaw on March 8, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Great article, Mr. Mattingly!
Posted by General_Watermelon on March 8, 2008 at 2:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I can barely remember this team - I was a youngster. I rember Billy Justice better than any of them probably because he was a Freshmen and I was growing my basketball fanhood.
Posted by GerryOP on March 8, 2008 at 2:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You're right TJ, if there had been a 3.... Saw that team play in the NCAAs at Northwestern in Evanston. Widby was an animal. Lost to Dayton. Dayton had a kid named May(?) who went on to the NBA. If there had not been a time clock, I think Widby would have kept playing until they won -- no matter how long it took!
Posted by brat52 on March 8, 2008 at 4:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Those were the days when you had to use your imagination listening to AM radio, as FM was still in its infancy, and the games weren't televised like they are today. What a wonderful trip down memory lane to read the names of the legends of the 60's. That is not to take anything from the current group of excellent players, but to remember and honor those who paved the way and created the heritage that today's BB team enjoys. In 40 years we will be remembering today's outstanding players. I was a kid when these guys were playing, but I don't remember them having trouble with the law as some of our players have been having (the whole of Tn Vols, not just one program). These guys are seemingly uncaring about the dirtiness they are putting on a proud line of players who honored their coaches and college with good conduct and behavior.
Posted by brat52 on March 8, 2008 at 4:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Those were the days when you had to use your imagination listening to AM radio, as FM was still in its infancy, and the games weren't televised like they are today. What a wonderful trip down memory lane to read the names of the legends of the 60's. That is not to take anything from the current group of excellent players, but to remember and honor those who paved the way and created the heritage that today's BB team enjoys. In 40 years we will be remembering today's outstanding players. I was a kid when these guys were playing, but I don't remember them having trouble with the law as some of our players have been having (the whole of Tn Vols, not just one program). These guys are seemingly uncaring about the dirtiness they are putting on a proud line of players who honored their coaches and college with good conduct and behavior.
Posted by TommyJack on March 8, 2008 at 4:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Gerry: I believe it was Donnie May.
Posted by GerryOP on March 8, 2008 at 4:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
TJ, thanks! I believe you are right.
Posted by TommyJack on March 8, 2008 at 4:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Looks like Vandy got had by Bama. They just aren't the same outside of that punk-azz gym of theirs.
Posted by stroker on March 8, 2008 at 5:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I seem to remember Widby punted for the FB team. Anyone know for sure?
Posted by tjmshm on March 8, 2008 at 5:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Widby was NCAA punting champion in 1966 (43.8 yard average) and was All-America in both football and basketball.
Posted by TommyJack on March 8, 2008 at 5:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
stroker: He punted for the cowboys for quite a few years.
Posted by TommyJack on March 8, 2008 at 5:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
nafslov: Are you the Prince of Darkness?
Posted by pdhuff on March 8, 2008 at 6:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
TommyJack, It is amazing when you get the Commodores away from the Septic Tank arena. Their home record must be amazing with that antique bench arrangement. I don't know why the NCAA lets them get away with it.
Posted by TommyJack on March 8, 2008 at 7 p.m. (Suggest removal)
PD: They must take pity on the Dook wannabees.
Posted by stroker on March 8, 2008 at 7:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
tjmshm and TJ good memory,thanks.
Posted by volfan73120 on March 8, 2008 at 8:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
nafslov: You are not worthy to be a Vol fan. The garbage you write shows your true character. It stinks.
Posted by schymtz on March 8, 2008 at 9:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
nafslov, I've learned it useless and futile to argue about coaches. Nevertheless, Adolf Rupp once quipped that anybody who could make a basketball player out of Tom Boerwinkle was one hell of a coach! Coach Mears brought the showmanship to Tennessee Basketball, including a unicycle, an orange blazer, and a calculated walk across that Vandy gym you seem to believe doesn't qualify as an archetectual wonder of the world. It is clever, though: The very fact we dislike it so verifies that it maximizes Vandy's home court advantage, which is by design. Many folks disliked Mears "slowdown" disciplined attack, but he was successful enough with it to play .500 ball against Kentucky, and beat South Carolina when they were ranked #1. As talent improved, his style of play changed significantly. Pearl builds on that foundation, but understands that to be a great basketball program, fans have to get beyond being content with playing even with UK or dominating Florida It means competing with them for championships. I don't think Coach Mears is among the greatest of college coaches, but I do believe he was a great leader for his time who built the foundation for the program today.
Posted by givim6 on March 9, 2008 at 3:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Anybody remember Boerwinkle and Clyde lee going at it?
Big Bo just punished Lee something terrible.
Lee was probably the best and most athletic center in the SEC at the time and Roy Skinner (Vandy Coach) just screamed bloody murder at the way Coach Mears had Big Bo brutalize Lee.
Coach Mears knew how to get to Skinner and Rupp.
It was a beautiful thing.
Posted by slj49 on March 9, 2008 at 10:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I was listening to the game and I will never forget "Wrap it up, Paint it Orange and mail it to Gribbs Hall in care of the University of Tennessee"
Posted by splinterdand on March 9, 2008 at 11:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Can someone please explain to me what the point is in constantly denigrating Mears' coaching abilities here-30 years after he coached his last game.? I doubt that Adolph Rupp thought Mears was a bad coach, and I'd certainly value his opinion some ditz who has limited knowledge of the game.
Posted by john on March 9, 2008 at 12:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I remember being in Stokley for that game as a kid, I was hoping that Widby could score his jersey number (52) that night - he was my favorite player (he did also letter in golf in '66). What a season he had. A few years later Jimmy England would come along with his famous fall-away jumper, I spent hours trying to emulate that move. Great memories Tom thanks!
Posted by noexcuses on March 9, 2008 at 5:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well said splinterdand. And to you nafslov you are an idiot.
Posted by anthony on March 10, 2008 at 7:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
good coach, bad coach, good team, great team. You guys some of you just like to split straws. I mean we are just celebrating the past and comparing it to the present. Good memories fellows, we don't need you to chime in with all of your coaching expertise and vast erudition and gross opinions. Opinions are like you know what, and everyone has one. But if that's what you guys want to be known as , go ahead, that's what you will be known as!
Posted by BloneyBoy on March 10, 2008 at 11:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I graduated High School in 1967. I'm so old, I fart dust!
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