Cotton Letner, a Tennessee football letterman from 1958-60, died Sunday in Chattanooga at 72.
Mr. Letner came to UT from Ten Mile after a stellar career at Meigs County High School.
He lettered in football for three years as an end and kicker for coach Bowden Wyatt and also lettered in track.
Mr. Letner graduated from UT with a degree in transportation and played in the Canadian Football League and briefly with the Buffalo Bills of the AFL in 1961.
His kicks loomed large in two 1959 Tennessee upset victories, 3-0 over No. 3 Auburn, and 14-13 over No. 1 LSU. He was second-team All-SEC in 1960 and played in the Blue-Gray Classic.
In 1999 he was named to the Chattanooga Times Free Press best 50 prep players in 50 years. He was inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.
Mr. Letner is survived by his wife of 47 years, Bettye Redman Letner and daughter Pam McMillian.
Services are Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Heritage Funeral Home on East Brainerd Road. Burial is at 2 p.m. at Blevins Chapel Cemetery in Calhoun.
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Comments » 9
Brama writes:
Great althete was said to be an outstanding basketball player also
Voluvr writes:
Former?........Always.
woody45#537767 writes:
In 1960 I was a fifteen year old high school football player when I became really aware of Tennessee football at Knoxville. We lived near Martin and we always cheered for the UT-Martin "Baby Vols" as they were called back in those days. But, Cotton Letner was one of the first UT football players that I got to know from listening to Tennessee football games on the radio. Maybe it was his unusual name "Cotton" that caught my attention, but I've enjoyed UT football all of these years since his playing days.
txsvol#372416 writes:
One of our all-time greats. He was the first of three Orange shirts who hit Billy Cannon when LSU was going for 2 in our thrilling 1959 upset of defending National Champion LSU. We beat them 14-13, in the first UT game I ever saw in person. Cotton also played briefly for the semi-pro Chattanooga Cherokees in some long-forgotten semi-pro team in the '60s. "Cotton" Letner, from "Ten Mile," Tennessee is truly a Volunteer legend. May he rest in peace! SAVol
jimr07 writes:
i, too, remember that great games against LSU as it was the first i was able to see after serving my two years in the army in france. great game, great player, great man.
bholt#207077 writes:
The very first UT game I saw was the 3-0 win over Auburn. As a 14 year old and after a very long drive(no I-40, remember)the game is something I will never forget. Best wishes to the family in their time of grief.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Farewell, good Vol.
feathersax writes:
As a youngster I recall George Mooney's call on Cotton Letner & others of this era. Regards to the family.
piledriver writes:
I recall Cotton Letner with fondness, but for the record it was Wayne Grubb, who made the initial hit, followed by Charley Severance and Bill Majors who participated in the famed LSD extra-point try.
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