Haskel Stanback was a vital difference-maker for A.L. Brown High School, the University of Tennessee, and the Atlanta Falcons.
The Kannapolis, NC native started three years for the Vols and finished with 1,730 yards. His 890 rushing yards as a junior led the SEC and broke a school record that had stood for 21 years and would stand as the top total for the Vols until 1983. In 1972, Stanback made second team All-SEC and led a memorable victory against Penn State in the Vols’ first-ever night game. He was named to the 1973 Playboy All-American team and was selected second team All-SEC for the second year in a row.
In 1972, Stanback tallied 13 touchdowns during his junior campaign, leading the SEC in scoring with 78 points. He added seven more TDs as a senior, ranking himself among the most prolific scorers in UT history. In the 1973 Gator Bowl, he was named Tennessee MVP and played in the post-season American Bowl Game in Tampa. The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Stanback in the fifth round and traded him to Atlanta. He played for the Falcons for six seasons, rushing for 2,662 yards to rank him eighth among all-time leading rushers for the franchise. Playing in 83 games and starting 52 of them, he tallied 25 rushing TD’s and caught 98 passes for 786 yards.
Stanback ended his football career with a degree from the University of Tennessee in Transportation and Logistics. He went to work with Norfolk Southern Railroad, rising to superintendent of the company’s Virginia Division before retiring in 2012. He and his wife, Doris, live in Locust Grove, Georgia. They have two daughters, Amber and Kristie, who also attended the University of Tennessee.