General Bob Neyland, the revered head coach of some of the greatest teams ever produced at the University of Tennessee, said of Gene McEver: “[He] is probably the greatest football player I ever coached… the best I ever saw.” Considering the talent Neyland coached in his long tenure, it is safe to say that Gene McEver was one very special player. During his three varsity seasons at UT in 1928, 1929, and 1931, the Volunteers were undefeated. He was twice an All-American running back. In 1929 “Mac,” of the famous “Hack and Mac” combination (the other member of the duo being “Buddy” Hackman), scored 130 points during the season to establish a UT record that stood for over eighty-five years. The credit for putting Tennessee on the college football map belongs to McEver and General Neyland. It was McEver’s 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that led to a 15-13 upset of mighty Alabama in 1928. In 1954 McEver was inducted into the National Football Foundation’s Hall of Fame. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, on September 15, 1908, McEver entered UT in 1927. A powerful runner, he sometimes seemed as though he would prefer to run through defensive players rather than around them. Amazingly, he could do just that! His talent and toughness earned him a permanent place in UT football history.
