Greasy Neale

Bio

To say that "Greasy" Neale was a great athlete would be an understatement. A star end at West Virginia Wesleyan (class of 1914), Neale was a talented baseball and basketball player, once reached the semifinals of the West Virginia Amateur Golf Tournament, and was an accomplished bridge player. In a 1912 football game with arch rival West Virginia, Neale caught 14 straight passes and sparked WVW to its first-ever victory over the Mountaineers, 19-14. Neale went on to combine two careers. For eight seasons he was a major league baseball player. And in the fall he coached college football. In 1919, he was the leading hitter for the Cincinnati Reds, with a .357 average, in the World Series. He then coached football at Marietta and lost just one game. In 1921, he again played with the Reds and then coached Washington & Jefferson to an unbeaten season and a trip to the Rose Bowl. Between 1915 and 1933 he also coached Virginia, West Virginia Wesleyan, and Muskingum. In 1934, he moved to Yale as assistant under Ducky Pond, and in 1941 he became head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. He led them to NFL championships 1948-49. Neale was the first man to be elected to both College and Pro Football Halls of Fame as a coach.