Honored Tigers
RETIRED JERSEYS Since the University of Memphis first fielded an intercollegiate football team in 1912, only three jerseys have been retired. Those jerseys - 8, 30, and 39 - belonged to three outstanding individuals who helped make Tiger football what it is today. Now, to help honors Charles Greenhill, Dave Casinelli and Bill Crumby, their numbers will be issued to an outstanding defensive back, a stellar running back and to a devoted special teams player. CHARLES GREENHILL Charles Greenhill was called the "most talented football player ever to come out of Memphis, TN". The multi-talented Greenhill, who prepped at Frayser High School in Memphis where he lettered for three years in football, basketball and track, played for the Tigers just one year (1983) before being killed in a plane crash with former head coach Rex Dockery and offensive coordinator Chris Faros. Greenhill, a defensive back, had 20 tackles on the season, including 13 solo stops. Greenhill was also a dandy return man for the Tigers. The 6-2 speedster returned a kickoff 69 yards for a touchdown against Cincinnati and went on to average 29.8 yards per return. Following his death, Firestone Sta-
dium in Memphis was renamed Charles Greenhill Stadium. Firestone Stadium was the home field for Frayser High. Jersey number “8” will be worn in 2001 by incoming freshman Scott Vogel from MUS in Memphis. Vogel will work as a defensive back for the Tigers and is expected to play strong safety. 2001:
Scott Vogel
8
DAVE CASINELLI Dave Casinelli, Memphis' all-time leading rusher, was recruited to Memphis in 1960 from Follansbee, WV where he received all-America honors as a senior in high school. Casinelli played at Memphis from 1960-63 and ended his career by leading the nation in rushing and scoring while leading the Tigers to an undefeated season. During his first year as a starter, Casinelli led Memphis in rushing with 646 yards on 117 carries. His nine touchdowns in 1961 also led the Tigers. As a junior, "The Bull" gained 826 yards on 173 attempts while scoring 11 touchdowns. In his recordbreaking senior year, Casinelli became the first and only Tiger to rush for 1,000 yards in a single-season when he tallied 1,016 on 219 attempts in 1963. His 1,016 yards ranked him first among all NCAA rushers and his 14 touchdowns helped him capture the national scoring title. Following graduation, Casinelli became a successful businessman in Memphis and Tallahasse, FL. Casinelli later lost his life in a car accident in 1987. Mario Robinson, an all-state tailback from Melrose High School in Memphis, Tennessee, will be wearing Dave Casinelli’s number “30”. Robinson, who also ran track at Melrsoe, will work at tailback for the Tigers in the fall of 2001.
BILL CRUMBY Bill Crumby came to the Memphis football team as a defensive back in 1976. The 6-2, 175, graduate of CBHS in Memphis, saw no action during his first year as a Tiger but earned a spot on the Memphis special teams during his second season. Crumby had appeared in the first seven games of the 1977 season and had been credited with four tackles and two assists entering the Memphis-Southern Miss contest on October 29. With less than a minute remaining in the first half, Crumby collided with teammate Tony Graves in an attempt to stop USM kick returner Willie Tullis at the Golden Eagle 35-yard line. Crumby sustained a fractured dislocation of his fifth cervical vertebra and was paralyzed from his shoulders down. Since that night, no one has worn 39. Crumby, who had supported Tiger athletics since his youth and continued to support after his accident, passed away in January of 2000. Crumby’s number “39” will be awarded to a two year letterman for the Tigers who, like Crumby, came to the U of M as a walk-on but has earned a spot on the squad. Quincy Stephenson, a graduate of East High in Memphis, was the first to wear the number 39 in honor of Bill Crumby.
2001:
2001: 2002:
Mario Robinson
30 206
Quincy Stephenson Olen Whitely
39