Dr. Staffo Interview
Catching Up With
Billy Neighbors Dr. Donald F. Staffo
B
illy Neighbors was a two-way tackle and co-captain on Paul “Bear” Bryant’s first national championship team in 1961. An allconference performer who was named the top lineman in the SEC and the Most Valuable Player in the Senior Bowl, Neighbors was a consensus All-American who would later be named to Alabama’s All-Decade Team of the 1960s, the Crimson Tide’s All-Century Team, and in 2003 capped an outstanding collegiate career by being elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. Neighbors reflected on his days growing up a country boy hitch-hiking everywhere he went, his days playing for Bryant, and his eight-year career in the NFL with the Boston Patriots and Miami Dolphins. “I had scholarship (offers) from Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Texas, from everybody, but the only place I wanted to go was Alabama,” stated Neighbors, who was recruited by Crimson Tide coach Red Drew and arrived at the Capstone in 1959, a year before Bryant returned to his alma mater. “I’d never heard of Paul Bryant (before he became coach), but it didn’t take me long to figure out who he was,” stated Neighbors. “The first thing he said to me was, ‘you’ve got to lose weight.’ Then he sent me a letter that said that I had to come back at 220 pounds and be able to run a six-minute mile. I came back at 217 pounds and ran a 5:55 mile. “Coach Bryant used all kinds of ways to motivate us, and one of them was fear,” related Neighbors. “There were 118 freshmen (football players) when I came here. Two and a half years later there were only eight of us left. Coach Bryant PHOTOGRAPHY BY UA MEDIA DEPT.
worked us to death. It was Junction (the brutal preseason training camp that Bryant made famous when he was at Texas A&M), but it was Junction here,” stated Neighbors, who said that he played every play on offense, on defense and on special teams. “I didn’t have too many conversations with (Coach Bryant) all the while I was there, to tell you the truth. Whenever I saw him coming, I went the other way.” Neighbors not only survived Bryant’s grueling training methods, he thrived on them, going on to make the AFL All-Star Team in 1962 and become a three-time All-Pro while playing in the NFL from 1962 to 1969. “Playing here changed my life,” stated Neighbors, who pointed out that when he played, Alabama shut-out Auburn three straight times (10-0, 3-0, and 34-0). “Auburn never scored a point on us,” he stated proudly. “The turning point to us winning the national championship was when we beat Auburn 34-0. Then we beat Arkansas 10-3 in the Sugar Bowl. The best thing that ever happened to me was when we won the national championship. I’ve got the University of Alabama to thank for that,” Neighbors said. Neighbors recalled the journey he took from growing up in Taylorville, graduating from Tuscaloosa County High School, and going on to play professional football. “I went from Taylorville to New
York City, where I was on the Ed Sullivan Show and the Bob Hope Show,” he said. “Being from Taylorville I had never been on an airplane before, I’d never seen an escalator before, I’d never seen doors that opened by themselves before,” he said. “I was just a country boy playing in New York City, in Boston, in San Francisco, and in those other big cities. But those were just Sunday afternoons. Except for that, I’d rather been right here,” said Neighbors, one of several in his family who have played for the Crimson Tide. His older brother Sid played in the 1950s, his son Wes played center for Ray Perkins, son Keith was a linebacker on Gene Stallings’ national championship team in 1992, and his grandson Wesley is a sophomore defensive back for Nick Saban. When Neighbors was asked about current Alabama noseguard, 6-5, 380pound Terrence (“Mount”) Cody, he jokingly responded, “If I knew I was going to be playing in front of him, I’d find something wrong with me.” touchdownalabama.net |
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