Rufus B. Nalley
Encyclopedia
Rufus Benajamin "Cow" Nalley (December 27, 1870 - November 28, 1902) was a three sport participant at the University of Georgia
, playing football
and baseball
and participating in track and field
. He was described as being of average height and weighing around 200 pounds.
Cow Nalley is the only five-year letterman in the history of Georgia Bulldogs football
, lettering each year from 1892 to 1896. In Georgia's inaugural season
in 1892, Nalley played tackle. During the next two seasons (1893 & 1894), Nalley played center
. When Pop Warner
came to coach Georgia football for the 1895 and 1896 seasons
, Nalley was moved to halfback
. Cow Nalley was the captain of the 1896 team, the first undefeated football team at Georgia.
Nalley was a three-year letterman in baseball, earning letters in 1894, 1895 and 1896. He also threw the hammer
and the shot put
when participating in track and field events at Georgia.
After his Georgia career, he stayed involved in football for at least a short while, serving as the volunteer head coach for Georgia Tech in 1899. He did not fare well as a coach at Georgia Tech, finishing his only year there with an 0-3 record.
Rufus Benajamin "Cow" Nalley died on November 28, 1902. According to some, the last thing that he heard before losing consciousness on November 27, 1902, was that Georgia had beaten its rival Auburn
earlier that day, news that caused him to smile.
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, playing football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and participating in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. He was described as being of average height and weighing around 200 pounds.
Cow Nalley is the only five-year letterman in the history of Georgia Bulldogs football
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
, lettering each year from 1892 to 1896. In Georgia's inaugural season
Georgia Bulldogs football under Charles Herty
The 1892 Georgia Bulldogs football team was the first football team fielded by the University of Georgia to compete and the team completed its inaugural season with a 1-1 record. The Bulldogs played their first inter-collegiate football game in history against , winning 50-0...
in 1892, Nalley played tackle. During the next two seasons (1893 & 1894), Nalley played center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
. When Pop Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner , most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American football player and coach...
came to coach Georgia football for the 1895 and 1896 seasons
Georgia Bulldogs football under Pop Warner
Coaching legend Glenn “Pop” Warner coached the Georgia Bulldogs for two seasons: 1895 and 1896. Warner was hired at a salary of $34 per week. Over the course of those two seasons, he led the Bulldogs to a combined 7-4 record and the team's first undefeated season and first conference championship...
, Nalley was moved to halfback
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
. Cow Nalley was the captain of the 1896 team, the first undefeated football team at Georgia.
Nalley was a three-year letterman in baseball, earning letters in 1894, 1895 and 1896. He also threw the hammer
Hammer throw
The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...
and the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
when participating in track and field events at Georgia.
After his Georgia career, he stayed involved in football for at least a short while, serving as the volunteer head coach for Georgia Tech in 1899. He did not fare well as a coach at Georgia Tech, finishing his only year there with an 0-3 record.
Rufus Benajamin "Cow" Nalley died on November 28, 1902. According to some, the last thing that he heard before losing consciousness on November 27, 1902, was that Georgia had beaten its rival Auburn
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
earlier that day, news that caused him to smile.
External links
- Georgia’s All-time Football Lettermen
- Reed, Thomas Walter (1949). Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press. History of the University of Georgia; Chapter XVII: Athletics at the University from the Beginning Through 1947, imprint pages 3429-3430, 3433, 3439, 3443-3444, 3471