Gene McEver
{{Short description|American football and coach (1908–1985)}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Gene McEver
| image = Gene McEver, 1944.png
| alt = Black and white photograph of a white man, shot from the neck up
| caption = McEver, 1944
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1908|9|15}}
| birth_place = Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1985|7|12|1908|9|15}}
| death_place = Davidson, North Carolina, U.S.
| player_years1 = 1928–1929
| player_team1 = Tennessee
| player_years2 = 1931
| player_team2 = Tennessee
| player_positions = Halfback
| coach_years1 = 1932–1935
| coach_team1 = Davidson (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1936–1943
| coach_team2 = Davidson
| coach_years3 = 1944
| coach_team3 = North Carolina
| coach_years4 = 1945–1947
| coach_team4 = Virginia Tech (backfield)
| overall_record = 22–54–5
| awards =
- Consensus All-American (1929)
- Second-team All-American (1931)
| CFBHOF_year = 1954
| CFBHOF_id = 1581
}}
Eugene Tucker McEver (September 15, 1908 – July 12, 1985) was an American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, where he was an All-American halfback. McEver served as the head football coach at Davidson College from 1936 to 1943 and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1944, compiling a career record of 22–54–5. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1954.
Playing career
McEver attended Virginia High School in Bristol, Virginia. He was the first-ever All-American for the Tennessee Volunteers football team. He played for the Volunteers in 1928, 1929, and 1931 under Robert Neyland, missing the 1930 season with a knee injury. McEver scored 130 points for the Vols in 1929, helping them to a 9–0–1 record. The total led the NCAA in scoring that season, and his mark stood as the single season scoring record at Tennessee for 95 years until it was broken by Dylan Sampson in 2024.{{cite web |agency=Associated Press| title=Dutchtown High, Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson declares for NFL draft | website=WBRZ | date=2025-03-24 | url=https://www.wbrz.com/news/dutchtown-high-tennessee-running-back-dylan-sampson-declares-for-nfl-draft/ | access-date=2025-03-24}} In December 2008, Sports Illustrated undertook to identify the individuals who would have been awarded the Heisman Trophy in college football's early years, before the trophy was established. McEver was selected as the would-be Heisman winner for the 1929 season.{{cite news|author=Mike Beacom|title=Who would have won the Heisman from 1900-1934|publisher=Sports Illustrated|date=December 12, 2008}} McEver also holds the record for career scoring at Tennessee among non-kickers. McEver finished his career at Tennessee with 44 touchdowns and 12 points after touchdown for 276 points. He was named to the All-Southern team in 1928, 1929, and 1931, joining teammates Bobby Dodd and Herman Hickman. He stood 5'10", weighed 185 pounds, and wore number 28.
Coaching career
McEver coached at Davidson College in North Carolina from 1937 through 1943.{{cite web | title=Baseball is in the Air, and with it Come Thoughts of Gene McEver | website=News of Davidson | date=2024-05-30 | url=https://newsofdavidson.org/2024/05/30/74169/baseball-is-in-the-air-and-with-it-come-thoughts-of-gene-mcever/ | access-date=2025-03-24}} His record there was 21–47–4. McEver also coached the University of North Carolina to a 1–7–1 record in 1944. He was an assistant coach at Virginia Tech from 1945 to 1947.
Head coaching record
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Davidson Wildcats
| conf = Southern Conference
| startyear = 1936
| endyear = 1943
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1936
| name = Davidson
| overall = 5–4
| conference = 4–3
| confstanding = 7th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1937
| name = Davidson
| overall = 2–8
| conference = 1–6
| confstanding = 16th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1938
| name = Davidson
| overall = 4–6
| conference = 2–6
| confstanding = 12th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1939
| name = Davidson
| overall = 2–7
| conference = 1–7
| confstanding = 13th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1940
| name = Davidson
| overall = 5–5
| conference = 1–5
| confstanding = 14th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1941
| name = Davidson
| overall = 1–6–3
| conference = 1–5–2
| confstanding = 13th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1942
| name = Davidson
| overall = 2–6–1
| conference = 2–4–1
| confstanding = T–10th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1943
| name = Davidson
| overall = 0–5
| conference = 0–3
| confstanding = 10th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Davidson
| overall = 21–47–4
| confrecord =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = North Carolina Tar Heels
| conf = Southern Conference
| startyear = 1944
| endyear = single
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1944
| name = North Carolina
| overall = 1–7–1
| conference = 0–3–1
| confstanding = 9th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = North Carolina
| overall = 1–7–1
| confrecord = 0–3–1
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 22–54–5
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
| legend = no
}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons}}
- {{College Football HoF|1581}}
- {{Find a Grave|193796771}}
{{Davidson Wildcats football coach navbox}}
{{North Carolina Tar Heels football coach navbox}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Gene McEver—awards and honors
| list1 =
{{1929 College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{1929 College Football Composite All-Southerns}}
{{1931 College Football Composite All-Southerns}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McEver, Gene}}
Category:All-American college football players
Category:American football halfbacks
Category:Davidson Wildcats football coaches
Category:North Carolina Tar Heels football coaches
Category:Tennessee Volunteers football players
Category:Virginia Tech Hokies football coaches
Category:All-Southern college football players
Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Category:People from Bristol, Virginia
Category:People from Davidson, North Carolina
Category:Coaches of American football from Virginia
Category:Players of American football from Birmingham, Alabama