Background
William, Junior. was born on June 22, 1887 in Smyrna, Tennessee to William Daniel Neely, Senior and Mary Elizabeth Gooch. His father William died of sunstroke in 1900.
William, Junior. was born on June 22, 1887 in Smyrna, Tennessee to William Daniel Neely, Senior and Mary Elizabeth Gooch. His father William died of sunstroke in 1900.
He was a prominent end and halfback for Dan McGugin"s Vanderbilt Commodores football teams. Bill also lettered for the Vanderbilt basketball team Football
Neely recalled the event: "The score tells the story a good deal better than I can.
All I want to say is that I never saw a football team fight any harder at every point that Vanderbilt fought today – line, ends, and backfield.
We went in to give Yale the best we had and I think we about did lieutenant" Neely was selected All-Southern.
He was a school-teacher and once member of the board of directors of the Rutherford County Creamery and manager of the Production Cr Association of Springfield.