Last Friday, Tennessee football great Bert Rechichar passed away at age 89, according to a report in The Baltimore Sun. A defensive back and a kicker, Rechichar was a two-sport athlete from Pennsylvania, playing football and baseball.
His legacy on Rocky Top is simply being a born champion. Rechichar not only helped return the Vols to elite prominence during Robert Neyland’s third stint. He also did something very few players ever do: win back to back national championships at the college and pro level.
Yes, Rechichar was part of the 1950 Tennessee football team that finished 10-1 with a key win over the Kentucky Wildcats and then a Cotton Bowl victory over the Texas Longhorns to capture the national title among various selectors.