Texas A&M and Tennessee football will go to battle at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville this weekend. The Aggies will be playing at an away stadium that is named after one of their own— kind of, technically.
Neyland Stadium, home of the Volunteers, is the sixth-largest college football stadium in the country by capacity. Seated right on the edge of the Tennessee River, it holds 101,915 orange-clad fans inside of its not-so-friendly confines.
First constructed as Shields-Watkins Field in 1921, the stadium has undergone 16 expansion projects. It was also renamed in 1962 in honor of legendary General Robert Neyland.
General Robert Neyland is a legend in east Tennessee. His name is lionized across the state.
But he was a Texas A&M Aggie first!
Neyland is the man who gets credit for turning the Volunteers into a national football power. The former brigadier general in the United States Army also served three stints as the head football coach in Knoxville, from 1926 to 1934, 1936 to 1940, and 1946 to 1952, and two stints as the athletic director from 1936 to 1941 and 1946 to 1962.
In each instance, the two interruptions were due to military service.
Over the course of his career, Neyland won 173 of 216 games, led six undefeated seasons, and won seven conference championships and four national championships. He is one of just two coaches in college football history to win two national titles in two non-consecutive tenures at the same school.
Needless to say, Neyland is one of the greatest coaches of all-time. His entire career as a head coach was with the University of Tennessee.
But he was a Texas A&M Aggie first!
Born in Texas, Neyland attended a junior college in his home town during his first year out of college. From there, he transferred to four-year institution— also in Texas.
Robert Neyland attended Texas A&M in 1912!
Neyland ultimately went on to receive appointment to the United States Military Academy and played four years as an offensive lineman for the Black Knights. His degree is from West Point. His graduate degree is from MIT. He is best known as the head coach of Tennessee.
All of that is fine and well. The Volunteers should sing Neyland’s praises. It makes total sense that they named their football stadium after him.
But………………..
HE WAS A TEXAS A&M AGGIE FIRST!