George Walton Berry (February 18, 1900 – February 25, 1986) was a guard in the National Football League. He split his first season between the Racine Legion and the Hammond Pros. He played another season with the Hammond Pros before splitting the 1924 NFL season with Hammond and the Akron Pros. Berry played another year in Akron, during which time the team changed their name to the Indians, before splitting his final season with Akron and the Hammond Pros.
Henry L. Reese (October 24, 1909 – August 3, 1975) was an American football player. He played professionally as a center and guard in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Temple University.
Jerry Gordon Sturm (December 31, 1936 – June 17, 2020) was an American professional gridiron football player. He played college football at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He played professionally in Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Saskatchewan Roughriders (1958), and Calgary Stampeders (1959–1960), the American Football League (AFL) for the Denver Broncos (1961–1966), and in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints (1967–1970), Houston Oilers (1971), and Philadelphia Eagles (1972). He was an American Football League All-Star in 1964 and 1966.
After retiring from football, Sturm owned "The South" restaurant along with his wife, Debbie, in Englewood, Colorado. The restaurant offers a selection of Mexican and American food.
Sturm died on June 17, 2020. He had been suffering dementia prior to his death. His family announced that they would donate Sturm's brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation at Boston University to study the effects of brain trauma from Sturm's football career.
Knox Wagner "Bulldog" Ramsey (February 13, 1926 – March 19, 2005) was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Cardinals, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Washington Redskins. Ramsey also played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for the Los Angeles Dons. When the All-America Football Conference dissolved in 1950, the NFL an AAFC dispersal draft to assign players from the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Hornets and Los Angeles Dons. Ramsey was drafted (1st Round) by the San Francisco 49ers as the 10th overall pick and traded to the Chicago Cardinals.
Knox Ramsey played college football at the College of William & Mary where he was selected for three consecutive years to Virginia's all-state teams and the Southern Conference teams. He also was named to the all-time state of Virginia team and the all-time William & Mary football team. Ramsey received second-team All-American honors in 1947 when he was selected by the Associated Press. He played in the 1948 College All-Star Game against the NFL Champions Chicago Cardinals where he faced his brother Buster Ramsey. Ramsey was drafted in the fifth round of the 1948 NFL Draft (32nd pick overall) by the Chicago Bears and in the ninth round (37th pick overall) of the 1948 AAFC Draft by the Los Angeles Dons. Following his professional football career Ramsey was inducted into the William & Mary Hall of Fame and the Blount County (TN) Sports Hall of Fame.
George Groves (June 10, 1921 – July 23, 2011) was a professional American football guard.
Damon Gus Tassos (December 5, 1923 – February 28, 2001) was a guard in the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 1945 NFL Draft by The Yanks and played with the Detroit Lions that season. After another season with the Lions he went on to play three more with the Green Bay Packers.
Benjamin F. Boswell (March 4, 1910 – May 30, 1968) was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Portsmouth Spartans and Boston Redskins. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, he played college football at Texas Christian University.
Ernest Woodrow Pannell (February 2, 1917 – September 24, 1998) was a player in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the sixteenth round of the 1941 NFL Draft and played three seasons with the team.
Larry Strickland (September 3, 1931 – August 29, 1979) was an American football center for six seasons between 1954 and 1959 for the Chicago Bears, a one-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro.
Strickland was born in Tyler, Texas. He was selected by the Bears in the 13th round (150th overall) of the 1953 NFL Draft. He was survived by his wife Betty Strickland, and he had no children.
David Glenn Lunceford (May 6, 1934 – May 23, 2009) was an offensive lineman who played for Baylor University and for the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League.
Lunceford grew up in Tyler Texas, graduating from Van High School in 1952 and lettering in three sports. After a year at Tyler Junior College, he was recruited by Baylor, where he lettered in all three seasons (1954–1956), playing both offensive and defensive tackle. He appeared in both of Baylor's bowl games during that period: the December 31, 1954 Gator Bowl, (which Baylor lost to Auburn 33–17), and the 1957 New Year's Day Sugar Bowl, in which Baylor upset the undefeated Tennessee Volunteers and their superstar (and future Hall of Fame coach) Johnny Majors 13–7.
Lunceford was drafted by the Cardinals in 1957. He played offensive guard for all 12 games in 1957. Injuries ended his career before the start of the 1958 season.
After the NFL, Lunceford returned to his native Tyler and went to work in the oil industry, starting with Humble Oil and Refining, which later merged with Standard Oil of New Jersey (which ultimately became Exxon). He retired from Exxon in 1992, and he continued to work as a management consultant thereafter, as well as serving in various capacities in Tyler for his church, the community, and the local junior college.
Mr. Lunceford died on May 23, 2009, from complications of Alzheimer's disease.