David Culley was the QB / RB coach under Boots in '82. Played high school football for Sparta. Was recruited by Bill Parcells to play QB for the Commode Odors.
Tennessean article
Tennessean article
FOOTBALL Former Blue Raider Asst hired as HC for Texans
- Thread starter SigmaNuBlue
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Culley was a source of embarrassment for the MT athletic program and for this fan who had grown up around several VU fans (which I was growing up).
If I remember correctly Culley was introduced at half-time of the inaugural game in Murphy Center as having signed a FB scholarship with MT. Culley was known as a promising high school player and the crowd gave him a enthusiastic round of applause.
Of course, the scholarship signed was an OVC scholarship for which the only benefit to MT was that other OVC schools couldn't continue to pursue him IIRC. Come signing day Culley signed $EC/NCAA LOIs with VU, our BkB opponent that inaugural night, and the whole episode was a black eye to the athletic dept. in this fan's opinion. I had to take some ribbing from a couple of VU fans after I had boasted about his commitment.
Just another example which, over time, showed this fan our place in the pecking order of sports in the area - and we're further down today than we were in 1972.
If I remember correctly Culley was introduced at half-time of the inaugural game in Murphy Center as having signed a FB scholarship with MT. Culley was known as a promising high school player and the crowd gave him a enthusiastic round of applause.
Of course, the scholarship signed was an OVC scholarship for which the only benefit to MT was that other OVC schools couldn't continue to pursue him IIRC. Come signing day Culley signed $EC/NCAA LOIs with VU, our BkB opponent that inaugural night, and the whole episode was a black eye to the athletic dept. in this fan's opinion. I had to take some ribbing from a couple of VU fans after I had boasted about his commitment.
Just another example which, over time, showed this fan our place in the pecking order of sports in the area - and we're further down today than we were in 1972.
Wow...didn't realize that. Thanks for the history lesson, as if I needed another reason to root against VU.
excerpt:
(Culley) “Well, the first thing, I’m going to go back to the recruiting and, I mean, I’m going way back, is when Coach (Bills) Parcells came into recruit me. Again, I was being recruited at Vanderbilt University at the time. He had just come in to become the defense coordinator. Steve Sloan was the head coach. And I can remember the first time I met him. I met him at the Holidome. I don’t know if they still have Holidomes anymore. I remember coming and sitting down and talking with him, and I knew then, when I sat down and started talking with him, I felt like, at that time as an 18-year-old, there’s something special about this guy. And to move forward with that, obviously, I saw the right things as an athlete in knowing that this guy was an excellent football coach and a teacher, and he convinced me that I wanted to be part of that. But before he convinced me that I wanted to be a part of that, he ended up giving me a nickname and he nicknamed me ‘Double Cross.’ And don’t take this the wrong way, he ended up giving me the nickname ‘Double Cross’ simply because at that time, back in the 1972, 1973 when this is all going process, you could sign with two or three different conferences as long as it wasn’t on the National Letter Day, if you all remember that. These kids today have no idea about that. But at that point, I ended up signing, if I remember correctly, it was Middle Tennessee State University during what they call the Letter of Intent Day. Well, when you sign, when you did that, that just meant that you were a part of – that conference couldn’t recruit you no more. Well, I just remember once I signed with them, I ended up getting a phone call later from Coach Parcells and he just said to me, ‘David, I thought we had a situation where that, you know, you were going to be a Vanderbilt Commodore.’ I said, ‘Coach, I am. I do understand the rules. I have signed with Middle Tennessee State University. I thought at that time that was the best thing for me, but when it gets down to the end, if you are what you say you are to me, which I believe you are, I’m going to be a Vanderbilt Commodore.’ So at that time when I said that, well, he says, ‘You know what? You just double-crossed Middle Tennessee State University.’ So at that point, that name has stuck with me, so every conversation I’ve had with Coach Parcells when I talk to him, he always, first thing he says to me, is ‘Double Cross.’ I say, ‘Coach, that’s been 30 years ago. I don’t do that anymore.’ I say, ‘My word is my word now.’
(Culley) “Well, the first thing, I’m going to go back to the recruiting and, I mean, I’m going way back, is when Coach (Bills) Parcells came into recruit me. Again, I was being recruited at Vanderbilt University at the time. He had just come in to become the defense coordinator. Steve Sloan was the head coach. And I can remember the first time I met him. I met him at the Holidome. I don’t know if they still have Holidomes anymore. I remember coming and sitting down and talking with him, and I knew then, when I sat down and started talking with him, I felt like, at that time as an 18-year-old, there’s something special about this guy. And to move forward with that, obviously, I saw the right things as an athlete in knowing that this guy was an excellent football coach and a teacher, and he convinced me that I wanted to be part of that. But before he convinced me that I wanted to be a part of that, he ended up giving me a nickname and he nicknamed me ‘Double Cross.’ And don’t take this the wrong way, he ended up giving me the nickname ‘Double Cross’ simply because at that time, back in the 1972, 1973 when this is all going process, you could sign with two or three different conferences as long as it wasn’t on the National Letter Day, if you all remember that. These kids today have no idea about that. But at that point, I ended up signing, if I remember correctly, it was Middle Tennessee State University during what they call the Letter of Intent Day. Well, when you sign, when you did that, that just meant that you were a part of – that conference couldn’t recruit you no more. Well, I just remember once I signed with them, I ended up getting a phone call later from Coach Parcells and he just said to me, ‘David, I thought we had a situation where that, you know, you were going to be a Vanderbilt Commodore.’ I said, ‘Coach, I am. I do understand the rules. I have signed with Middle Tennessee State University. I thought at that time that was the best thing for me, but when it gets down to the end, if you are what you say you are to me, which I believe you are, I’m going to be a Vanderbilt Commodore.’ So at that time when I said that, well, he says, ‘You know what? You just double-crossed Middle Tennessee State University.’ So at that point, that name has stuck with me, so every conversation I’ve had with Coach Parcells when I talk to him, he always, first thing he says to me, is ‘Double Cross.’ I say, ‘Coach, that’s been 30 years ago. I don’t do that anymore.’ I say, ‘My word is my word now.’
Who was that lineman who had committed to us not too many years ago and on signing day flipped to Vanderbilt? Trying to remember that dude's name and if he ever amounted to anything.
He was a 3 year starter on a team that kicked our butt. Maybe all SEC.
Collins Ukwu was another one.
excerpt:
(Culley) “Well, the first thing, I’m going to go back to the recruiting and, I mean, I’m going way back, is when Coach (Bills) Parcells came into recruit me. Again, I was being recruited at Vanderbilt University at the time. He had just come in to become the defense coordinator. Steve Sloan was the head coach. And I can remember the first time I met him. I met him at the Holidome. I don’t know if they still have Holidomes anymore. I remember coming and sitting down and talking with him, and I knew then, when I sat down and started talking with him, I felt like, at that time as an 18-year-old, there’s something special about this guy. And to move forward with that, obviously, I saw the right things as an athlete in knowing that this guy was an excellent football coach and a teacher, and he convinced me that I wanted to be part of that. But before he convinced me that I wanted to be a part of that, he ended up giving me a nickname and he nicknamed me ‘Double Cross.’ And don’t take this the wrong way, he ended up giving me the nickname ‘Double Cross’ simply because at that time, back in the 1972, 1973 when this is all going process, you could sign with two or three different conferences as long as it wasn’t on the National Letter Day, if you all remember that. These kids today have no idea about that. But at that point, I ended up signing, if I remember correctly, it was Middle Tennessee State University during what they call the Letter of Intent Day. Well, when you sign, when you did that, that just meant that you were a part of – that conference couldn’t recruit you no more. Well, I just remember once I signed with them, I ended up getting a phone call later from Coach Parcells and he just said to me, ‘David, I thought we had a situation where that, you know, you were going to be a Vanderbilt Commodore.’ I said, ‘Coach, I am. I do understand the rules. I have signed with Middle Tennessee State University. I thought at that time that was the best thing for me, but when it gets down to the end, if you are what you say you are to me, which I believe you are, I’m going to be a Vanderbilt Commodore.’ So at that time when I said that, well, he says, ‘You know what? You just double-crossed Middle Tennessee State University.’ So at that point, that name has stuck with me, so every conversation I’ve had with Coach Parcells when I talk to him, he always, first thing he says to me, is ‘Double Cross.’ I say, ‘Coach, that’s been 30 years ago. I don’t do that anymore.’ I say, ‘My word is my word now.’
Relieved to see that my memory from five decades ago is somewhat intact. Funny how some events, both good and bad, are so imprinted on your brain that you can recall events you haven't thought of for years. It's that way with me and Culley, a name I probably hadn't thought of since Donnelly had him on staff.
As you get older and see so many of your age and younger with mental problems you are encouraged every time you remember something from your past, and even when you remember what you went into the kitchen for (LOL).
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