78-year-old Old Vol John Boynton is making progress.
The really tough offensive tackle from the good old days of Doug Dickey will be honored by Bledsoe County on August 23. The high school football stadium in Pikeville, Tennessee, where John grew up and still lives, will be named in his honor.
The game between Bledsoe and rival Sequatchie County is scheduled for Friday, August 23, 2040 at 8 p.m. Be sure to arrive early. The stadium is located on Main Street in Pikeville, off Highway 28.
John Boynton today
Other old Vols say this kind of thing doesn’t happen very often.
A stadium in Knoxville is named after former Tennessee coach Robert R. Neyland. The football field at Bearden High is named after former Vol safety and captain Bill Young, who was once a very successful coach for the Bulldogs.
“John is one of my favorite people of all time,” Young said. “He is more deserving of this honor. No one I know is more deserving of respect.”
“This is a great honor for John Boynton,” said former Vol and teammate Charles Rosenfelder.
Rosey knows a thing or two about honors. He was an All-American guard at Tennessee. He’s in the College Football Hall of Fame.
“I admire John Boynton very much,” said old Vol and former teammate Bob Johnson. “I have never known a more determined man.”
Johnson was a center at Tennessee in 1965-66-67, the same seasons as Boynton. Johnson was an All-American. Johnson is in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Coach Dickey remembered Boynton as the original “mountain man,” much like the history books describe the first volunteers who walked to Texas to help fight the Mexicans.
“It was like having Lil’ Abner on your football team,” Dickey said. “John was the epitome of toughness and consistency without saying a word.”
John Boynton as Vol
The coach’s recollection fits with one of old Vol Jerry Holloway’s many personal memories. Jerry, also an offensive tackle, and John were roommates before Tennessee’s away games. Of course they were friends, but they didn’t talk much.
“On those Friday nights, John would pretty much just say, ‘Turn off the lights.'”
Holloway will deliver a speech at the stadium dedication. He will present John with an engraved plaque and “a gift commemorating his playing days at Tennessee and the admiration, respect and love his teammates have for him.”
Family, former Vols and Bledsoe County dignitaries will join John on the field during halftime, creating what Holloway calls “a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Boynton, polite and grateful, will surely thank me and perhaps say a few words about his time in Tennessee. He told me he enjoyed it. The Vols went 25-6-2 during that time. Litkenhous gave them the national championship in 1967.
Boynton, 6-4 and 255 pounds, was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference and drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round. He played two seasons in the NFL.
Boynton coached at LaFollette for one season along with former teammates Derrick Weatherford and Young.
“It was a special time,” Young said. “John came to LaFollette directly from the Dolphins. He lived in the gym during the week and went home to Pikeville on the weekends.”
Boynton later coached Rhea County’s starting team, going from 0-10 to 7-4. He got into the sporting goods business, eventually teaching and coaching at his old school, Bledsoe County, and then became a gentleman farmer. The land has been in the family for well over a century.
Boynton’s farming sounds like a hobby. He has a few goats and cows. He also has a tractor. He’s in the repair shop. One of his sons teases him about the brand. His John Deere runs great.
John is Mr. Boynton of Mount Crest United Methodist Church. He is the Sunday School Superintendent. Three generations of Pikeville residents describe him as a “gentle giant.”
His wife plays a big role in John’s life. John says he discovered Emma Summers in seventh grade and never lost interest in her. They got to know each other better during their sophomore year at UT and married in 1966.
“She was worth the hunt,” Boynton said.
The description of Tennessee football player John Boynton contains several keywords.
“He would never give up,” Johnson said. “He never had much to say, but he was tougher than anyone in our world. He was and is what a man should be.”
One day, a legendary heavyweight fight took place on the practice field. It was between friends Boynton and Weatherford. Boynton was perhaps a punch or two behind.
He gave a shocking speech: “Only one of us will get out of here alive.”
Derrick countered with an instruction: “Stop that.”
“They shook hands and hugged,” Rosenfelder said. “The rest of us applauded.”
My favorite Boynton story comes from the 1965 Tennessee-Ole Miss game in Memphis. Line coach Ray Trail told it best.
“John came up to me on the sidelines and said his arm was hurt. I looked and saw that his elbow was bent the wrong way. It was horrible, so bad it was almost sickening.”
Trail called the team doctor, Bill Youmans. The doctor said Boynton should go to the hospital for repairs. John asked why he couldn’t fix it right there. Too painful, the doctor said. No one could endure that.
“John said he would take care of it,” Trail said. “He invited the doctor to sit on the bench with him and set his arm. Dr. Youmans didn’t think that was a good idea, but he went about his work.
“Boynton had sweat on his forehead, but he didn’t say a word. When his arm looked almost normal again, he stood up and said to Dr. Youmans, ‘I think I’m going to go back in the game. Are you going to finish it?'”
Marvin West welcomes comments or questions from readers. His address is [email protected]Kick-off between
