Science Hill High School

Jule Crocker

Julian Crocker 1959

Those who played football at Science Hill with Julian Crocker couldn't have been surprised that the lineman ended up being a captain on Vanderbilt's team.

"Everything for us was built around (linemen) Jule Crocker and Sam Humphreys," said Science Hill quarterback Wayne Burchfield said. "Jule took care of one side of the line and Sam took care of the other."

Burchfield and Crocker both instantly recall their 1957 upset of Oak Ridge, which won state titles in 1956, '58 and '59.

"I'd say we were at least a 30-point underdog," Crocker said. "Oak Ridge was like a machine the way they were beating people. I remember they scored on an end around or a reverse the first play of the game and you're thinking, 'Oh no.'"

But Crocker said the 'Toppers answered with an end around of their own, and he was so excited after getting up from making a block to see sophomore David Spaller going in the open field for a long gain.

"Wayne had a great game, I think Bill Durham scored a couple of touchdowns and I believe Emory Hale had three interceptions," Crocker said. "We beat them 26-13; it was state-wide news."

Crocker said Kermit Tipton, Pete Wilson and Snake Evans devised a 5-4 defensive scheme that confounded Oak Ridge's single-wing offense.

Among Crocker's Vandy memories was seeing Bear Bryant on the opposite sideline.

"That was one of his early teams at Alabama," Crocker said. "He only had like 24 or 25 players. I believe we beat them that particular year. But you kind of had the sense that they might've been down then, but they were coming."

A guard, Crocker was co-captain as a senior in '62.

"Jule was captain on Vanderbilt's football team," said former Vandy receiver Bob Taylor, "and Vanderbilt had some good football teams back then."

After lettering three years, Crocker got his masters from Vandy and an EdD from Harvard. He is the superintendent of schools in San Luis Obispo County, Calif.