October 27, 1994
Sports
Football player looks back on early '70s
Spoon credits Elon football for his success
Chuck Walker
Staff Reporter
Of the many things that Elon
College has, one is definitely a rich
football tradition, which includes
Two national championships, nu
merous South Atlantic Conference
titles, and other various accomplish
ments.
The players who have played
for Elon, could make any who’s
who list, from Rich McGeorge to
Jerry Tolley to Red Smith to Bobby
Hedrick and the list goes on.
One such player who played a
part in the Elon football success is
Tommy Spoon. Spoon was a mem
ber of the Elon football team from
1970-1973 and a graduate of the
Class of ‘74.
Spoon, who played tight-end
fortheFightin’ Christians, was most
impressed with the coaching staff
"Elon had at the time he was a player.
“We had a tremendous coach
ing staff at Elon when I
played,"Spoon said. “Red Wil
son, who went on to become the
• ‘head coach at Duke, was the head
Courtesy of Williams High School
Tommy Spoon
.coach. Coach Brown who is now
'back at Elon, Clay Johnson who
' went on to be the head coach at
Newberry. Jerry Tolley, who led
Elon to two national champion-
ihips as head coach, is now the
Mayor of Elon College,
t “All four years that I spent
f'jgetting to know them was the great
est. We had great pyersonnel. I
Courtesy of Sports information
Spoon contributes his success to former Elon coach "Red* Wiison.
think coach Wilson got the pro
gram started in the right direction."
One of Spoon’s fondest memo
ries of his playing days was when
the 1973 team played in the na
tional championship game against
Abilene Christians, which had a
whole slew of stars that went on to
NFL fame.
“We played Abilene Christian
in the national championship game
and we got beat 42-21," Spoon said.
"They had Clint Longley at quar
terback, who went on to play for the
Dallas Cowboys. They had Wilbur
Montgomery at running back, who
went on to star for the Philadelphia
Eagles. And they had Randall
‘Tex’’ Cobb, who went on to be a
professional boxer and actor.
“When Montgomery ran a
sweep and blew by Brent Sexton,
one of our best defensive players
who was drafted by the Pittsburgh
Steelers, we knew we were in
trouble.
Spoon said he thought the time
he spent at Elon playing football
prepared him for the future.
“Itgave me discipline,” Spoon
said of his time at Elon. “I think
you learn to budget your time
wisely. Because football in college
is year round.”
Spoon also had advicc for the
current student athletes who are
attending Elon right now.
“My advicc is to do the best
you can. Because before you know
it, it’s over. Make the most of your
time while you are there, because
sooner or later it’s going to end.
When things get tough, look and
see how many jjcople would give
anything to trade places with you."
Spoon is the athletic director
at Williams High School in
Burlington and is also the defen
sive coordinator of the Bulldog foot-
ball team. Spoon said that there are
good times and bad times that come
with the job. but overall he is en
joying it.
“I enjoy the job, because I like
to see things develop and grow,”
Spoon said. “There is a lot more to
thejob than people see. An athletic
director is here at the school from
sunup to sundown. There are good
moments and bad moments, but
with the good coaching staff that
we have here at Williams, we’ve
got it made.”
%This Week’s Games
SAC Scores
SAC Standing
Gardner-Webb at Elon (2 p.m.)
Wingate at Presbyterian (2:30
pm.)
Mars Hill at Charleston Southern
(1:30 p.m.)
Carson-Newman at Lenoir-Rhyne
(7:30 p.m.)
Catawba at Newberry (2 p.m.)
Lenoir-Rhyne 45, Newberry 3
Carson-Newman 41, Gardner-Webb 21
Mars Hill 35, Presbyterian 17
Wofford 37, Wingate 22
Liberty 37, Catawba 12
Elon 2-3
Lenoir-Rhyne 4-0
Carson-Newman 5-1
Mars Hill 4-1
Gardner-Webb 1-3
Wingate 1-3
Presbyterian 1 -4
Catawba 1 -4
Football Player Profile
Gentilcore leads by example
Ti
Bud Hoopes
Staff Reporter
One of this year’s quiet and
detemiined leaders of the Fightin'
Christians is Tony Gentilcore.
Gentilcore, a 6-foot-1-inch,
225 pound inside linebacker from
Clearwater, Fla. is an experienced
player and leader who lets his per
formance on the field do the talk
ing.
“Tony is a physical player
who brings good size and strength
to the inside linebacker position
and that size and strength is a big
asset to the defensive line," defen
sive coordinator Larry Stephens
said.
Gentilcore is majoring in lei
sure sports management. After
graduating in the fall of 1995, he
wants to find a job that keeps him
on the move.
“I’d like to find a job that has
to do with ’some kind of sport.
Hopefully, I’ll go into managing a
health club or something like that,"
Gentilcore said. “I can’t work
behind a desk.”
On his off time, Gentilcore
enjoys waterskiing and frisbee
golf. V
Gentilcore says that he hasn’t
had any big influences growing up
but lists linebacker coach Leo
Barker as one person who has had
a big impact on him as a player.
“Coach Barker is the only one
Courtesy of Sports infonr^ation
Tony Gentilcore
throughout highschool and col
lege that has been able to put a
leash on me. He’s the only one
that’s figured me out the most and
if he tells me to do something or
be somewhere. I’m there or else,”
Gentilcore said.
“Each lime Tony goes out
there he gives me 100 percent,”
Barker said. “Tony plays hard
and if he does that, that's great in
my eyes and that’s all 1 ask from
anyone. Tony’s experience has
helped him come a long way."
Besides Barker, Gentilcore
lists that the “people who said he
couldn’t make it" as his incentive
for always doing his best on and
off the field. This “group” made
Gentilcore feel like "maybe I can
play hard and prove them wrong.”
In opponents' minds, he has
done just that.
Schedule of
Events
Oct. 27 Volleyball vs. St. Augustine's College (HOME) 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 28 Men's Soccer vs. Presbyterian College (HOME) 2 p.m.
Oct. 29 Volleyball vs. Francis Manon University (HOME)
Men's and Women's Cross Country Food Lion SAC Meet
Mars Hill
Women's Soccer Food Lion SAC Tournament (HOME)
noon and 2 p.m.
Football vs. Gardner-Webb University (HOME) 2 p.m.
Oct. 30 Women's Soccer Food Lion SAC Tournament 2 p.m.
(HOME)
Nov. 1 Men's Soccer Food Lion SAC Tournament Higher Seed
2 p.m.
Nov. 2 Volleyball vs. Queens College (away) 6:30 p.m.
McEWEN
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94
Students must huve a vulid Full '94 sticker
on Student ID for admission to sports
events.