Rufus B. Nalley

Who was Rufus B. Nalley?

Rufus Benajamin "Cow" Nalley was a three sport participant at the University of Georgia, playing football and baseball and participating in track and field. He was described as being of average height and weighing around 200 pounds.

Cow Nalley is the only five-year letterman in the history of Georgia Bulldogs football, lettering each year from 1892 to 1896. In Georgia's inaugural season in 1892, Nalley played tackle. During the next two seasons, Nalley played center. When Pop Warner came to coach Georgia football for the 1895 and 1896 seasons, Nalley was moved to halfback. Cow Nalley was the captain of the 1896 team, the first undefeated football team at Georgia.

Nalley was a three-year letterman in baseball, earning letters in 1894, 1895 and 1896. He also threw the hammer and the shot put when participating in track and field events at Georgia.

After his Georgia career, he stayed involved in football for at least a short while, serving as the volunteer head coach for Georgia Tech in 1899. He did not fare well as a coach at Georgia Tech, finishing his only year there with an 0-3 record.

Rufus Benajamin "Cow" Nalley died on November 28, 1902. According to some, the last thing that he heard before losing consciousness on November 27, 1902, was that Georgia had beaten its rival Auburn earlier that day, news that caused him to smile.