William "Mike" McClellan

1939 - 2010

William "Mike" McClellan, 70, died Friday, June 25, 2010, at his home in Arlington. Celebration of life: A public memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 8, at First United Methodist Church in Arlington. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, the family suggests gifts to Community Hospice of Texas, 6100 Western Place, Suite 500, Fort Worth, Texas 76107. Born and raised in Stamford, Mr. McClellan graduated from Stamford High School, where he played football under legendary Coach Gordon Wood. Mr. McClellan, a high school All American, played on Stamford's state championship teams of 1955 and 1956 and was a member of the state championship track team in 1957. He was a two-time All-State Class 2A halfback in 1955 and 1956; the state 2A 100-yard dash champion in 1956-57; and the state 2A 220-yard dash champion in 1956. In 1957 he was the Texas 2A broad jump champion. His 23-11 3/4 jump was a record that stood for 15 years. Mr. McClellan was a member of the state 2A 440-yard relay team in 1957, and a High School All American in 1955-56. He was High Point at both the Canyon Reef Relays in 1956 and the Red Raider Relays in 1957. A 1963 graduate of Oklahoma University, he attended Baylor University as a freshman, transferring to OU in 1958 where he played for Coach Bud Wilkinson's football teams 1959-61. Mr. McClellan was Academic All Big 8 in 1960-61 and Academic All American in 1961. Mr. McClellan is widely remembered as the halfback hero of OU's 1961 football victory over Army at Yankee Stadium. He scored on a 74-yard run off a trick play early in the first quarter to propel the Sooners to a 14-8 upset of Army. He led OU in interceptions (three) in 1959, in scoring (30 points) in 1960 and in rushing (508 yards) in 1961. Drafted as a junior at OU by the San Francisco 49ers, Mr. McClellan was traded to Philadelphia where he played cornerback two seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, and had four interceptions. He was named to the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 1995. In 2005, Mr. McClellan was named to the Gordon Wood Hall of Champions, which honors top players whom Wood coached during his storied career. In "Coach of the Century," Gordon Wood's autobiography, Wood said, "Mike McClellan was the most explosive ball carrier who ever played for me." Wood described one winning streak as "riding the windswept coattails of the jet-propelled Mike McClellan." After serving as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1964, Mr. McClellan worked with Mobil Oil and, later, as a real estate appraiser/consultant, specializing in cases involved in eminent domain and litigation. His career as an MAI in real estate appraisal spanned more than 30 years. A highly regarded expert witness in valuation testimony, he was frequently called on to appraise complicated parcels and to mentor appraiser trainees. He served as president of the Dallas Area Chapter of the Appraisal Institute and the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the International Right of Way Association, and served on several committees in those organizations. He wrote numerous articles published in association journals and was a certified instructor. The family expresses heartfelt thanks to Medical City Dallas and Darinka Savor; James L. West Center and Kay Sharp; Community Hospice of Texas, Dr. Karen Godfrey and Ginger Mathers; and Comfort Keepers, Jo, Amanda, Janice, Chris, Kerry, Joan and Mary Ann. Survivors: His wife of 46 years, Nancilu McClellan; daughter, Alison Balcombe and her husband, Jeff; grandchildren, Kaitlin, Trenton and Maegan; sister, Mary Wootan and her husband, Lesley; sister, Pam Cox and her husband, Tim; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.