Ron Widby

Ron Widby

Ron Widby, born and raised in Knoxville TN, died Wednesday, December 23, 2020, in Texas. He had been in declining health for several years.

Ron attended Knoxville Fulton High School where he was a quarterback, safety, and punter on the football team, and an All-State basketball player under Coach Bob Fry. He was a member of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, the University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame, the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame, and the Fulton High School Wall of Fame.

Following high school and recruited by SEC colleges, he signed a football scholarship to the school that he had always wanted to play for, the University of Tennessee. His scholarship allowed him to play any and all sports, which he ultimately did. Known by the U.T. sports information office as "Mr. Everything," he proved them right. He was likely the greatest multi-sport athlete to ever wear the orange and white for the University of Tennessee. He was an All-American punter for the 1966 Vols football team led by Coach Doug Dickey, leading the nation in punting average at 43.8 yards. When his U.T. football career ended, he was Tennessee's all-time leader in yards per punt. During that same academic year and as Captain of the basketball team with Coach Ray Mears, he was named first team All-SEC, Basketball Player of the Year in the SEC, and second-team All-American. In his last regular-season game, he scored 50 points, then a school record.

During his senior year he led the SEC in scoring and led Tennessee's basketball team to the SEC championship, dramatically won in Starkville, Mississippi, in a third overtime. That SEC championship led the Vols to their first NCAA basketball tournament in U.T. history, where ultimately Tennessee lost to Dayton by one point. Dayton went on to play in the national championship game, losing to UCLA and Lew Alcindor. Due to the overlapping of football and basketball seasons from October on, and with his focus during his senior year on U.T. basketball, Ron's versatile athleticism allowed him to play both sports during the same period. Once basketball season started, remarkably, he punted for the football Vols without even practicing, due to his simultaneous need to practice for the basketball Vols. Ron was the only four-sport letterman ever at Tennessee; basketball, football, baseball, and golf. In UT baseball, he had a .350 batting average and was an outstanding first baseman. It was in Ron's senior year that he added his fourth UT sport letter, and his eighth overall, playing on the golf team.

Following an outstanding, and unique, experience at U.T., Ron had the distinction of playing not one or two but three pro sports. He was drafted in football by the New Orleans Saints but later was signed by the Dallas Cowboys and became their All-Pro punter, helping the Cowboys win their first Super Bowl, and playing in two with the Cowboys, while also being named to the Pro-Bowl. He had a franchise and an NFL record 84-yard punt, ironically against his old team, the Saints. Following his playing for the Dallas cowboys, he was traded to Green Bay as their punter. It was at Green Bay that the Packers, noticing his gifted athleticism, tried him at the receiver position in a practice, a fateful practice. On an early practice play, he suffered a ruptured spinal disc in a freak accident, costing him his football career. He was never able to fully recover and return to pro football.

In professional basketball he was drafted by and played for the New Orleans Buccaneers in the old American Basketball Association (ABA), and following professional football and basketball he later barely missed qualifying for the Senior PGA Tour. He became the tennis pro at his country club in Texas where he was also the certified golf pro.

While likely the most gifted all-around athlete to ever come from Knoxville, Ron retained his humility, down-to-earth quality, approachability, and loyalty to past teammates, always quick with a smile, a friendly welcome, and a kind word of encouragement to other aspiring athletes.

Ron was preceded in death by his father George. He is survived by his mother Louise, wife Debbie (Allen, TX), sons Scott (Frisco, TX) and Craig (Chicago, IL), grandsons Aidan (Boerne, TX) and Kellan (Athens, AL), sister Barbara Cummins (Pat) (Knoxville, TN), nephews Randy (Kathy) (Louisville, KY) and Alan (Knoxville, TN), and great nieces and nephews Chase Cummins (Frisco, TX), Averi Cummins Winner (Brian) (San Diego, CA), Rachel Cummins Michaels (Mitch) (Knoxville, TN), Ian Cummins (Knoxville, TN).

In a final act of generosity and kindness, Ron arranged to have his body donated to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center for research. Funeral arrangements and memorial are pending. Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN, 38105 or to the charity of your choice.