| Lee Nalley | |
| Currentnumber: | 25 |
| Birth Date: | 15 March 1925 |
| Birth Place: | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Death Place: | Rocky Mount, North Carolina |
| Height Ft: | 5 |
| Height In: | 9 |
| Weight Lb: | 161 |
| Currentposition: | Halfback, safety |
| School: | Vanderbilt Commodores |
| Highschool: | Central |
| Pastschools: | Vanderbilt (1947 - 1949) |
| Highlights: |
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Lee "Long Gone" Nalley Jr. (March 15, 1925 - September 14, 2003) was a college football player for the Vanderbilt Commodores football team from 1947 to 1949.[1] A prominent halfback and safety man, he broke an NCAA record with 791 punt return yards in 1948.[2] [3] [4] Nalley broke the record in the game against Maryland.[5] He also had the record for return yardage in a career.[6] He was chosen as the return man for an Associated Press Southeast Area All-Time football team 1920–1969 era.[7]
Nalley graduated from Nashville's Central High School in 1943. He then spent two years in the Navy due to World War II before entering Vanderbilt University in 1946.[8] Due to his small size, he had to make the football team as a walk-on. "I ran the 100 in 9.9 seconds, which was pretty fair for that time, and I had a good change of pace" recalled Nalley.[8]