NFL Football Player. He starred for the Detroit Lions in the 1930s and later spent 28 years as a college head coach and athletic director. At 99, he was the oldest living former NFL player. After playing semipro ball for the Ironton Tanks from 1927 to 1930, Presnell joined the Portsmouth Spartans of the NFL, which three years later became the Detroit Lions. It was in Detroit that Presnell enjoyed his finest NFL seasons, leading the Lions to the 1935 league championship. He earned his best-ever pro football salary of $4,000, there, huge in that era. He led the league in scoring that season and was first team All-Pro. He had earned second team honors before and on Oct. 7, 1934, kicked a then-NFL record 54-yard field goal. The record stood for 19 years. He retired after nine professional seasons and spent one year as an assistant coach at Kansas, then went to his alma mater Nebraska before serving in the Navy for three years during World War II. After the war, he was hired at Eastern Kentucky and spent 17 years as head coach and another 11 as the athletic director before retiring in 1974.
NFL Football Player. He starred for the Detroit Lions in the 1930s and later spent 28 years as a college head coach and athletic director. At 99, he was the oldest living former NFL player. After playing semipro ball for the Ironton Tanks from 1927 to 1930, Presnell joined the Portsmouth Spartans of the NFL, which three years later became the Detroit Lions. It was in Detroit that Presnell enjoyed his finest NFL seasons, leading the Lions to the 1935 league championship. He earned his best-ever pro football salary of $4,000, there, huge in that era. He led the league in scoring that season and was first team All-Pro. He had earned second team honors before and on Oct. 7, 1934, kicked a then-NFL record 54-yard field goal. The record stood for 19 years. He retired after nine professional seasons and spent one year as an assistant coach at Kansas, then went to his alma mater Nebraska before serving in the Navy for three years during World War II. After the war, he was hired at Eastern Kentucky and spent 17 years as head coach and another 11 as the athletic director before retiring in 1974.
Bio by: Ron Moody
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