The Folklore behind Bear Bryant's Recruitment of Howard Schnellenberger

For many football fans across the Commonwealth, Howard Schnellenberger is celebrated as the architect that resurrected the University of Louisville football program. Long before he won a Fiesta Bowl with the Cardinals, or a National Championship with Miami , or served as the play-caller for the undefeated 72 Miami Dolphins, or recruited Joe Namath to Alabama, he was Bear Bryant’s most coveted football recruit.

Schnellenberger was a star for Flaget High School. Two years older than the Golden Boy, Paul Hornung, the Catholic school in the West End of Louisville was a football powerhouse in the 40s and 50s. It was the perfect place for Bear Bryant to set up shop to continue building a Kentucky program that was fresh off a win over undefeated Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl.

There was only one problem: The Bear was too late. Schnellenberger had already verbally committed to play college football at Indiana. A stubborn ball coach, that would not deter Bryant from making his recruiting pitch.

The story goes that one Sunday afternoon Bryant visited the Schnellenberger’s home on Dixie Highway. After speaking with Howard briefly, he went into the other room to speak with his parents.

An hour later, Mrs. Schnellenberger was unmoved. “Howard’s a good Catholic boy who sticks to his word. He told the coach from Indiana he was going to play for him, so that’s what he’ll do.”

Bryant respectfully accepted the response, then formulated a new plan. The following Sunday Bear returned to the Schnellenberger residence with Kentucky Governor Lawrence Weatherby, the first Louisville native to hold the office. The visit went much like the first.

After an hour of conversation, Mrs. Schnellenberger politely told the gentlemen, “I appreciate y’all coming to visit us, but as I said before, Howard’s a good Catholic boy who sticks to his word. He’s going to play ball at Indiana.”

Most coaches would have waved the white flag and surrendered. Not Bryant. The cunning coach returned a week later to the Schnellenberger house, this time with the Archbishop of Louisville.

Fifteen minutes later, Mrs. Schnellenberger emerged from the meeting and said, “Howard, you’re going to play for Kentucky.”

The decision worked well for Howard. He spent two years playing for the Bear, who many say left UK because he could not use the Archbishop to convince Paul Hornung to spurn Notre Dame for UK. Howard earned First Team All-American honors at Kentucky as an end, then remained on Blanton Collier’s staff where he met Don Shula. Those coaching connections served him well throughout the rest of his career.

Did Bryant actually change Schnellenberger’s life by bringing the Archbishop to his mother’s house one Sunday? Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.