By Steve Williams
Dewey Warren was one of the first University of Tennessee T-formation quarterbacks in the 1960s.
Nicknamed the “Swamp Rat” when he was in high school in Georgia, he’s now 80 years old but doesn’t look it.
How did he get that nickname?
“People ask me, ‘Are you from New Orleans?’ “No, I’m from Savannah, Ga.,” Dewey answers.
“I was about five minutes late for practice one day. My high school coach was Lamar Leachman, who played up here (at UT) in the 50s with Majors and that bunch.
“And he said, ‘You’re like an old swamp rat down there in the swamps.’
“I was a sophomore in high school then and it’s been with me ever since.”
Warren pulls off a trick play in Gator Bowl
I had recently seen the 1966 Gator Bowl on YouTube, which Dewey played in against Syracuse, that got me interested in setting up an interview with him. And I told Dewey I was shocked by the physicality that the two teams played with in that game as it compares to today.
“We were playing Syracuse and they have Floyd Little and Larry Csonka – two Hall of Fame backs that went on into the pros,” said Warren. “We were fortunate to win the game, a great ball game.
“I don’t remember a whole lot about it, but I do remember right before halftime we’re getting ready to kick a field goal and Austin Denny – the big tight end from Nashville – came up to me and said: ‘Fake it and throw it to me in the end zone.’ And I looked at him and said: You got to be kidding. I said if it doesn’t work, me and you will be on a bus back to Knoxville. So I didn’t tell nobody and Gary Wright was the kicker and I was the holder. So he went to kick the ball and I picked it up and sprinted out to the right and threw it in the endzone and there were three guys around Denny when he caught it for a touchdown.
“(Coach Doug) Dickey never said a word to us. He didn’t speak to us. I mean he didn’t say: Why did you all do that or anything. Me and Austin said: Well, I guess he (Dickey) took credit for it.”
Tennessee ended up winning the game 18-12.
“It was a great ball game,” added Warren. “I mean Floyd Little and Larry Csonka were two super backs. Little was tough.
“Another big thing that happened was on fourth down. I think it was Csonka that went across the top with the ball and (Paul) Naumoff hit him and you could have heard the lick all the way back to Knoxville.”
Warren is still working
“I’m working over in Maryville for the sheriff, Jim Berrong. He owns the golf course – Lambert Acres – and I’m a ranger. I’ve been over there for four years. I work five days a week – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I get out and I see a lot of people. I started playing golf there in 1965 and they were little boys – he and his brother, so I’m back over there and I love it. I get to see a lot of people that I haven’t seen in a long time.”
As a ranger, Dewey patrols the course’s 27 holes.
“I’m out there making sure they are doing the right thing – where they are supposed to, not playing more than four and I have to speed up play sometimes.
“It keeps me busy. I love it,” he said.
